ABSTRACT
Imagine that a WWII German officer candidate is required to pull on a metal spring with all of his might. As he pulls harder on the spring, it delivers an increasingly strong current of electricity throughout his body—all the while, a hidden camera is photographing his facial expressions. The military psychologists who administered this “character” test were not interested in how far the candidate could pull the metal spring or how long the candidate could endure the pain involved. Instead, the psychologists were interested in the degree of composure shown by the candidate as he completed the exercise. This curious procedure, and other similar ones employed by the German military, laid the initial foundation for what was to evolve into the modern-day assessment center for identifying and developing talent in organizations.
