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EMPLOYMENT  PSYCHOLOGY

However,  before  a  test  can  be  properly  started,  it  must  be
properly  understood  by  the  subject  who  is  taking  it.  To
give  directions  that  will  be  misunderstood  is  one  of  the
easiest  things  possible.  One  never  discovers  the  many
possible  meanings  a  word  can  assume  until  he  uses  that
word  in  giving  directions  to  a  large  number  of  people.
One  of  many  experiences  of  this  kind  will  serve  as  an
instance.  In  developing  the  directions  for  the  number
checking  test  (8)  described  in  the  first  experiment,  the
examiner  originally  directed  the  subject  to  put  a  mark
after  every  number  that  contained  both  a  C T  ’’and  a  “7”.
Some  subjects  put  down  a  V-shaped  check,  while  others
put  a  dash  like  this  “—Obviously,  the  first  took  a
longer  time  than  the  second,  and  since  the  purpose  of  the
test  was  not  to  test  a  person’s  ability  to  make  marks,  this
was  a  source  of  error.  Consequently,  the  directions  were
changed  to  read:  “Put  a  straight  line  after  each  number,”
etc.  This  resulted  in  the  attempt  on  the  part  of  certain
subjects  to  make  a  mathematically  straight  line  in  every
case.  This  also  was  an  undesirable  feature,  because  the
purpose  of  the  test  was  not  to  discover  the  subject’s  ability
to  draw  straight  lines.  Moreover,  some  subjects  made
long  and  deliberate  lines,  while  others  made  them  short
and  dashing.  If  all  the  words  necessary  to  make  these
directions  absolutely  clear  and  unmistakable  had  been
included  in  the  final  directions,  the  result  would  have  been
something  as  follows:  “Make  a  quick,  straight  dash,
about  an  eighth  of  an  inch  long,  after  each  number,”  etc.
Obviously,  such  directions  would  have  defeated  their  end,
because,  by  the  time  they  had  been  given,  the  subject
would  have  forgotten  the  most  of  them.  Therefore,  a
part  of  the  directions  was  given  by  the  examiner  as  an
actual  demonstration.  The  examiner  would  say:  “Make  a