| Summary: | "This volume attempts to present not only a definitive account of one aspect of a vast project in vocational-test development, but also a useful record of the experiences gained in the execution of that project. To the extent that it succeeds, it will be of value not only to aviation psychologists who carry on in the service of military or civilian authorities, but also to vocational psychologists in general. While the tone of the volume is pitched to the ear of the professional psychologist, an attempt has been made to avoid the more technical jargon of the more specialized statistically minded. By confining himself to the less technical passages, the lay reader may find much that is illuminating and interesting concerning tests and test methods. Although there was no attempt, in the program to be described, to follow any preconceived ideal procedure of test development, inherent in this account is an emerging pattern of research, which, utilizing many of the techniques of the past, suggests what such a program can be when liberal support, in the form of trained personnel, suitable equipment, and an almost unlimited number of experimental subjects, is provided. Well-known test theories, and past experiences in their application, were brought to bear upon the problems of vocational selection and classification in a rather special area, though it was an area of enormous scope from a psychological standpoint. While the theoretical problem and the empirical test of a procedure always had to be subordinated to the fulfillment of a pressing practical goal, there is, nevertheless, many a finding that transcends the immediate problem and its solution. The best example of this was the utilization of factorial theory and methods. Factorial analysis, brought into use somewhat incidentally at first, became eventually the centralizing and guiding principle in connection with most printed-test development. It must be admitted that the factorial studies were neither as well planned nor as well executed as they would have been in a program that had centered around them from the very beginning. Only near the end of the four years' research did their full benefits become apparent. Rather unique to vocational-test research, also, is the inclusion of analysis of job criteria by the factorial method. It is believed that in this direction lies an economical, systematic, and dependable procedure for coverage of aptitudes and for fitting tests to vocations. In the presentation of results, efforts have been made to facilitate perusal of the chapters by the reader by means of a uniform type of description of tests"--Preface. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
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