WOMEN IN ARMY

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24027, 16 August 1943, Page 6

WOMEN IN ARMY

* PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS When women were joining the Army in large numbers it was arranged for those who wished to do artillery work involving the reading of instruments to be tested by a trained psychologist. Dr. R. Winterbourn, South Island Investigator to the Industrial Psychology Divisron of the Department of- Scientific and Industrial Research, was in charge of the tests. 1 Three groups of girls, each group consisting of several hundred, were giver general intelligence tests, while from each group about 50 of the most intelligent were chosen for more intensive testing. These second tests carried out at Canterbury College were for the purpose of finding special aptitudes and indicating temperament. Although the military authorities have not been able to apply this system of tests to all recruits, and have not always been able to place girls in positions for which the tests showed that their aptitude fitted them, in many cases the results of tests have proved most useful. When allotting girls to various tasks knowledge of their intelligence quotients has been helpful and results of tests are indicated on the Army files which are kept for every recruit. In the signalling corps, tests have been carried out among both men and women, and are still being given. But in general the system of testing Army personnel has been discontinued.