THE SCOPE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS 189 
less comprehensive in the sense that it includes some of 
the most common and representative types. It also in 
dicates the broad range over which psychological tests 
can be applied if the psychological method is carefully 
observed. Other types of work have already been success 
fully dealt with by other psychologists, and as time goes 
on, this range will undoubtedly'increase very greatly. 
The question which is probably of most interest to 
industrial leaders and to organization heads is the choice 
of men for higher positions, executives, planners, organiz 
ers—the so-called big men. Can tests be applied which 
will make it possible to discover men of large caliber and 
large capabilities; men who have the ability to plan and 
execute great projects; men who stand head and shoulders 
above their fellow men? Can tests make it possible to 
select the exceptional man, the genius? This question 
must frankly be answered in the negative. The psycho 
logical method is at the present stage of its development 
unable to select men who possess the exceptional qualities 
required by the exceptional position. 
The reasons for this limitation have already been fur 
nished in the description of the psychological method con 
tained in the preceding chapters. In the first place, 
psychology, like every other science, must proceed from 
the simple to the complex. The psychologist must first 
seek to apply tests to the more ordinary kinds of work, 
Work which he can analyze and understand. The ex 
periments described here deal, for the most part, with work 
°f such a nature. Although it is conceivable that the 
psychological method be applied to types of work which 
the psychologist does not understand, still, such a pro 
cedure will be, at the best, haphazard and unreliable. An 
tntelligent application of tests requires, on the part of the