Vocational Psychology: Its Problems and MethodsHollingworth, Harry L. (Harry Levi)
Science
Vocational Psychology: Its Problems and Methods
Hollingworth, Harry L. (Harry Levi)
Psychophysiology
The leading problems of vocational psychology we have seen to be three in
number: First, how may the individual achieve the most adequate knowledge
of his own peculiar mental and instinctive constitution, his equipment of
capacities, tendencies, interests and aptitudes, and the ways in which he
compares, in these respects, with his fellows? Second, how may the
individual acquire information concerning the general or special traits
required for successful participation in the various vocations, in order to
select a line of activity for which he is constitutionally adapted? Third,
how may the employer determine the relative desirability, fitness and
promise of those who may offer themselves as his associates and assistants,
or for minor positions in his employ? Obviously, if vocational psychology
were in its maturity, rather than in its infancy, these various questions
would resolve themselves into a single problem. The traits required in the
various types of work would be fully known and specified, so that both the
choice of the individual and the selection by the employer would proceed
directly, once the individual's characteristics were known.
From this goal we are very far, but by no means hopelessly, removed. As we
have seen in the preceding chapters, the line of attack is being advanced
very unevenly at its various points. It is indeed characteristic of any new
branch of science that it does not advance symmetrically and at a uniform
rate, but moves ahead, now in this direction, now in that, so that the line
of complete development is some distance behind the outposts of
exploration. So in the case of vocational psychology we may draw a rough
line which shall represent the main region of advance, and may indicate the
various points where the line lags behind or goes conspicuously forward.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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