Evening star., 1926-03-21

Il0lOll llflS NCCN.
Will Consider Tests.
The conference will consider recon-
fnended tests for prospective drivers
and it is to shed some light on the
subject of psychological methods 10
tietermine fitness of operators of au
tomobileS that DR.. CGttell discusses
this motoring problem.
In this connection. the conference
Will consider what qualifications
should he required of drivers of motor
ears and whether such tests should
lie more severe for professional driv-
ers, for persons having disabilities and
for those who have cauSeed accidents.
I'VE need to use psychological eX-
*Seriments to determine how well an
Individual can drive a car and in so
far as possible to predict how well he
will be able TO learn by practice DR..
Cattell states in his article.
Driving Now Less Dangerous.
= 1t is not nearly so dangerous ana
difficult as was once supposed. prob
ably less SO than to drive horses. far
less so than to drive horse-draWn Ve-
FicleS of the same weight and at the
same speed. But it is obvious that
10 ability to drive a motor car indi-
SIuudlS ltcI ky ny heAi
tng natural aptitudes, partly by
amount and kind of experience. Those
who cannot drive on the highways
without Inconvenience and risk to
,AherS should not be permitted there.
N an individual has only moderate
aptitude he should take this into con-
s3tleration in deciding whether to buy
- car. to drive it under difficult condi-
lions, to take out his wife and chill
dren. Unless he has more than aver
sge natural ability he should not take
~, motor car driving as u calling.
Psychological tests that can he
iaade in three hours predict whether q
Fpy is likely to do we'll in college.
4 each boy and girl were tested at
the age of 16. it would he possible
TO predict with u reasonable degree
II accuracy where he would stand
;Elong all automobilists Who had,
eAy, driven 10000 miles, after he him
self had driven that far. He might
10 better or worse than the test pre-
,ticted, but on the average the pre-.
taction would be correct within GER
tain limits Such test would only
rake the time and have the cost Of
half day at school, it would be far
tAore useful as factor in education.
apart from the valuable information
that it would give.
Abilities Classified.
LIVERY ability is to certain extent
special and at the same time has fac
tors common TO other abilities. We
rem make Il threefoid ssification
that is useful There is the logical
rbility to reason and deal with alb
stractions. which can be measured by
he way in which an individual han
;es numbers and words. There is the
objective ability to deal with things.
machines and concrete situations,
'ehich can be measured by suitable
iiethods and apparatus. Lastly, there
IS the social ability to get on well with
other people, which has only recently
been taken up by psychologists, but
In which we expect rapid progress in
the near future. Thus I have found
rscently that more than 20 per cent of
;ypists applying for a given position
would cheat when given the oppor-
fnnitY without apparent chance of
objection.
B"The man who drives his own car
requires a certain minimum abstract
Intelligence, but perhaps only enough
TO stand above the lowest 10 per cent
nf the population. He requires rela.
lively more mechanical ability. though
less than was formerly supposed. The
Question of social ability is still open,
lat 1t is important. Proper regard,
not only of the rights but also for the
Convenience and welfare of others. is
al factor scarcely considered. A driver
may have ample intelligence and un-
usual skill. but may he inconsiderate
and careless, or may take chances to
an extent that makes him unfit to
use the public highway.
Urges Simple Tests.
"A license should be required for
every driver Of n car, if only as a
means of identtication but the exam.
ination should be simple and easy to
administer. Psychologists should be
permitted TO determine how much
Intelligence. how much information
oncerning the regulations, how much
skill in driving, how much care and
consideration. should be required, and
low these can be determined most eX-
Rctly and most economically.
professional drivers should receive
a license only after passing a thor
nugh examination. They use contin-
uously the streets and highways con-
structed and maintained by taxation
and needed by other vehicles and by
pedestrians. They often have special
privileges. as in the case of an emer-
gency vehicle for which the speed
limit may be waived, or bus or
truck which obstructs the road and
whose weight is dangerous to other
vehicles. The public which uses busses
and taxicabs should be protected, as
is done in licensing physicians, drug.
;sists and BARRIERS.
tsTha 6yl.eafo1> irfp1Iaf.tt1.a1 rh;aotix,,
and social ability man has the better
it Is for him and for society. But each
should be adjusted to the work that
he can do best and with the erea test