SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.— J. 375 



SECTION J.— PSYCHOLOGY. 



Thursday, September 1. 



Discussion on The interim report of the committee on the reliability of the 

 criteria used for assessing the value of Vocatio?ial Tests. (Mr. E. 

 Farmer.) 



Joint Discussion with Section A (Mathematical and Physical Sciences, 

 q.v.) on The quantitative relation of physical stimuli and sensory 

 events. 



Afternoon. 



(Section meeting in two divisions.) 



Division i. 



Dr. J.W. Cox. — Some experiments informal training in the acquisition of 

 skill. 



(i) The problems. — The ' transfer ' problem is generally stated : ' How 

 far does the training of any mental function improve other mental functions ? ' 

 The answer may depend on (i) the kind of ' training,' which may vary from 

 mechanical unaided repetition (' practice ') to skilled instruction (' training ' 

 proper), (2) the function trained, (3) the relation of (2) to the ' other ' 

 function, and (4) the modus operandi of the ' transfer.' The experiments 

 were planned to examine these problems in the field of manual assembly 

 operations. 



(2) General method. — I. The 'practice' experiment. — (a) All subjects 

 were tested initially on a number of manual operations of varying com- 

 plexity, (b) They were then divided into groups, each of which practised 

 daily a different operation, (c) On completing their ' practice ' all were 

 re-tested as in (a). A further ' control ' group did (a) and (c), but not (6). 



II. The ' training ' experiment. — The same procedure was then followed 

 by a new group, with the exception that (b) now took the form of ' training ' 

 based on introspective analysis of the former ' practice ' and of approximately 

 the same length, and a further period of ' practice ' at another operation 

 followed (c). 



(3) Subjects. — Experiment I. 'Adults ' ; 33 practisers, 17 controls ; 

 Schoolboys : 40 practisers, 38 controls. Experiment II. ' Adults ' : 

 36 trainees, 18 controls. 



(4) Results. — Graphical and statistical examination of scores indicated a 

 ' transfer ' effect in II, but nowhere in I. Trained subjects also did better 

 than controls of equal initial ability in the subsequent ' practice,' both as 

 regards ' ability ' and ' rate of progress.' 



(5) Discussion on the interpretation and significance of the results in 

 relation to the above problems. 



Mr. H. E. O. James. — The estimation of the directions of sounds. 



Dr. J. D. Sutherland. — Quickness and intelligetice. 



The use of time-limit tests with instructions to work at high speed has 

 raised important questions — viz. the validity of such measures as measures 



