430 SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.—¥". 
Dr. C. 8. Myers, C.B.E., F.R.S. 
Recent Researches in Great Britain on the Psychology of Work.—The existence of 
the ‘ end spurt’ was first demonstrated in laboratory investigations made by experi- 
mental psychologists into the factors influencing the work curve. Recognition of 
the end spurt has proved of practical importance in occupational work, both output 
and contentment being increased by diminishing the size of the units in which the 
raw material is given out to the worker. But the unit of work must not be too small. 
Change of work proves almost as valuable asa rest pause. But here again, research 
has shown that the changes in work must not be too frequent. The effects of changes 
of work and of rest pauses appear to vary according to the type both of the work and 
of the worker. 
In certain kinds of machine work boredom has been alleviated, and output has 
been increased, without increase of fatigue, by speeding up the machine. But here, 
once more, an optimal limit of speed is reached depending both on the work and on the 
worker. 
A distinction must be drawn between mere repetitive ‘ practice ’ and systematic 
‘training,’ in which the general principles determining the best movements are 
explained to the worker. Little evidence is obtainable of a general ability common 
to the various simpler skilled movements. But the general attitude acquired by the 
worker allows of its transfer from one motor ability to another. Valuable results — 
may be expected from the increasing application of notions of general, group and 
special abilities to vocational selection and guidance. 
Recent research into the estimation of temperamental and character qualities 
and their relation to output, spoiled work and accidents is summarised. Attention 
is drawn to the high appreciation by the workers of the application of industrial 
psychological research to their occupational life. 
Dr. H. M. Vernon. 
The Influence of the Humidity of the Air on Working Capacity at High Tempera- 
tures.—It is stated by J. 8S. Haldane that the wet-bulb temperature alone has to be 
considered in measuring the maximum temperature which can be borne by men 
(e.g. miners) performing mechanical work at high eee and that the dry-bulb 
temperature can be ignored. On the other hand, C. P. Yaglou and his colleagues 
maintain that the dry-bulb temperature of the air fous a considerable influence, 
as well as the wet bulb, and they have combined the three factors of dry-bulb tempera- 
ture, wet-bulb temperature, and air velocity into a single measure, which they term 
the effective temperature. For instance, still air with both wet- and dry-bulb tempera- 
tures at 70° F. would have an effective temperature of 70°, but if the wet bulb was 70° 
and the dry bulb 100°, the effective temperature, according to their charts, would 
amount to 80-5°, or 10-5° higher. Yaglou accordingly suggests that the air in hot 
mines ought to be conditioned by increasing its humidity by means of a water spray. 
In order to obtain further information, two subjects have performed a number of 
three-hour experiments in air at a wet-bulb temperature of 70°, 75°, 80°, and 85°, 
and at a velocity of 93 feet per minute. One subject performed mechanical work 
roughly corresponding to the work of a coalminer (viz., 14,400 kgm. m. per hour). 
His pulse rate increased with rise of wet-bulb temperature, but in dry air 40 per cent. 
saturated with moisture the mean pulse rate, at a given wet-bulb temperature, was 
about six beats per minute higher than in air 60 per cent. saturated with moisture, 
and ten beats higher than in moist air 95 per cent. saturated with moisture. On 
the other hand, the pulse increased steadily as the effective temperature increased, — 
whether the air was dry or moist. The pulse of the other subject, who performed 
very little mechanical work, also corresponded with the effective temperature scale, 
and not with the wet-bulb temperature. The effects were smaller in summer than in 
winter, owing to acclimatisation. 
The body temperature of both subjects rose slightly with rise of effective tempera- 
ture. The skin temperature, which was taken by means of a Moll thermopile, rose 
steadily with rise of dry-bulb temperature. The oxygen consumption of the subject 
was fairly steady at all temperatures, but it reached a minimum at 76°, and rose 3 per 
cent. at higher effective temperatures. Both subjects felt considerably more fatigued 
after remaining for three hours in dry air than in moist air of the same wet-bulb 
temperature. 
NAN 
