Vocational Psychology: Its Problems and MethodsHollingworth, Harry L. (Harry Levi)
Science
Vocational Psychology: Its Problems and Methods
Hollingworth, Harry L. (Harry Levi)
Psychophysiology
In the case of the mental tests all the coefficients are positive and
fairly high in most cases. The correlation is highest of all with estimated
intelligence, whatever that may mean. As we have used the term it perhaps
means the impression of general capacity which an individual makes on her
associates. It is interesting to find that the mental tests, which can be
administered in a few minutes, give us so close a measure of what this
impression will be; a measure, it should be noted, which is higher than
that afforded by the academic records, in spite of the fact that these
academic records had been from term to term announced in a public way and
might have been expected to contribute toward the general impression on the
basis of which the judgments of intelligence were passed. The high
correlation between tests and estimates suggests that the abilities
displayed in these tests correspond very closely to those characteristics
on which our associates base their estimates of our intelligence. This is
an encouraging result for those interested in the vocational use of mental
tests.
But it is equally interesting that the results of the mental test correlate
to so high a degree with the estimates of various other traits, notably
humor, snobbishness, conceit, beauty, neatness and refinement. This result
suggests either or both of two interpretations. It may be, on the one hand,
that these characteristics are only partial components of that more general
trait, intelligence (with which the correlation of the tests is still
higher), at least so far as the estimates of our associates are concerned.
This would mean that a sense of humor, a tendency toward self-esteem,
physical attractiveness and a gentle manner dispose one's associates to
think favorably of her general mental endowment. On the other hand the
result may mean that an individual who has sufficient distinction to stand
out prominently in any of the estimated traits here considered is possessed
of a nervous system which enables her to accomplish the work of these
mental tests with corresponding efficiency. Such a characteristic as
"general stand-out-ishness" may perhaps be a trait which calls for
recognition, not only in daily life but also in the narrower categories of
psychological classification.
In the case of the academic records this general tendency toward positive
correlation is not present. The only high correlation is with estimated
intelligence. It is impossible to say how far this high coefficient is due
to general knowledge of academic attainments on the part of the individuals
composing the groups. Refinement and neatness are the only other traits
which show any claim at all for correlation with academic records. The
positive direction of these coefficients may afford some consolation to
those who put their faith in the vocational significance of academic
records of college students, but their low values constitute a somewhat
less encouraging commentary.
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