Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-04-25
. MEASURING MINDS-By Frederic J. Haskin

Binet scale, or the Performance scale. II he
failed to pass this last test, he was usually
discharged from the army.
The test for all who can read and write
English is known as alpha" 1t is printed
form, containing eight groups of questions
which must be answered in fifty minutes. The
first group consists of number of forms and
letters--a line of plain circles, line of cir
cles containing numbers, one containing an
intersecting square and triangle, one with an
intersecting square, circle and triangle, and
so on. It's purpose is to see how we'll man
can remember, and carry out what he is told
to do. When the papers are distributed and
everything is ready, the class is commanded
to come to attention" with their pencils
raised in the air.
when l say &C.," directs the examining
psychologist, "but not before, make a cross
in the first circle and also figure one in the
third circle. Co." Five seconds are allowed
for these directions to be carried out, then
the class is again called to Attention" and
commanded to carry out some other weird
proceeding with the circles and triangles,
When the tests with the circles and tri-
angles have been exhausted, the page of the
printed form is turned, and the class takes
up the consideration of the questions con
tanned in Group 2. These are purely arith
metical. There are twenty questions, begin
ming with such easy problems as How many
men are 20 and menu" and ending with
more difficult ones, such as ga U-bOat makes
miles an hour when submerged and II
miles an hour when travelling on the sur
face. How long will it take to cross a To-
mile stretch of water, if it has to go two
thirds of the way submerged?" The examin-
ers are more tolerant with these questions.
They permit the men to figure them out on
the margins of the test FORM
Group is a test of common sense. It
consists of sixteen questions on the follow
ing order: Cows are valuable animals
because they eat grass; because they are bril-
liantly colored; or because they give milk. :"
Or, why is cotton used as a fabric-because
it grows in hot climate; because it is a
vegetable product, or because it wears well?'
The examinee must place a mark next to the
reason that seems to him most sensible.
These are some Of the simpler questions
Farther down the list they grow more COM
plicated-so complicated, in fact, that one
medical officer assures s. that the only sensi-
BILE answer to at least two of them would be,
go to hell!''
The questions in Group 4 are designed to
test mans vocabulary. Group consists OF
"A sentences as they should not be. For in
stance: president Columbus first the was
America Of" You are supposed Immediate
ly to straighten this sentence out and to spe-
city on the opposite side of the page whether
it is true or false. Group is a puzzle eX-
ecuted in numbers, which is of the best
tests for general intelligence in the examina-
ton. Group Z is very simple test in the
relaClon OF Woros, ana group 8 is d CeSL OIL
the examines general knowledge, concern
ing almost anything-from the discoverer OF
America to the location of the human larynX
These tests enabled the army to distribute
it's highest intelligence where it would do the
most good. Instead of having a majority of
intelligence in one company, and minority
in another, efforts were made to distribute
1t evenly SO that each company would be as
efficient as the other, thus leaving no weak
links in the chain of regiments. The tests
have not escaped without criticism, of course.
1t has been asserted that they do not measure
real ability, but merely educational advan-
tages, and that mans score is greatly in
fiuenced by such accidental factors as fatigue,
inconsistencies, illness, and temperature of the
day. But, as matter of fact, experience
has shown that the tests furnish for imme-
date use rating of the men which compares
very favorably with that furnished by off
GERS after months of acquaintance.