Association tests.

The efforts of a standardizing committee are likely to be regarded with disfavor and apprehension in many quarters, on the ground that the time is not yet ripe for stereotyping either the test material or the procedure.It may be felt that what is called for, in the present immature condition of individual psychology, is, the rather, free invention and the appearance of as many variants as possible.Let very many tests be tried, each new investigator introducing his own modification; and then, the worthless will gradually be eliminated and the fittest will survive.Admitting the general justice of this point of view, we still believe that work such as is here undertaken may be of service in two ways.First, we hope that the tests herein recommended may find application where no special reason exists for the introduction of a new test.Often appeals for tests of proved value are heard from those who desire to study individual, race, sex, child or pathological psychology-from investigators who have not the time or inclination to devise new tests, and who, moreover, wish to be able to compare their results on one class of subjects with results already obtained on other classes.If every fresh student employs new tests, the incomparability of the results entails much wasted effort.Individual and class psychology is, almost of necessity, a cooperative enterprise.The advantages to be hoped from standardization are much the same here as in the field of anthropometry.