In the following instalment of Mr. Dade's scries of articles on Modern Industrial Psychology, some interesting suggestions are made touching the solution of the practical difficulties associated with the problem of selection in industry.

How Selection Difficulties May be Overcome.

Last month the essential principles of selection as for work were considered. This article will discuss the practicability of the theory as there outlined. Just now there is a deal of discussion on the question of “unskilled” labour, but such labour as is available is not of necessity “unskilled.” It is during times such as we are now experiencing that a start should be made by employers to find out what are the potentialities of such labour. The psychologist should be called upon to make a suitable selection from the applicants who apply for work. Of course it must be admitted that there is a difficulty when a “skilled” man in one trade applies for another position. It is economically unsound to take him from a trade in which he has been trained and place him in another. Moreover, it may be positively unjust to do such a thing for there may be no inconsiderable weight in the social factor— family attachments, buying a house, or other things which in their disruption by change, may render productiveness negative.

Organising for Selection.

To attempt to carry out the principle of selection with adults at the present time would, in all probability, produce nothing but conflict. It is, one feels, with the boy and the girl, that a start should be made. They are the immediate wage-earners-to-be. At once the question arises, how can the selection process be organised? Let us sketch it out. Since our system of education is that of the State, administered through nine Education Boards, it is not a difficult matter. Each Board could have one Vocational Laboratory in charge of trained psychologists with a knowledge of adapting mental tests to special conditions. Thus, each child would appear here during his last year at school. Tests could be made for various aptitudes, summaries could be prepared of sight, hearing, spatial perception, reaction tests and the many other essential details measurable with reasonable reliability. The tests, together with school records, could be worked up to give certain specific information at present only realised by teachers. In point of fact many employers to-day realise this by asking certain schools for a particular type of boy, placing their faith, thereby, in the judgment of the teacher.

The Laboratory would require to keep a check on all labour processes, detail them into their elements and finally determine what special capacities— both mental and physical, were required to carry through the component parts in production. In addition to this there would have to be kept a “job development” section. Here an economist would have to be appointed perhaps, in conjunction with the local University. His particular job would be to watch possible industrial trends and developments. This would prevent an over-supply in any one department. Suppose, for instance, that a boy is fitted for iron designing, but the possibilities in this direction indicate a future restricted field; then, upon the page 45

In The Auckland Province.
(Rly. Publicity photo.)
The men who operate trains on the N.Z.R.

advice of the psychologist, this boy is at once given advice as to the next best suitable employment.

Thus the committee would have before it a complete set of facts, all types of information; first a full set of facts relative to the capacity of the potential wage-earner; second, information relative to the capacities necessary for any sort of labour in which there was a vacancy at the time; and, finally, the trend and probable demand for labour in this or that field within the next year or two. Such a scheme would do much to save the lamentable loss of effort now apparent, and direct children into work likely to hold them for a considerable time. The net results in our industrial world, would, I aver, be even greater, for it would not be until financial stringencies took place that employers would stocktake. This system would always be stocktaking and for some time ahead.

Functions of the Vocational Laboratory.

I do not suggest that, at first, all children should be put through this “mill.” It is, of course, not necessary to set up a machine which by its own weight would fall to the ground. For this reason its activities might at first be restricted to boys about to enter upon an apprenticeship. Even to-day, in some trades, boys are accepted only upon certain conditions, but strangely enough, these conditions are not what can be termed “capacity” conditions. That is to say, they are not such as would indicate to the employer an ability to undertake certain actions involving specific performance in a particular field. For instance, take the setting up of this article. The ability of the type-setter is not only dependent upon rapidity and dexterity, but more truly upon the capacity to retain in the memory a relatively large number of words. Experiments show that a typesetter with a good “immediate” memory will do twice as much work as the man with a poor memory. This is merely another way of saying that the time lost in referring to the original manuscript is not made up by rapidity nor dexterity on the keys

To pursue these researches further it should be a condition of employment that a potential typesetter much have a good memory as well as certain muscular control which will enable him to manipulate the keys with some degree of celerity— these are the elements of innate fitness for the job, and these are the bases upon which the employers ought, logically, to select their hands.

