Vocational Psychology: Its Problems and MethodsHollingworth, Harry L. (Harry Levi)
Science
Vocational Psychology: Its Problems and Methods
Hollingworth, Harry L. (Harry Levi)
Psychophysiology
That is to say, there are but three persons in a hundred who, having just
sung the tone which is produced by a tuning fork vibrating two hundred and
fifty-six times per second, can then voluntarily and accurately change the
pitch of the voice to represent the tone of a fork vibrating 256.9 times
per second, a change of .9 of a vibration. But fifty persons of the hundred
can produce voluntarily a change of three vibrations, and ninety-two of the
hundred can produce the very large change of nine vibrations. Seashore, of
course, points out that in addition to these various measurements, "there
must be other measurements, statistical data, biographical information, and
free observations concerning musical training, traits of temperament and
attitude, spontaneous tendencies in the pursuit of music, general education
and non-musical accomplishments, social circumstances and physique," and
that all these in their unity must be considered in the light of expert
knowledge and expert technical insight before they can be said to give an
adequate estimate of the particular individual's various capacities and
qualifications as a singer. Those interested in the use of psychological
tests in connection with musical ability should familiarize themselves with
the many original reports from Seashore's laboratory. The methods there
being followed may well serve as models for future analyses of vocational
demands and individual tests.
If the highly specialized work of singing calls for such complex analysis
and for such varied measurements, technical skill, and arduous collection
of norms and standards, one realizes the utter folly of such vocational
counsel as that which vaguely recommends the candidate to "be a musician,"
"be a writer," etc. Indeed, we may now begin to see that it is only when
each particular aspect of each particular calling is thoroughly analyzed
into its elementary requirements, when reliable tests for the detection and
measurement of these abilities are available, and adequate norms and
standards accumulated in each case, only then can the method of the
vocational psychograph come to have practical application in vocational
analysis and guidance.
How far, we may now ask, has such analysis been able, as a matter of fact,
to proceed with the representative types of work? So far as recorded
enterprise is concerned there have been three different ways of attempting
such analyses. One of these methods is that used by the various vocational
bureaus in endeavoring to learn what type of individual is most in demand
in the different occupations. Futile as these endeavors have been, it is
nevertheless well to have them before us for our future reference and
guidance. In the main the questionnaire method has been used in this
connection; employers have been asked to state, in much their own way, the
necessary or desirable mental and moral qualifications of those who might
expect to succeed in the various kinds of work.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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