Pickering College - Voyageur Yearbook (Newmarket, Ontario Canada)

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P - A : ll Jll l I el l h ll I ll ll : ' i i Q Q Y F3 B Il ll ll n u n : fi fi .i umm the ability to deal successfully with symbols, this being the type of intellif gence required for academic success, mechanical intelligence or the ability to deal successfully with machinery, social intelligencewthe ability to deal successfully with people. Artistic intelligence is sometimes regarded as a fourth kind, although there is no experimental evidence which shows that it can be separated from the other types. For the determination of general mechanical ability in boys the Stenf quist Ivlechanical Aptitude and the Mechanical Assembly Tests have been found quite satisfactory. The abilities tested by this form are rather unique in the same sense that they are but little related to the results of the intellif gence tests, and at least one vocational guidance authority believes that they do correlate highly with general business ability. These conclusions are of immense value for educational and vocational guidance. The importance of social intelligence, of the ability to deal effectively with human beings,-the sort of ability possessed by the highly competent executive, administrator, or salesfmanager-is generally recognized, although often designated by other names. Its essential constituent elements, however, have not been isolated, except in so far as they may be included in some of the analyses of personality traits, neither do we have any instrument for measuring them with even a fair degree of accuracy and reliability. During the past seven years we have been experimenting with various forms of other selffrating, in an attempt to get some estimate of social intelligence. We are just now in the process of developing a new scale of measurement which promises better results. Tests for clerical ability have been devised which compare very fav' orably with the reliability of the intelligence and mechanical aptitude tests. Clerical ability is not unique in the sense that mechanical ability is, that is, clerical ability is highly related to intelligence, although there evidently are some specific factors making for clerical success that are not measured by the intelligence tests. Another test that may safely be included in the list of those which are considered fairly reliable, is for colourfblindness. These tests furnish a most exact means of detecting colourfwealcness and of differentiating the sub' types of red and green colourfblindness. Musical ability is another capacity -.X F 4 7 157 LP Tlt't'l1fUlllIl6

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,-3, E, -?s'73'...e...'? 5. : ' 'JETS E ll ll ll ll QI ll ll ll ll ll II ll VUCATIDNAL GU I DANCE UR .G the past twentyffive years and especially since the war, educational and vocational psychology have made valuf able contributions to vocational guidance through the def , velopment of psychological tests. Although no tests have yet been devised that can accurately reveal the vocation for which a person is best qualified, there are a few which assist in gathering the facts regarding abilities and capacif ties. The most important is what is known as the Intelligence Test. We have considerable evidence that this type of test can reveal the ability of an individual to do academic work. In the very nature of things we shall never have intelligence tests that will predict unerringly, but we do not need such a perfect instrument to gain considerable knowledge concerning a student's probable success in High School and College. While the evidence of these tests is not conclusive, partly because they do not measure the work habits of the student, it is highly indicative of future academic achievement. During the past seven years we have given full intelligence tests to all the boys in Pickering College. We find that their Intelligence Quotients range from 73 to 134. No boy with an I.Q. of under 104 has been able to pass the Matriculation examinations and finish a college or university course. We have had one boy with an I.Q. of 104 who was able to finish his university career successfully. This boy, although he had unusually good work habits, was unable to complete his matriculation before he was twentyfone years of age, and he took a course in the university which required a minimum of abstract thinking and a very large measure of more concrete hand work. The next lowest I.Q. from our school that is succeed' ing in University work is 105, and again this boy has acquired exceptional work habits. Qur experience is that a boy has to have an of about 108 before we can be assured that he will have any degree of success in any course in the university, and that some of the courses require much higher intellectual ability. We have found that a pupil's school record in the first, second and third forms of high school, work is often an excellent indication of mental ability. If a boy expects to enter a vocation that requires a college educaf tion, he should at least stand in the upper half of his class. As a general rule those in the lower half should not be encouraged to consider occupations which require a great amount of abstract thinking, but should confine their attention to callings in which one deals mostly with other people or with concrete things. Exceptions to this rule may be detected by the Intelligence Tests and are usually accounted for by lack of motivation or poor work habits. I think it is safe to say that future academic success can be readily predicted by means of intelligence tests, whose predictive value can be greatly improved by a proper statistical evaluation of previous school records. Virtually all competent investigators agree that intelligence consists of more than one type, in fact Thorndike contends that there are at least three types which ought to receive special attention, viz.: abstract intelligence or Tu,enty-eight

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ag V J GI E . F 1 H-ll-li: :. , : : ll n n u QI u n l n u if T Q ri av i 535332 0 llllllllull S lf-Mala Th irfix that can be measured by standardized tests with a fair degree of accuracy. An examination of the school subjects which are liked best may give some lead in choosing a vocation. It is quite apparent that a person who does well in languages, literature and composition and who abhors mathef matics, should not be encouraged to become an actuary, an accountant, an auditor or an engineer. Considerable importance should be attached to what persons like to do in their free time. What are their hobbies and recreations? Are they of an artistic, literary or mechanical nature? Do they indicate a fondness for constructing things or for dealing with people. The way one feels about things and the things that sway our feelings should receive careful consider' ation. There are those who are only happy when working with other people, a'nd there are others who would rather work with things and be left to themselves. Some must be in the forefront directing the show. Qthers do not want to carry so much responsibility, they would rather follow direcf tions. There are people who cannot do their best work on a regular schedule of hours. Some must be outdoors to be contented, others would just as soon work indoors. Some want to learn a thing once and then be able to do that always, while others want to have variety and to be learning new things all the time. , Vocations have multiplied enormously within the past fifty years. For every choice of vocation his grandfather had, the boy of today has a dozen. Not only so, but the struggle for existence is becoming keener all the time, and the young Canadian must be headed in the right direction from the start, if this country is to hold its own professionally, industrially and commerf cially. In order to give occupational information, the teacher, in his capacity of guide, must have access to the necessary data regarding all the professions, industries and commercial vocations which are open to those to whom advice is offered. This presupposes a library of technical booklets and pamphlets which must be revised frequently to keep abreast of the changes that occur almost over night in our swiftfmoving world. In summary, then: there are no valid short cuts that can determine the right choice of a career, nor is there anything magical or mysterious about the selection of a vocation. It is a matter for the exercise of common sense fortified by sound information. A technique for determining methods of positive guidance to specific occupations is now available. 1 'U II' ' 6 .4 l 1 ,MV V f r NQ f ir W A 'u i l J ' 'l,! 'av' Q c ' 1 'll M x nail ' i i l' milf, if it 5.-'Iv v in V' ii ' .w t i XY l ' l I - IW, X H y ll ani Vx l Da l W. f 1' ullwl ' W i , Wil X X , ,, 'n,,g,,lf' ,M 1 s .ii ii .ri Q ar , ' C' ' ' A f i ff S .J X Xi iilfblffl' if ,f f'f ,i A X 9 ll i ' f ' ' 44