Evening star., 1915-03-07
BUSINESS PSYCHOLOGY
By Frederic ]. Haskin.

Until very recently psychology has
been Of interest only to educators and
abstract science with no practical bear
ing upon the real work Of life. 1t has
been of interest only to educators. an
the members of a few other profess
sions Now it is being applied to almost
every industry and calling. while new
possibilities for its use are being de-
veloped daily.
Within the last six months a large
street car company, steel corporation
an automobile factory and a number
of big department stores have added
consulting psychologist to their STATS
Of assistants. Already practical re-
suits have demonstrated the success OF
the innovation.
This practical psychology is desig-
mated as psychotechnology. Psychology
teaches what mental attitude will bring
certain results. but technical knowl-
edge Is required to know what results
are desirable and how they are to be
| applied. For example. physical labor
consists OF movements of various kinds
1t is usually a repetition Of the same
motlon or group of connected mo-
tions. The control of these muscular
movements is a psychological problem
involving such conditions as rhythm
fatigue and interest Their motions
| must be learned and the psychotech-
nologist knows the most efficient meth
cd OF teaching them by adjusting the
mental peculiarities of tho Individual
to the conditions Of the work.
-
Most street car accidents occur be-
| cause the motormen lack certain men
tai qualities
Psychic Foresight 1t is no long
Declared Necessary. for a motor.
man to be sober. honest and capable OF
| caring for the machinery of his car
He must also possess a certain psychic
| foresight which will enable him te
! foresee danger and to act quickly in a
crisis. Accidents are often due to mis-
| takes of unskilled chauffeurs, or Of
| confused pedestrians who obstruct the
course Of the street car. Some motor
| dents because they possess a peculiar
mental characteristic which seems te
| warn them Of what the other fellow Is
| going to do. Power of quick decision
! is also required. When a child is seer
| crossing the track in front Of the NOV.
| ing car. it is only the quick decision
of the motorman that can save its life
| A method of tests to determine wheth.
| er men have these qualities has beer
devised. Within a few years every
street car company in the country will
make use of these. psychological tests
| in the selection of its employees.
Several years before the Titanic dis
| aster. the captain of a large steamboat
suggested to the head of the psycholog-
ical laboratory of Harvard University
the need of some mental or psychic
! tests which would enable those re-
sponsible for the selection of officers to
| judge how they would behave in ar
| emergency. Such tests have now beer
| devised. and it is believed that they
| will determine with reasonable accur-
| acy whether an officer may be depend.
ed upon to keep his head In face of a
| crisis such as collision with an ice
| berg, Or whether he will become panic
stricken.
The best feature Of these tests is tina,
| the men taking them enter into the
spirit Of them. They become interested
| themselves in determining whether OF
not they are psychologically qualified
for the calling to which circumstances
or their own inclination directs them.
|