REVIEWS

Mental and Physical Measurementsof WorkingChildren. By HELEN THOMPSON WOOLLEY and CHARLOTTE RUST FISCHER. Studies from the Vocation Bureau, , Ohio. Psy- chological Review Monographs, December, I914, Vol. xviii, No. I, pp. I-247. This substantialmonograph summarizes the results of the of the Vocation Bureau of the public schoolsof Cincinnati. On the whole,it maybe fairlysaid to be themost comprehensive and thorough- goingattempt that has yet been made to apply the methodsof experi- mentalpsychology to the importantproblem of vocationalguidance. The workoutlined in thisvolume is the standardizationof the mental and physicaltests which have been selectedby Mrs. Woolleyto make thenecessary diagnosis for advice with regard to thechoice of a vocation. Thus farbut twoages have beeninvestigated, namely, those of fourteen and fifteenyears. The childrenare classifiedaccording to sex,grade in school,and school,whether parochial or public. The normsestablished are thereforefourfold, on thebasis of the classificationjust given. This firstadequate reportof the laboratorywork of the bureau outlinesin detailthe various tests used and the technicfor making the mental and physicalexaminations. The measurementstaken are of height,weight, visual acuity,auditory acuity, vital capacity,strength of hand, steadi- ness of hand, rapidityof movement,and the testsgiven are the card- sortingtest, cancellation test, memory test, substitution test, the tests in completionof sentences,association by opposites,and thepuzzle-box test. If any criticismwere to be made of thisvery sound and thorough workit is thatthe tests have beenchosen with reference to theirtechnical perfectionrather than with a view to their diagnosticimportance. Intelligentadvice to children,with regard to vocation,can be givenonly on the basis of an exact and comprehensiveknowledge of the mental traitsof each individualchild. The ultimateaim of all suchwork is the constructionof a psychographin whichindividual differences shall be accuratelyexpressed. Such a graphmust necessarily be exhaustiveas well as exact. In the opinionof the reviewer,it is just in thisrespect that the Woolleytests require amplification. It is of coursetrue that 94

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thework under consideration has onlybegun, and thatadditions which willsupply the defects of thepresent scheme can readilybe made. Cer- tainit is that the technicalwork has been done withgreat thoroughness and skill. It is too early to attemptto evaluate the directpractical worthof thesetests. Mrs. Woolleydoes, however,give a summaryof thecorrelation of thevarious mental and physicaltests with school year, sex, typeof school,and age. In generalthe correlationof thephysical testsis less thanthat of the mentaltests. The memorytests show the highestdegree of correlation with school grade. Associationby opposites comesnext, with the sentencetest, substitution test, cancellation test, and puzzle-boxtest, in order. The onlymarked difference between the sexesappears in thepuzzle-box tests. In thisthe boys are undoubtedly superiorto the girls. The authoris inclinedto believethat the test is an unfairone forthe girls,on the groundthat boys are encouragedto acquaint themselveswith tools and machineryfrom an earlyage. In all of the testsexcept memory the public-schoolchildren stood higher than thoseof correspondingage fromthe parochialschools. H. C. STEVENS

ThePractical Conduct of Play. By HENRY S. CURTIS. New York: Macmillan,I9I5. I2mo, illustrated,pp. xx+330. $I . 50. To get a generalknowledge of the play and playgroundmovement up to theyear I9I3, and suchinformation as wouldbe helpfulto under- stand the subject,as wellas to starta playgroundmovement in a com- munity,the reading of Mr. Curtis'book would be useful. It offersmuch to thebeginner, but verylittle to the superintendent.It is onlyfair to say that such greatadvances have been made in the social movement forrecreation since I9I3 that this book gives one only a partial and unfairview of thepresent recreation movement, of which play and play- groundsrepresent only a part. The book deals primarilywith play, and not with the largerinclusive field of social or communityrecreation. The emphasisof the book is laid on the construction,equipment, and administrationof playgrounds,and is intendedby the authoras a text- book forthose who want to be playgroundworkers, and forothers who have to do withthe organization of play. Play directors,however, need personalityand training,and we are sorrythat not as muchspace and thoughtare givento thesesubjects as are givento mechanicalequipment. One gets a generalinsight into subjectsof swimming-pools,playground

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