Abstract
DURING the Second World War psychological methods of personnel selection were developed in all three Fighting Services in Great Britain on an unprecederned scale. In the course of the first year, a few tentative investigations into the possibility of classifiying recruits by means of tests and similar devices were carried out by p ychologists, usually on their own initiative ; but these experiments were not very extensive and often not very welcome. Shortly after the Dunkirk evacuation, however, a Psychological Advisory Committee, consisting of Sir Cyril Burt, Prof. J. Drever and Dr. C. S. Myers, was appointed by the new Adjutant-General, Sir Ronald Adam ; and on their recommendation, a Directorate for Selection of Personnel was established, A scheme of testing and allocation was worked out, first for new recruits and afterwards for officers. Similar arrangements were introduced in the Navy and in the Air Force. Dr. P. E. Vernon, almost from the very start, was officially connected with the researches set on foot both at the Admiralty and at the War Office ; and at a later stage Dr. J. B. Parry succeeded Prof. E. A. Bott as head of Training Kesearch (as it was called) at the Air Ministry.
Personnel Selection in the British Forces
By Dr. P. E. Vernon Dr. J. B. Parry. Pp. 324. (London: University of London Press, Ltd., 1949.) 20s. net.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Psychology in the Services. Nature 164, 978 (1949). https://doi.org/10.1038/164978a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/164978a0