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Human Skills by Dennis H. Holding Review by: A. T. Welford
Journal of Occupational Behaviour, Vol. 4, No. 1, Special Issue: [Participatory Research at Work] (Jan., 1983), pp. 89-90

Published by: Wiley

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JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL

BEHAVIOUR, Vol. 4, 89-90 (1983)

Book review

HUMAN SKILLS, Dennis H. Holding (Ed.), Wiley, Chichester, 1981. No. of pages: xi + 303. Price ?14.50. ISBN 0 471 27838 6.

This book is the first of a series designed to explain the ideas which have emerged from the great expansion of research on human performance during the past 40 years. In particular, research on skills undertaken in order to find ways of improving the performance of those using service equipment during the second world war, has had a profound effect on our understanding of human performance, its potentialities and limitations, its complexities and subtleties, which have made necessary a widespread re-thinking of theory and of methods of tackling applied problems. The present volume is designed to outline and discuss some of the key issues of these developments. The preface states that the series is aimed not only at graduate and advanced undergraduate students in experimental psychology and applied psychologists in many areas, but at practitioners in ergonomics, production and industrial engineering, physical education and exercise physiology, and psychologists in other fields. To address all these audiences simultaneously is virtually an impossible task and is not achieved by all the individual chapters in this book. However, the coverage and treatment are such that each of these specialists will find a considerable amount that is of interest. The first, introductory chapter by the Editor provides a good historical sketch of what has come to be known as the skills approach, and sets the stage by emphasizing that, although the skills studied have for the most part been sensory-motor, the essential mechanisms involved are neither sensory nor motor but central, having to do with control and decision.
The concept of skill can thus be applied also to a wide range of predominently intellectual

performances. The second chapter by Neville Moray, provides an important analysis of performance, emphasizing the roles of feedback and control processes and clearly contrasting the idea of skilled performance as a developing series of actions to achieve an aim, with traditional stimulus-response concepts. It is a chapter which ought to be made compulsory reading for all those teaching or contemplating research in any branch of psychology. The third chapter, by J. J. Summers, provides a useful synthesis of information in the complex, confusing area of motor programming, whereby a series of actions is run off as a whole. It appears to regard this programming as a rival theory to control of performance by

surprising stance since the two would seem rather to be complementary. The discussion could perhaps have benefited from paying attention to the pioneering work of
Craik, Vince, Crossman and, before them, Bartlett and Head whose ideas, even though now many years old, are still basic. Marcel Kinsbourne in the fourth chapter sets out a remarkably perceptive and balanced overview of what has been one of the most controversial areas of skills research, namely the idea that it is impossible to deal with two situations or perform two actions at the same time unless they are co-ordinated, because both have to be dealt with at some stage in a 'single channel' in the central mechanisms. He suggests that the few apparent exceptions to this principle can be explained by assuming that different central processes may not interfere with one another if there is a sufficient distance between them in 'functional cerebral space' as for example, different sensory modes in different cerebral hemispheres. While the evaluation of this theory would take a detailed analysis of data far beyond the scope of this book, the idea is an important challenge for future research. The next two chapters appear somewhat disappointing. That by C. I. Howarth and W. D. A. Beggs gives a valuable summary of their own and of classical work on the accuracy of movements made under time constraints, and provides a penetrating discussion of spatial schemata which supplements that of Chapter 3. One could have wished, however, that there had been more attempt to integrate their findings with complementary studies of the speed

This content downloaded on Thu, 17 Jan 2013 21:20:32 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions and and Science grasp chapter
What
University their pupils volume, research in confidence. past theorizing, observation the synthesis tends to progress integrated heartfelt skill of drugs, review of the rest of the book, and continues of established and tactile substitutes discussing, Perhaps deserves could also have benefited from attention understanding appears of transfer brief and rather task and of their usefulness
One of the principal relationships reaction
Rabbitt.
Neither of these criticisms incomprehensible expression of movement under constraints of data much fuller skills studied will have driven applauding on skill. He has to confess to an avuncular
The present and thus tend often to appear and experiment. into principles in cycles of three stages. First better than it sometimes among to keep in close touch if both are to flourish, and second, that skills research fatigue and advancing sound, but each really deserves a chapter with all too brief treatments principles in terms the most interesting treatment next volume in the series. difficult-comprehension often seems just beyond the reader's to be another of training inconclusive as means of studying in the 1940s was tracking. between accuracy in a series can be affected
This provides attaches to Chapter to anyone not already restricts of accuracy, their of skill human their studies questioning, feeling towards negative, The research and theories. is the gathering has been with experimental the pioneers age. The treatments which by those without technical of skill, problems provide the deaf with visual and tactile substitutes reach. The work than that of case of over-condensation from one task to another treatments Chapter gives a clear and simple-almost too simple-explanation of the different by those previous a lucid and highly
7 on 'Sequential well acquainted the audience and their severely mathematical original but looking the contributors to the time when they and destructively is one of the few still alive who trained on skill during to the second in the 1950s and 1960s. Now it seems to have reached Third theories, probing their weaknesses and revealing shortcomings psychology of research as far as they go are insightful psychological understandable The last chapter, will commend of the use of prostheses to more recent British work by E. and R. M. Belbin and by W. D. Seymour. is Chapter of measuring types of tracking This is followed by discussion Reactions' they are likely to reach. critical forward reviewer the third knowledge progressed stage. As a result is the scrutiny on skill: and of drug effects is knowledge. again by the Editor, begins with what is tantamount it to research by amputees,
9 on 'Skill Learning' and modelling not only of the ways in which
The chapter eagerly to reach the second stage of a new cycle. most of the chapters of these principles first that pure theory and application on its own. A fuller treatment in a later volume in the series. The chapter ends with pleas which were indeed and attempts and the blind with auditory tracking a question on 'Motor of this book focus of deficiencies for hearing, is well written, and while it displays performance, One could have
Memory'
a clear it is readily and of future applications. to treat these topics in the depth that they deserve. by of evidence in a very
90
in the to in this
O 1983 by John
Wiley
& Sons,
Ltd.

Book Review

means of

G. J. Laabs and R. W. Simmons provides a thorough summary confusing area, but suffers from a plethora of jargon which makes it virtually

with the area.

by P. M. A.

to it, but of the long-neglected of errors, their nature and genesis, ways in which subjects recognize them and the

and speed.

8 by M. Hammerton

performance.

wished that space had been available

by K. M. Newell. The material is well discussed, but lack of concrete examples makes

Bartlett, especially

The topic really

and it is good to know that this is likely to be provided

section of the book is Chapter 10 by C. A. Shingledecker

for vision. The chapter

workers,

to a good, critical

of the effects on

promised

need needs to be

as a whole.

of data. Second is

and which call for further

the 1940s was in the first stage,

in present

and lacking

before the second world war and took an active part in the first and second stages of the development of

forwards

A. T. WELFORD

of Hawaii

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