The Psychologist in War-time

Camp News, Volume 3, Issue 145, 23 October 1942, Page 2

The Psychologist in War-time

By

in “John O’ London’s Weekly.”

The bitter experience of the last world-war taught us one very valuable lesson by which we are profiting to-day: the importance of the utilization of the three main branches of applied psychology under war-time conditions. These three branches — which may be . broadly classified as medical, educational and vocational psychology — were more or less in their infancy in 1914 and much impetus was given to their study by the numerous problems that arose as the war proceeded. To-day, we have the great advantage of this experience behind us, and it is interesting to examine the part which is now played by the psychologist in our war economy. Curing Shell-shock First, the medical psychologist. In the years 1914-15, the soldier found absent from his post and wandering about in a daze was liable to be shot as- a deserter or sent to an asylum as insane in more serious cases. As the war went on and cases of functional nervous disorder, such as shelshock, accumulated, it was found that such cases could be cured with success by the medical psychologist, and special. clinics were set up for this purpose. When this war came upon us, we were well prepared to deal with “warneuroses” both in the army and among the civil population. Many people had expected that the heavy bombing of urban areas would result in a large number of cases of something akin to shell-shock. Actually, however, it was found that such cases were of remarkably rare occurrence, and it seems that the human nervous system is rather tougher than we thought it wasat least, under severe strain of comparatively short duration. Shell-shock apparently only occurs to any considerable extent as a result of very prolonged and severe

strain, such as that experienced in trench warfare. Helping the Night-fighter In quite another field the medical psychologist has helped us much. New methods of war have produced some interesting new problems and placed greater emphasis on existing ones. For instance, the night-bomber has been met by a new weapon of defence, the night-fighter. Extreme acuity of vision is an obviously essential qualification for the night-fighter pilot and equally important, rapid and efficient adaptation from light to darkness. The part played by diet in dark-adap-tation is well known, a plentiful supply of vitamin A being necessary for efficiency. Thus the psychologist helps us by providing selective tests and the physiologist by indicating a suitable diet. Again, intensive research has been made into the type of errors which men are most liable to make after experiencing the strain of long periods of flying “blind,” and similar work is being done on the psychological states conditioned by work in an enclosed space at uncomfortably high temperconditions experienced by tank crews.

The Unskilled Worker The vast increase in munitions production has made necessary the training of a large number of unskilled and wholly inexperienced workers to do highly skilled jobs, and it is the concern of the educational psychologist to see that this training is given as efficiently and rapidly as possible. Up to now, the usual method of training has been for the novice to watch the expert engaged on the job and with the aid of verbal advice, pick up the technique as he goes along. Now, however, it has been found that much better results are obtained if the training of novices is entirely dissociated from actual production; by setting up a special school for training by specially selected expert operatives, with v(hom instruction is a whole-time job, the period of training is much shortened and efficiency increased. Careful study is made, sometimes with the use of slow-mo-tion films, of the precise movements made by the skilled operator and the most advantageous position of tools and jigs, so that maximum efficiency is attained in repetitive work. Sorting Railway Tickets In the last war one of our most distinguished mathematicians spent a year sorting railway tickets in Boulogne, and Moseley, one of the best theoretical physicists of the day, was killed in the trenches. But happily these days of shocking misplacement are gone; the institution of the Central Register and the various schedules of reserved occupations were innovations of great value. The three services now employ consulting vocational psychologists to train officers in modern psychological methods so that they may be better equipped to allocate recruits to the right kind of job for them and to help in the selection of non-commissioned, officers. Intelligence tests have been used widely in this connection, but it is a popular fallacy to assume that these are the only methods of selection. Intelligence is, of course, important for specialized jobs in the services, but other factors, such as previous experience and temperament, must be taken into account.

Improved Working Conditions Lastly, as regards working hours and working conditions generally, the psychologist can be of great service. After the retreat from Dunkirk, the losses in equipment we had suffered made necessary a very urgent drive to increase munitions production, and a seven-day working week was introduced. This was done in the face of warnings by several eminent scientists and psychologists, who declared that a decline in production would soon result. They were right; an increase was maintained only for about a fortnight and was followed by a considerable decline which persisted until conditions were relaxed.