New-York tribune., 1921-05-22

of examinations in colleges and bu,,s.
lishncnts to-day es'sb
What these psychologists so,.h.
the army they are now irving - - " 90 81
tional and business life They a,o !. ~. s.p'
the principles Of psychology to seho.s app'yti
the factory 1t ia no longer nerns.~a.i 1' ana 4
group testing in large numbers n
days. Individual psychological tee.s = W.
ognized as the most practical. IL e.. oe
methods Of mental testing had no os,'' s'os'
use before 1917 In the Studen,,, 'Ss'e
Training Corps the intelligence .es,. A'''
piled to the highest grade Of mon ~e's p
in the country. Such remarkable ya.n,.' ,,.''sds
achieved that Lieutenant Colonel " ~ sH'
ham. in the Proceedings of The Ampy;e' ''.'
sociation of College Registrars a. -" =. rs
wrote: ''S
Information obtained by wveao,..,
methods will undoubtedly have ito $50 ~
connection with problems Of adrn;sx;o, -.N' = =
iege. This question of admission IL On, = y, ~
suggests the desirability OF making W.. :"
ments in two directions. Is il not ns,,.:,,
admit larger number Of students v,h.
now excluded, but who could nros, !. =
college course7 Is it not possible - 80. -
from college larger proportion Of u. !,
dents who now come to college and s.a :,
who leave with the brand of fa;Irx.
them, having wasted their own time a,a ~. r,A
fathers money? The use of ssves,l..s :,
methods should help in solving both a, a.
problems. 1t should make possible
elasticity in the administration Of sD,,....
requirements. These tests are not ,oa w
cent perfect, but they are reliahls N, =!
certain point, and to that extent am o,.s
dent that they are going to find usetul ,l,.
in university administration, not onIv "a,
reference to the administration of sdmis.,..
but also in the guidance of students !, A.
problems they are 70 face throughout thai,
academic career"
Men who passed the intelligence test IN II.
army and who were struck with The ease =,
its working and the readiness with which erea,
masses of soldiers were given reasonably eo.
rect mental classification have paid serio,
consideration to the application Of some su,s
plan in business. 1t is once more the auest;or
of getting the individual properly placed Is
in the army. The manufacturer who shift,
his men from one department to another uptl
he finds where they do the best is uerslv
working cut the principles of psycholor
though perhaps he is taking a long and s,.
pensive plan. An hours examination at ae
hands of trained psychologist could sher
pretty thoroughly the general field in whn
the individual belonged.
Since Alfred Binet brought out his earl
work on general intelligence tests In 100
much material has appeared. The Gcddsr
revision of the Binet scale and the Yerke,
Bridges point scale and the Stanford revisiO
of the Binet scale represent three Of the mo-
important steps in individual testing
The war gave an unequaled opportunity fO
wholesale testing in groups. 1t establishe
an excellent scale for testing the mentl
capacity of the average adult. The man,
facturer, whether it is Mr.. Edison in his Ea:
Orange laboratory or Mr.. Jones in his bee
sugar factory out in California, who apple
an lneelilgence test to new employees IS SIN
ply trying to do what Uncle Sam had to Do il
the war--keep the square pegs out Of th'
round holes.
With the same system applied to the schools
from the kindergarten through the gramma
school, high school and college, perhaps Nj
Edison and Mr.. Jones, the beet sugar mas
nate, viii not complain about the "smszn
ignorance" of so many of the applicants a
their doors. Psychology promises to pu
such men in the general paths which the
should follow. 1t does not promise that a
viii perform equally we'll on those path
Some will advance rapidly and others will la
but the mere fact that much blunderins
stumbling and groping have been saved VII
be Psychologist victory.