The School or Laboratory itself should be fully equipped. This does not mean that it should be a collection of finely adjusted machines each waiting a little subject upon which to work. Too often the idea of using experimental psychology has been restricted to the more superficial measurements— those mentioned earlier. But in conjunction with this should go what Burt, Psychologist page 46 to the L.C.C., has aptly termed a “sample” test. This is perhaps analogous to the rough and ready test which an employer not infrequently gives when he wants to “try out” two or three boys, e.g., to take out a balance from some simple set of figures, to take down from dictation a few sentences, or to perform some act which is similar to, but simpler than, the work which he will demand.

The Essential Test in Selection.

The rough attempts that the employer sets can be refined, pruned and altered, until they are definitely a “test” within the scientific connotation of the term. Moreover, such set tests, by reason of their being worked over, can be standardised so that a similar set can be used for a tremendous number of children. It becomes an efficient test which will give not only trustworthy and comparable technique, but also standards— or as they are technically termed “norms,” measures, that is, of superior, average or inferior performances. An illustration of this principle is that practised in some postal districts for the employment of men. A “sample” test of the work to be performed is given.

A postman may be called upon to read quickly and accurately a series of badly addressed envelopes, a sorter to distribute in piles, according to area numbers, a large pile of “dummies.” These may be checked over for error. The telegraphist may be tried out at a key which will check out errors, or at a receiving set working to a given number of words perminute. But it is obvious that these “tests” may be passed as the result of training, but in themselves are not indicative of aptitudes or capacities. The real result comes when there is found some third result, a common factor it might be termed, which will show clearly the capacity of the individual in specified directions to meet the problems which the job presents. This is, correctly speaking, the real germ of the whole system of selection.

The Teacher and His Pupil.

Earlier there was a reference to what the school should do. It is becoming recognised more and more that not all children have the same capacity for all subjects. Within the last few years there has developed a feeling that teachers, with their intimate knowledge of the children in their charge, are capable of compiling a complete dossier of the traits of the individual. Marked ability should be developed so that by the time the child arrives at his leaving stage, in addition to the tests, both psychological and mental, there is a fine record of personal observation which is of considerable use to the expert. Many readers may consider the assertions in this article rather too advanced, but, in point of fact, work on somewhat similar lines is being done in England and in America. In England there is the “National Institute of Industrial Psychology” which sets out to solve the difficulties under discussion. For that reason it may be interesting to citesome cases and show how the system works. To term it “mind-reading” is to give it a popular term, but take this

Railwaymen's Trial Of Strength.
The tug-of-war contest between the Traffic and Maintenance Branches at the combined Railway picnic at Napier.

page 47 example. As we all know, school reports do not always indicate latent or unsuspected powers or abilities. The Institute, therefore, after years of careful research (including the testing and following up of some six hundred children) has presented a more human method. “Johnnie Jones,” whose parents are anxious to find out what progress he has made at school and what, for him, might be the best future occupation, send him along to the psychologist.

In the Examination Room.

The examiner gets all the information (whether useful or useless) he can from the parents and teacher. Johnnie trots along without any apprehension of the examination. A conversation ensues in which the adult proves a very pleasing listener. He is listening for the way things are said! Next comes a selection of tests of different types. Those of mechanical aptitude Johnnie finds good fun. He likes the sort where there is a picture with something missing— the big bundle of cut-out pieces from which to

They are idols of hearts and of households.²⁰-Dickens.
Some charming camera studies in a child's toyland.

select the missing parts is most intriguing. In his desire to get through quickly he hardly notices the expert with his keen watchfulness of method and speed.

There is another test for hand and eye together. The expert notes how well these work together and makes a note of it. So pass the three hours. Later there comes to Johnnie's parents a report with advice of the trained scientist on the boy's future. The advice is eminently practical and made out with due regard for the labour market (noted earlier) and the ability of his parents to pay for a career— this latter aspect being intensely valuable to Mr. and Mrs. Jones.

Sufficient has been said to show that we do need psychology in industry. It can do much to help output; it will keep square pegs out of round holes or put square pegs into square holes— if they can be made so. Every effort we make in this direction is a step towards a happier working life and an added lift to output in production.

(To be concluded next month.)

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Excursions On The New Zealand Railways.
(Courtesy, Christchurch “Star.”)
Over 4,000 passengers availed themselves of the Department's cheap school excursion fares in Canterbury and Westland Districts (South Island) recently. The illustrations shew one of the popular excursion trains leaving Christchurch.