XVI
THE SCOPE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE SELECTION OF
EXECUTIVES
At the conclusion of the section on psychological tests,
the question regarding the scope of such tests as applied
to problems of employment naturally arises. This ques
tion may be divided into two phases. First, over how
great a variety of individuals and types of work may the
use of tests be extended? Secondly, how much can tests
tell us about an individual? The first question concerns
the quantitative value of the tests. It raises the point
as to the extent in classes of work and varieties of people
to which tests can be successfully applied. The second
question is concerned largely with the qualitative value
of tests. It raises the point as to whether the information
about an individual which tests afford is sufficiently com
prehensive and reliable to form a basis for judging that
individual.
The first of these two questions has already been an
swered, in part, in the preceding chapters. In the ex
periments described it was seen that tests were success
fully applied to inspectors, assemblers, machine operators,
office clerks of various kinds, stenographers, computing-
machine operators, time-study men, draftsmen, tool-
makers and tool-maker apprentices. This is by no means
a comprehensive list of kinds of work, but it is neverthe-
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