THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  GIVING  TESTS  155

One  of  the  most  frequent  questions  put  to  the  psychologist ­
  is  this:  “Is  not  the  person  whom  you  are  testing
likely  to  be  nervous,  and,  if  so,  is  this  not  likely  to  destroy
the  value  of  your  tests?”  This  question  must  be  unhesitatingly ­
  answered  in  the  affirmative.  Subjects  are
frequently  nervous  and  their  performance  in  the  tests  is
therefore  often  non-characteristic.  When  a  doubt  arises
as  to  the  fitness  of  an  applicant  of  this  kind,  justice  requires ­
  that  the  applicant  be  given  the  benefit  of  the
doubt.  However,  there  are  serious  objections  to  this
practice.  If  the  examiner  is  allowed  to  set  aside  the
results  of  the  tests  according  to  his  own  ideas  as  to
whether  a  subject  was  very  nervous  or  only  slightly
Uervous,  the  scientific  character  of  the  psychological  examination ­
  disappears  and  the  old-fashioned  method  of
^dividual  judgment  is  allowed  to  slip  back  into  its
place.
Instead  of  this  arbitrary  procedure  another  method  has
been  devised.  This  consists  of  giving  the  subject  a  shockabsorber.
  The  shock-absorber  is  a  preliminary  test,  the
purpose  of  which  is  solely  to  overcome  the  initial  excitement ­
  of  the  subject.  It  is  not  counted  in  estimating  the
final  results.  The  shock-absorber  must  have  two  characteristics. ­
  First,  it  must  be  easy.  If  it  is  difficult,  it
Will  only  serve  to  increase  the  nervousness  of  the  individual ­
  being  examined.  Secondly,  it  must  be  interesting,
"frhe  object  of  the  test  is  to  engage  the  attention  of  the
subject  as  completely  as  possible,  thereby  drawing  it
away  from  himself  and  from  the  harassing  situation  in
which  the  applicant  for  a  position  usually  finds  himself.
Experience  has  demonstrated  that  the  best  way  in  which
to  overcome  an  applicant’s  nervousness  is  by  giving  him  a
pleasant  and  easy  task  to  perform.  If  the  task  is  easy,  it