Leonard V. Gordon

Acclimatization and Aptitude Test Performance

THE Navy Classification Battery is normally administered to all recruits during their third day at the Naval Training Center. Administrative personnel at the Naval Training Center, San Diego, felt that recruits might not be sufficiently acclimatized by the third day to do their best on these tests. Thus, on February 15, 1957, classification testing was changed to the recruits’ ninth day instead. However, since it was considered desirable to maintain a uniform time of testing at all training centers, testing was returned to the third day on March 21, 1957. The data provided by this period of ninth-day testing permitted a determination of whether there was, in fact, any difference in aptitude test performance after a longer period of acclimatization.

A Factor Analysis of Interests in Certain Skilled Occupations

STRONG (1943, p. 315), in discussing the application of factor analysis to occupational interest, asks whether the factors resulting from these analyses are &dquo;really functional unities or ... merely mathematical coordinates in terms of which occupations may be located in space?&dquo; He goes on, &dquo;If the latter, they have served their purpose in identifying occupational groups and need be considered no further. If the former, then they should be identified and interest tests developed to measure them directly.&dquo; Reviewing the results of factor analyses performed on the scales of the Strong Vocational Interest Blank, Strong expresses a skepticism over the possibility of finding a few interest factors which will explain all interests, but he acknowledges that this may be due to the way in which his scales have been constructed.

Right-Handed Answer Sheets and Left-Handed Testees

WHEN separate answer sheets are used with a paper and pencil test, right-handed individuals usually place their answer sheets to their right or directly in front of themselves and lefthanded individuals generally place their answer sheets to their left. However, for some tests, the answer sheets must be inserted into the right-hand side of the test booklet, and the left-handed respondent is unable to place the answer sheet in a position most appropriate to his handedness. When marking a right-handed insert-type answer sheet, the left-handed individual generally covers the test booklet with his arm. This prevents his reading the next item until he has moved his arm. While the left-handed individual would not be at a dis-