THE HUMAN FACTOR

Hokitika Guardian, 20 March 1926, Page 4

THE HUMAN FACTOR

(By Science Service.')

How psychologists measure the winkings of (he mind, and how the resulis ol their studies are applied to everyda\ lite, were described on Dercmher “8 by Dr J. MeKcon Ca’tell, editor of “Science.” at meeting at Kansas C'itv, F.S.A, of the American Association for the .Advancement of Science, of which he js retiring president. Ihe life ol the unicellular amoeba consists largely in reacting to the immediate environment, and this holds through Ihe whole range of animals lo our own behaviour in daily life.” Dr (.atleil said. “The creature whose responses are prompt and rorreel, not disturbed by irrelevant conditions and events, is the one that survives and succeeds. There are some 700,(>0» motor ear accidents annually in the I nind Btales, about 90 per cent of which are due to the human factor. “It is a satisfaction to he this year associated with the work of the Highivuy Snlely Confrroiico arnmcod I>v thc k Secretary of Commerce, which is io determine the physic/d and mental examinations tor drivers and public chauffeurs that should be adopted IV.r a uniform system, of licenses in the several States, and thus lo apply laboratory experiments to a useful purpose.'* He continued. “Psychologists’ methods are now used for the selection of taxicab drivers in a number of pities, with resulting increase in efficiency and decrease in accidents. The most important work lor psychology and its most useiul-applications are the measurements of individual. <rrnup. and

racial differences, and the determination of the extent to which these depend on native endowment and mi subsequent experience.” Dr Oaloll went oil. "Indeed il is arguable (hat this is the mos I pressing problem of science and of society.

"If each oi ns. from flic moron fo the federal president. were selected for the work ilia! ho can do best, the work fitted in (he best wav to (lie individual

and the best training given to him, the produetivilv of (ho nation would he more than doubled, and (he hapoiness oi each would ibe correspondingly in- ■ Tensed. If the best children wore horn and only they, the welfare of the world would he advanced beyond the reach of practical imagination.”

"How we learn, the best way fo learn. Ihe right age at which to learn different things, the transfer of learning from one field to another, are subjects of fundamental importance in psychology and in education,” he said. "The age curve ‘is of fundamental interest for psychology. Tliiis. for example, a child can learn to pronuuee, his own or a foreign language best at the age ol about three years; there is then a drop and after about 12 years he cannot learn correct enunciation.”

" Perhaps a bov ran learn to ride a bicycle best at the average age of Id. to drive a motor car at the age of Hi. Our most original ideas probably come in the earlv twenties. Some of us may hope that the curve for forming correct judgments rises ul least In the age of Go. Our primary school system consists largely in trying to teach children, with much labour am! resulting stupidity on the part of both teacher and pupils, mathematical relations a couple of years before the organism is ready and could respond to them without effort. Then, as tin's is the easiest subject in which to examine children, they are promoted from grade to grade mainly on performance in arithmetic without regard to individual differences in other kinds of work. "An analysis of the kind of performance shows that France has excelled in war, science, and .scholarship, Englnnd in polities, poetry, and philosophy, Italy in art.” he said. “Of the 18 great musicians, Germany has produced 10. Italy 6. Of the fourteen great explorers England has produced five, Spain four.” "The rising curves for science, the falling curves for philosophy and the church, are significant. Soldiers have been surpassed in numbers by men of science, and the curves predict a gradual cessation of war and the predominance of science.”