XXI

THE  VESTIBULE  SCHOOL
Mental  and  physical  tests  make  it  possible  to  detect  in
individuals  those  qualities  which  are  essential  for  certain
kinds  of  work.  Observation  and  questions  help  to  determine ­
  the  possession  or  lack  of  certain  other  important
traits.  However,  none  of  these  processes  makes  it  possible
to  discover  completely  and  conclusively  all  that  it  is
desirable  to  know  about  an  applicant.  The  shortcoming
of  them  all  is  their  necessary  brevity.  For  example,  an
examination  by  the  methods  outlined  may  show  that  a  man
possesses  the  abilities  of  a  first-rate  operator.  Nevertheless, ­
  this  man,  despite  his  ability,  may  turn  out  to  be  a
very  poor  operator.  His  failure  may  be  due  to  such  reasons ­
  as  dislike  for  the  work,  dissatisfaction  with  the  pay,
lack  of  ambition,  etc.  These  qualities  may  be  called  moral
qualities,  or  qualities  of  character,  and  they  must  be  distinguished ­
  from  the  qualities  of  technique  or  ability
manifested  by  the  employee  in  the  tests.
At  the  present  time,  very  little  is  known  or  understood
about  the  origin  and  operation  of  the  moral  traits.
Enthusiasm,  determination,  cheerfulness,  reliability,  and
their  opposites  are  moral  qualities  which,  at  the  present
stage  of  science,  can  neither  be  definitely  located  nor
accurately  gauged.  A  casual  observation  of  an  individual
may  give  some  hint  as  to  their  presence  or  absence.  Tests
will  give  a  much  better  indication  because  tests  require
work  and  in  work  moral  qualities  are  more  noticeably
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