Human Behavior and Industry

Alexander, Franz; Caples, William G.; Harris, Irving B.; Coulter, Thomas H.; Moore, David G.

doi:10.1086/294032

Cited by 1 publication

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“…Other methods advocated by industrial psychiatrists included role-playing and psychodrama (Franz, 1942; Moreno & Toeman, 1942) along with group sessions where managers discussed work-related problems (Burling, 1954). Although there were many individuals who referred to industrial psychiatry, the number of psychiatrists employed in industry appears to be small; one estimate from 1954 was that less than 25 psychiatrists were employed in industry (Alexander, Caples, Harris, & Coulter, 1954). Another study found that eight corporations hired psychiatrists full-time whereas another 200 hired psychiatrists part-time (Collins, 1960).…”

Section: The Obsession With Adjustmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

A history of the early days of personality testing in American industry: An obsession with adjustment.

Gibby

Zickar²

2008

History of Psychology

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Objective personality testing began with Woodworth's Personal Data Sheet in 1917. That test was developed to identify soldiers prone to nervous breakdowns during enemy bombardment in World War I (WWI). Soon after, many competing personality tests were developed for use in industry. Many of these tests, like Woodworth's, focused on the construct of employee maladjustment and were deemed important in screening out applicants who would create workplace disturbances. In this article, the authors review the history of these early personality tests, especially the Bernreuter Personality Inventory and the Humm-Wadsworth Temperament Scale, and discuss the implications of personality testers' obsession with the construct of employee maladjustment. In addition, the authors discuss the industry's obsession with emotional maladjustment and how this obsession coincided with a cultural shift in norms relating to cultural expression.

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