196 
EMPLOYMENT PSYCHOLOGY 
or success which enter into the coming and going of work 
ers. Any comprehensive labor-turnover report contains 
as reasons for employees leaving items such as the fol 
lowing: illness, moving away, needed at home, marriage, 
not enough pay, dissatisfaction, cannot stand the strain, 
too far to come, better job elsewhere, and so on indefinitely. 
These and similar factors are beyond the control or do 
main of the employment psychologist. If an applicant 
who was successful in the tests leaves his work for one or 
the above reasons, it does not follow that the tests were 
at fault. On the other hand, if individuals who failed in 
the tests for a certain kind of work become successful 
workers nevertheless, it is an indication of at least three 
possibilities: First, the standard in the tests may be too 
high; secondly, the tests may be useless; thirdly, the in 
dividuals in question may possess other qualities which 
compensate for their inability in the tests, for instance, 
unusual ambition or a dire need for money. One of the 
most conspicuous examples of the third possibility arose 
in the course of an experiment carried on with inspectors. 
The experimenter was asked by the foreman to test a 
certain girl who had caused him considerable perplexity- 
This girl, the foreman stated, was an excellent worker in 
every way except ability to turn out a sufficient quantity 
of work. She was industrious, accurate, cheerful, and 
steady, but not productive. During the course of the 
psychological examination this inspector did very well 
in every test until she came to the last and most significant. 
In this test, her performance was far below the required 
standard, so far, in fact, that she would not have been 
hired for inspection work if she had applied after these 
tests were established. Nevertheless, this girl finally 
succeeded and became one of the best inspectors in the