THE SCOPE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS I99 
discover and measure the ethical and emotional qualities 
it is obvious that they do not provide an infallible method 
for selecting the right man for the right place. In the 
absence of knowledge about certain of an individual’s most 
important characteristics, no reliable deductions can be 
made about that individual’s future, or his desirability 
for a certain kind of work. This is, indeed, a serious short 
coming, and one which gravely limits the usefulness of 
psychological tests. However, it must be remembered 
that all other methods are equally helpless in the face of 
this difficulty, even while not admitting it, and that the 
psychologist has at least the advantage of recognizing the 
intricacies which the problem presents. 
The limitations of psychological tests as applied to the 
individual having been recognized, wherein does the real 
value and scope of these tests lie? Briefly, in their ability 
to discover the presence and measure the extent of the 
specific abilities or faculties which an individual possesses. 
This knowledge makes it possible to select from a group 
of applicants those who possess at least one of the two 
fundamental requisites for success; namely, ability to do 
the work of a given job. Aside from all moral qualifica 
tions, every job requires a minimum of ability or intelli 
gence. Those who possess the necessary moral qualities 
are not fitted for a job unless they possess also the neces 
sary mental qualities, the necessary ability or technique. 
On the other hand, those who possess the required ability 
but not the right moral traits are equally unfitted for the 
Job in question. Those who possess neither ability nor 
character are least of all fitted, while those who possess 
both are of course best fitted. We may show the four 
possible combinations of these two fundamental elements 
by means of the following table: