ANALYSIS OF THE WORKER iv
older workers or from those whose schooling has been in
other countries. But where it can be obtained, it gives a
good clue to mental retardation or acceleration.
5. Physical characteristics. Items ordinarily covered in a
routine medical examination sometimes prove to be of vocational
 importance. Any good medical examination blank
will be suggestive in this regard. Height, weight, strength,
health, blood pressure, sensory discrimination, physical impairments,
 and medical history are the minimum.
The investigator may, if disposed, try, either directly or
from photographs, some of the determinants in the Blackford
 system, the Merton system, or any other system of inferring
 abilities from facial or bodily features He should
be warned in advance, however, that sincere attempts of
scientific investigators have hitherto uniformly failed to disclose
 statistically significant and rewarding correlations between
 these phrenological or physiognomic signs and valid
criteria of character and ability.
6. Social characteristics. When the securing of cooperation
or the arousal of friendly attitudes in others is a necessity in
the job, the appearance of the worker may not be neglected
in the analysis. No man, however unprejudiced he may
try to be, is entirely free from conditioned responses to the
physical appearance of others. The term social characteristics
 is used here to mean those physical characteristics as
well as those habits and modes of behavior which make a
worker a socially acceptable or unacceptable person. Although
 this topic logically belongs under headings 5 and 8,
its importance justifies Separate treatment. Questions of
importance are:
How does the worker impress others socially?
How do people like his clothes, his voice, his manner?
Has he emotional balance?
Has he a healthy outlook on life?
What peculiar or abnormal beliefs and reactions does he
display?

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