270 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE, ETC. 
In this country a number of large firms, with assistance from the National Institute 
of Industrial Psychology, have also instituted definite psychological tests for their 
employees. The exact information gained from such vocational tests will in time 
be a valuable supplement to the more general work of analysis which is being carried 
out for the purpose of vocational guidance. 
In the work of vocational guidance the problem is much wider than in the case of 
vocational selection. Children of various types and descriptions apply for advice, 
and the problems are as varied as the types. The field of enquiry is in part deter- 
mined by the type, e.g. Primary, Secondary, or University ; moreover, it is at present 
only imperfectly surveyed. There is a further difficulty, that the requirements 
of the vacancies available are vaguely defined, and closer acquaintance with the 
problems shows that they are frequently limited in number, so that it may well happen 
that in examining a group of children a number may be found who are fitted, say, 
for occupations requiring considerable manual dexterity and a fairly high level of 
intelligence, whereas economic conditions are such that only a limited field is open 
for such children. It is therefore necessary to discover rather the general trend of a 
child’s abilities: and in the same way, after making an analysis of the requirements 
of the occupations available, it is important that these should be classified in groups 
which require allied abilities. It is as yet too early in this work, and it is doubtful 
if it will ever be possible (or desirable) to fit every square peg into the exactly corre- 
sponding square hole; but from experience in this and in other countries, guidance 
based on the use of suitable tests, though admittedly imperfect, can reduce the number 
and extent of misfits very considerably, and the part thus played by psychology is 
growing in importance. 
In order to define the position of psychological tests, in schemes of vocational 
guidance and selection it is important to realise that the school records give only 
one side of a child’s mental or physical activities. The records are obtained under 
conditions very different from those obtaining in the outside world, and their value 
must be estimated accordingly. In the same way a teacher’s estimate of a child’s 
ability is only valid within his sphere of observation ; similarly with the estimates 
of parents and guardians. The medical examination can give help mainly in deter- 
mining for what occupations a child is not fitted. In this sphere there is an enormous 
ground to be covered before valid positive information can be obtained. Psychology 
can help in forming a truer estimate of the value of the children’s own wishes and 
inclinations in determining a choice of occupations, and it can survey more completely 
and exactly than any other method the child’s mental and physical activities. Psycho- 
logical tests can be applied which will ascertain, for instance, his level of intelligence, 
measure his manual dexterity, and to a certain extent estimate his temperamental 
qualities. This information is, however, of little use unless the extent to which these 
qualities are required in every-day occupations has also been determined, and this 
implies a careful analysis of the requirements of the occupations and a classification 
of those requiring allied ability. When such information is available, reliable advice 
can be given. 
With the rapid development in this work that has taken place during the last 
few years, there has arisen a demand for persons who have received training in the 
methods of devising, applying and evaluating suitable tests, and a number of bureaus 
have organised training courses for those who wish to take up this work. 
In nearly every country of the world! the work of developing vocational tests is 
proceeding rapidly, and it is felt that in order that workers in this country may keep 
abreast of the developments here and abroad, full information should be available 
concerning :— 
i. Vocational tests that have proved of value in practical use. 
ii. Research work that has a direct bearing on the development of vocational 
tests. 
In order to do this satisfactorily it will be necessary to get in direct touch with all 
organisations carrying out this work and to obtain, wherever possible, copies of the 
tests, accurate descriptions, drawings and illustrations of apparatus used, etc. 
A request is therefore made for a grant of 201. to cover part of the expenses incurred 
in this work. 
1 For accounts and references see Industrial Fatigue Research Board Report, No. 16; 
Journal of the National Institute of Industrial Psychology, vol. i. Nos. 1-6,.vol. ii. 
Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 5; International Labour Review, vol. xi. No. 4. 
