Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-17
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I was distressed, during a
recent visit to your city, to
encounter an ill-considered
editorial on "Testomania"
November 81. This editorial
favored an absolute prohibit
ton on measures Of person.
atty, social adjustment and
other tests on nonintellectual
abilities in the public schools.
Any competent psychologist
can tell you that any guild
ance program which pre-
tends to use only intelligence
and achievement tests, with
no consideration Of PERSONAL
ity and other affective attri-
butes, is not only futile but
even dangerous. Let me give
you an arbitrary and admit
teddy extreme example. A
young man makes an aver
age score on intelligence and
is good on achievement in
technical skills. Because he
has little chance of succeed
ing as a creative scientist,
you advise him to become a
chemical a lie SIN an. But it
makes a tremendous differ
ence whether this young man
is outgoing. likes people, en-
joys novel social situations.
and finds persuasion a pleas
ant task-or whether he de-
tests people. avoids social
contacts, and prefers to tink-
er in his basement shop. The
former may make a sales
man; the latter will curse
you to his dying day If you
steer him into sales.
I am sure that some in
competent and thoughtless
people have made improper
use Of nonintellectual tests.
The same is true Of intelli-
gence and aptitude measures.
There is no precaution-
short Of a requirement that
all counselors have adequate
training in psychology-that
will guarantee us against
misuse Of tests. I only wish to
insist that the sin, in these
cases, is not the use Of the
tests. but their misuse.
Adequate administrative
regulations can prevent most
of the errors to which your
editorial refers. But no ad-
ministrative rules can pro-
vide for rational guidance
programs If the rider pro-
posed by Representative
Ashbrook is written into the
National Defense Education
Act.
AS for the naive mott on
that a skin g children about
their attitudes toward their
parents causes hostility, this
belongs in the attic with the
myths that If we do not
m e n tion illegitimate preg-
nancy, it will disappear, or
the idea that If we prevent
Communists from speaking
on college mpuse the
Communist Party will Coop
crate by disbanding. Cues
tons do not cause attitudes.
Attitudes reflect real expe-
riences, and the asking of
questions about them does
not cause them any more
than a doctors thermometer
causes the fever 1t records.
Ross Stagner,
Chairman, Department Of
Psychology, Wayne State
University. Detroit, Mich.
Serenodes Us
On behalf of the musicians
of tn e National Symphony
Orchestra. I wish to express
our sincere appreciation for
the thoughtful and SYM
pathetic comments on thu
symphony crisis presented in
your editorials of October 20
and 81.
Your recognition of the
need for Government subsidy
for the arts was most graft
flying. Music Critic Irving
Lowens has also expressed
attitudes that we feel are of
great significance to the sat
isfactory solution of the
continuing problems of Ma
tional Symphony musicians.
Thank you for helping us
further the cause of great
music in our Nations Capt.
tai.
William r. Wright
Social Secretary,
National Symphony