BOOKS AND REVIEWS

Vocational Psychology. By H. L. Hollingworth, with a chapter on the vocational aptitudes of women by Leta Stetter Hollingworth. D. Appleton and Company.

Vocational psychology is a subject more discussed than understood. It comes to us from an ancestry of astrology, phrenology, and physiognomy, and seems to still bear with it the supernatural implications of these pseudo sciences.

The right person in the right job is an ideal that has teased the human fancy for a long time, as cutting off at the source discontent and inefficiency. And the hopeful human fancy has gone a step further, believing that if every one were suited to his work, there would be an end of misfits. The methods of vocational psychology are even less clearly understood than its purposes. Mental tests are regarded as the promising field, but so far most of the tests developed have been intellectual, and as Professor Hollingworth says, "I would rather trust my life and limb to a motorman whose feeble memory span is reënforced by a loyal devotion to the comfort of his grandmother, than to a mnemonic prodigy whose chief actuating motive in life is to be a good fellow."

Here is one of the two central problems of vocational psychology—to determine the social virtues as symbolized in a motorman's devotion to his grandmother, with the definiteness of approach which we have to intellectual capacity. On this point Professor Hollingworth gives a number of tables of correlation of various indeterminate traits (on the basis of judgments of associates), with mental tests and academic record.

He finds, for instance, that the coefficient of correlation between refinement and mental tests is .34, and the same between refinement and academic record; between conceit and mental tests the correlation is .54, but between conceit and academic record it is .03, an interesting comment on the vanity stimulated in the course of being tested. The highest correlation between any of the traits considered and academic record is intelligence.52 although the correlation of intelligence with mental tests is .62. These figures suggest a method of estimating the social virtues if sufficiently high correlations can be found which obviates some of the difficulties of the direct approach.

Professor Hollingworth discusses the other of the two central problemsthe determination of what traits are preeminently required in what jobs, and finds the promise here rather less encouraging. It appears that a domestic worker, an architect, a physician and a journalist require the same social virtues and require all of them. Even in intellectual equipment, each could use to advantage the original abilities of the others, leaving little but technical training to differentiate the work. On page 97

appears the requirements for a given woman's position which would fit such diverse people as a waitress, stenographer, milliner, mother, doctor, saleswoman, insurance agent and clinical psychologist. The author meets this difficulty from a different angle. He makes five classifications of types of work, from the unskilled labor under supervision for mental incompetents, through the "blind alley" employment for dull normals, and the specialized work for specialized persons to the two types which he says are the lone task of vocational psychology. The first of these requires no unusual aptitude, and is the kind of work done by small tradesmen, agents, conductors, cashiers, cooks and so on, but it does require in high degree those indeterminate social virtues already discussed. The second type for vocational attention is described as "these occupations. adequately performed by and constituting the permanent task of the man and woman of average intelligence."

"Vocational Psychology" presents its subject in its infant state, showing its emergence from guess-work and pointing out the ways it must go. It offers no illusions as to the elimination of misfits nor promises a substitute for effort. But all these points might be expected in a sound book; to the writer's mind it is Professor Hollingworth's chief merit that without belligerency he shows his subject to stand by itself, and though allied to many, to promise a future of independent method and result.

BARBARA SPOFFORD MORGAN.

BOOKS RECEIVED

Stories of Exploration and Discovery. By A. B. Archer. G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York.

Introduction to the Study of English Literature. By W. T. Young. G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York.

EXCHANGES

Education: The Normal School and Rural Education in California Chemistry in its Relation to Industry and Commerce. The Physical Diagnosis of Backward Children. Pupil Self-Government.

The Training School Bulletin: Imitation-Repetition. Training in 1866. The Vineland Spirometer. Some Special Class Cases. Balanced Menus.

American Education: The Learning Process. The Need of More Reality in the Elementary School Curriculum. School Room Suggestions for Geography.

The Educational Exchange: Manual Training Suggestions for March. Primary Language. The Junior High School Program. Alabama Educational Association.

Mental Hygiene: The Wider Field of the Work of the National Committee for Mental Hygiene. Underlying Concepts in Mental Hygiene. Unemployment and Personality. The Growth of Provision for the Feeble-Minded in the United States. Organized Work in Mental Hygiene. The Sub-Normal Child.

NOTICES

We are privileged to include among our exchanges, the new magazine, Mental Hygiene, published by the National Committee for Mental Hygiene. We take pleasure in recommending it to our readers who are sure to find it most interesting and helpful.

The unsigned editorial which appeared in the January issue was written by Barbara Spofford Morgan.

INSTITUTE FOR WORKERS WITH CHILDREN

Conductor: HENRY W. THURSTON

JUNE 13-JULY 3

THIS

HIS INSTITUTE is for workers with the child handicapped by neglect, truancy, delinquency. The method is round-table discussion under leadership. The program includes such topics as: standards of juvenile normality; studies of juvenile behavior; essentials of good case work; interrelations of family, relief society, court, attendance officer, institution, and probation officer. ¶Admission is by invitation of the conductor, but correspondence is invited. An announcement will be sent on application.

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238th Street and Riverdale Avenue. [Tel. Kingsbridge 316]

DAY SCHOOL:

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C. H. STOELTING CO. Manufacturers and Importers

APPARATUS AND SUPPLIES FOR

Binet-Simon Measuring Scale for Intelligence.

Yerkes-Bridges Point-Scale.

Goddard's Tests used in the Vineland Training School.

Whipple's "Manual of Mental and Physical Tests."

Healy & Fernald's "Practical Mental Classification."

Healy's "The Individual Delinquent."

Wallin's "Serial Tests for Measuring the Rate of Mental Growth and
Improvement."

Wallin's "Group Experiments on Visual After-Images."

Fernald's "Differentiating Tests for the Defective Delinquent Class."

Pyle's "Examination of School Children."

Franz's "Handbook of Mental Examination Methods."

Titchener's Psychological Texts.

Knox's Tests used in the U. S. Immigration Bureau.

Porteus' Tests for Mental Deficiency.

Woolley & Fisher's Mental and Physical Measurements of Working Children.
Weidensall's Physical and Mental Tests for Criminal Women.

Woodworth & Well's Association Tests.

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When using these advertisements please mention UNGRADED