Employment psychology

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Monograph

Identifikator:: 1028407564

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-47263

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Link, Henry Charles; Thorndike, Edward L. http://d-nb.info/gnd/118802127

Title:: Employment psychology

Place of publication:: New York

Publisher:: MacMillan

Year of publication:: 1924

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (XII, 440 Seiten)

Digitisation:: 2018

Collection:: Economics Books

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Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Part I. Psychological tests

Collection:: Economics Books

162 EMPLOYMENT PSYCHOLOGY However, before a test can be properly started, it must be properly understood by the subject who is taking it. To give directions that will be misunderstood is one of the easiest things possible. One never discovers the many possible meanings a word can assume until he uses that word in giving directions to a large number of people. One of many experiences of this kind will serve as an instance. In developing the directions for the number checking test (8) described in the first experiment, the examiner originally directed the subject to put a mark after every number that contained both a C T ’’and a “7”. Some subjects put down a V-shaped check, while others put a dash like this “—Obviously, the first took a longer time than the second, and since the purpose of the test was not to test a person’s ability to make marks, this was a source of error. Consequently, the directions were changed to read: “Put a straight line after each number,” etc. This resulted in the attempt on the part of certain subjects to make a mathematically straight line in every case. This also was an undesirable feature, because the purpose of the test was not to discover the subject’s ability to draw straight lines. Moreover, some subjects made long and deliberate lines, while others made them short and dashing. If all the words necessary to make these directions absolutely clear and unmistakable had been included in the final directions, the result would have been something as follows: “Make a quick, straight dash, about an eighth of an inch long, after each number,” etc. Obviously, such directions would have defeated their end, because, by the time they had been given, the subject would have forgotten the most of them. Therefore, a part of the directions was given by the examiner as an actual demonstration. The examiner would say: “Make a

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