Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-28

vention, that puxzaing question
"a" which he FIRST tried on his -
" brightest boy candidates for COW
eted Edison scholarships. he was
EeaIIy bent on testing character.
Here Is the way the question ran:
sYou are the head Of an expedition which
has come to grief in the desert. There b
enough food and water left to enable three
people to get to the nearest outpost Of civiiiza-
ton The rest must perish. Your companions
are:
1. brilliant scientist co years old.
T. Two half breed guides, ages So and %.
,. The scientists wife-interested mainly in
society matterS-age 30.
L. Her little son. age 6.
s. The girl you are engaged to marry.
g. Your best friend, q young man Of your
Meld Of science.
T. Yourself.
(which would you choose 10 live and which
% die? Give your reasons"
Psychologists agree that there Is no one best
answer TO such q test query. Probably no two
scientists would answer alike.
But to score 100 per cent. the question must
receive o definite answer. The important
Trims is 70 answer the prOblem and be able 10
defend your answer. Such response rs Wed
an Get rescued In time" or ~ don't know
would score big fat zero. In other words.
Edis0n;s boy genius had to be able 30 make up
his mind He also had 10 display some
ingenuity.
One of the questions in the Edison test last
year was Of the same sort. How would you
answer this one:
"If you were to inherit 81 100000 within the
next year, what would you do with it?"
Probably there are as many correct answers
to that question as there are dollars mentioned
But any answer given would probably satisfy
the mind of the wizard-can the boy make a
plan without taking a week to think it over?
liver since psychological tests were used so
successfully to classify the drafted per-
sonnet of the Army in the World War, psy-
biologists have been trying to work out some
means Of testing character. Mental tests are
being used in all the big industries today. Ex-
ecutives find that it Is much better to give an
applicant for job a test than 1t is TO ask his
friends whether he is q bright boy
But for most jobs 1t is not enough that the
boy be bright. He must also be honest: he
must have backbone; he must be able and
willing to stick to q job he must be able to
get ON with his fellow workers and his fore
man chief.
Can such things be measured? Psychologists
say yes, although they admit that the way has
not been perfected SO far. Perhaps Edisons
test questions are long step in the right d.
rectiOn Only time, and the final success or
failure Of his scholarship winners, will prove
that to the satisfaction of cold science.
Other steps have been taken by psychologists,
and now being tried cut in laboratories On
all sorts Of people, good and bad. Some are
giving excellent results; some not good.
The following questions. for example, are not
at all what they seem to be-but suppose you
try them first; get some friend to take them,
but don't tell him about the Joker between the
lines. 1t is only necessary to underline the
answer to each question
/. Are you ever rude to members of your
family?
2. Are you always on time for your appoint
ment?
3. Are you broad-minded?
4. Have you ever laughed ct another persons
misfortune, however slight?
S. If ticket agent gave you 10 cents too
HANch change. would yON HaiaS train 10 return
~