Into the slums and back alleys of Greater Boston, a group of nine University students have been penetrating during the last few days. Their mission is to gather information for a nationwide poll conducted by the Psychological Corporation, of New York City.

The Psychological Corporation describes itself as an "organization of psychologists...which conducts surveys on products, advertising, and sales appeal...and acts as counsel on the psychological aspects of sales, personnel, and public relations policies."

Backed by Big Business

Started in 1921 as an organization for purely psychological research, the Corporation has been used for the past few years by big business concerns to determine the effectiveness of their advertising schemes and the general attitude of the public toward their products.

Each one of the Crimson poll-takers is assigned a certain street in a typical Boston district and is directed to interview as many residents of the street as possible. While some of the interviewers find themselves working in the South End, others comb through the most exclusive sections of Brookline and Chestnut Hill.

Some sample questions posed are: "What brand of coffee did you buy last?", "Have you ever bought beer in cans for home use?", "Do you think favorably of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation?", and "How many babies are there in your family?"

Roback Organizes

Representing the Psychological Corporation and directing all its polling activities around Boston is A. A. Roback, Ph.D. '17, internationally renowned writer, columnist, and lecturer on psychology. Roback, who lives at 8 Prescott Street, has been giving a number of courses for the University's Extension Service.