Author: Gareth Hallet

Context and purpose

Human development is an absolute necessity in the world of work. The present economy, technological advancements and environmental demands compel the modern employee to continuously improve their ability to handle ambiguity and change as well as appreciate learning.  In order to achieve this it is critical to explore the role of psychology in firstly understanding learning and secondly, from a holistic perspective the growth and development of individuals.  Consider for a moment the purpose of psychology – the ultimate goal of all our efforts, within the profession, is to essentially help people grow and develop so that they function effectively in their environments.  Being a science we accomplish this by creating and practically applying theoretically and statistically sound models of understanding.  So with the individual in mind, we embarked on the development of a model of individual growth and development.  In our exploration, and to truly understand growth and development, we explored various fields of thought in an attempt to provide a holistic model of understanding, which draws on the concepts of Worldview, Phenomenology, Systems Theory, Field Theory, Metacognitive Theory, and theories relating to Learning and Change.

A Model of Individual Growth & Development

Describing the Model

In order to expand knowledge and improve skills we believe that individuals need to go through a process which brings about self-awareness thereby laying an important foundation for learning and secondly, providing a platform for sustainable change.  The process is outlined below:

• We appreciate that any person attending a training course (workshop, meeting, or any session where there is a gathering of people) arrives with their individual perspective or worldview.  Our individual worldview, which participants are guided through, is determined by a number of intrapersonal and interpersonal factors such as my current reality, my origin, how I see my future, my values, my knowledge etc.
• Participants are given an opportunity to explore these intrapersonal and interpersonal factors in terms of how they experience the world.   Their worldview will determine and give meaning to how they, on an individual level, perceive the world, make judgements about the world and lastly, how they feel about their experiences.  So in essence their perspective defines the way in which they understand themselves, interpret and interact with the world.
• We then guide the participant’s focus towards others.  Being part of a whole, the participants are introduced to exercises which help them to appreciate that as an individual they form part of a larger system such as a ‘home’ system or ‘work’ system.  Participants need to realize that they do not exist in isolation and that their actions or behaviours (or more philosophically speaking, their existence) impacts on those around them.
• Through careful design we ensure that the participant becomes aware of their perspective regarding gaps that may exist as a result of understanding both themselves and their interaction with the world.  Through this process we help participants write, in a self-directed manner, their personal future life script.
• In enhancing their perspective it is critical that the participant identifies their own development needs as well as appropriate pathways or development methods in closing the gaps identified.  The process drives ownership which when followed in an authentic manner ensures that the participant directs the development process by themselves.

Before attempting to deal with the content we believe that groundwork regarding needs to be laid.  That is, the individual needs to go through a process whereby they gain an appreciation for and a personal perspective with regards to growth and development.  Once this is achieved the process continues:

• Learning pertains to the content to which the individual will be exposed.  This step is characterized by experiential, practical and theoretical components which are designed in such a way that the individual relates to the content in meaningful and personal way.
• Change, a process rather than a step, is one of the key signs for individual growth and development.  Change is not something that can be merely imposed on others.  Rather this model accepts both conscious and unconscious changes need to take place before change is sustainable.  Despite the outcome, that is whether new behaviours are endorsed by the participant or not, the participant would have undergone a powerful process that either reinforces their current perspective or sows the seed for change regarding their worldview.

Throughout the process participants need to make decisions regarding their learning needs, the utility of new skills in their context, and lastly, whether the learning will be endorsed and appropriately applied.  The individual’s view of the world is as a result either reinforced or changed, and perhaps more importantly whether endorsed or appropriately applied, the process ensures that growth and development takes place.

This model provides us with a process and structure which we believe can be applied in many individual and groups interventions pertaining to the growth and development of individuals.

JvR Consulting Psychologists aims to help people grow by creating awareness and developing their skills and knowledge so that they can fulfill their potential.  To read more about our service offering click here.

s7rhuypfn5

JvR is pleased to offer a new range of products to South Africans, from Schuhfried in Austria, namely the Vienna Test System, CogniPlus, RehaCom, and an excellent Biofeedback system. These systems are internationally recognised and respected for their quality, and we are excited about their potential in the South African context. The four systems are suitable in a variety of application areas, such as clinics, personnel, aviation, sport, military, and traffic psychology, and research. Read more about the Vienna Test System in this week’s article:

** A Demo of the VTS will be on display at SIOPSA 09 **

Vienna Test System

The Vienna Test System (VTS) is a computerised psychological assessment that consists of various personality, intelligence, and special ability assessments. The VTS was developed by the SCHUHFRIED Company in the early 1980s and has years of research backing the test system. The company was founded in 1947 in Austria and is now available in 65 countries, on all 5 continents.

Areas of Application

The Vienna Test System and associated products can be used in a number of applied fields in psychology, namely: Clinical and Health Psychology, Neuropsychology, Personnel Psychology, Traffic Psychology, Aviation Psychology, Sport Psychology as well as Educational Psychology.

What makes the VTS a unique system is that besides the personality and intelligence tests that it offers, it provides one the opportunity to capture abilities such as: …

• Senso-motor coordination
• Reactive stress tolerance
• Reaction time and motor speed
• Visual perception speed
• Field of vision and peripheral perception
• Time, motion, distance, speed estimation and anticipation
• All forms of attention
• Ability to deal with stress
• Fine motor abilities
• Activation and arousal as well as audiometer.

Administration

The test system consists of administration software, tests and special input or peripheral devices (hardware) which some of the tests require. The VTS consists of more than 80 tests which consist of electronic versions of paper-and-pencil tests, objective personality tests, multimedia tests, adaptive tests, and interactive tests. Once the system has been installed and set up on the computer, one is able to select the tests that one wants to use or, alternatively, can select from special standard test batteries.

Each test begins with an instruction phase and then allows the candidate to complete some practice items before the test begins.

Reporting

Once the candidate has completed the test, the results are immediately available in a short report which provides the percentile ranks of the raw scores for each test variable. The report also includes other important information such as the test protocol, which gives details about the candidate’s responses and the time taken to work each item. A longer diagnostic report is also available. There is also a “ranking function” that allows the test user to rank the candidates’ test results, once the weightings have been entered by the test user. The evaluation system then determines the fit between the candidate and position based on the weightings supplied.

Expert Systems

The Expert Systems consist of standardised validated test batteries that take all the test results into account when providing a report. The VTS presently contains two expert systems, namely the Expert System Aviation and the Expert System Traffic. The Expert System Aviation provides an overall assessment of the candidate’s cognitive ability and safety-related personality traits, related specifically to that field. The Expert System Traffic on the other hand, can be used to assess driving-specific abilities. There is also a Neuropsychological Test Battery for neuropsychological screening.

For more information on or a demonstration on the Vienna Test System; and how it can improve your selection/development and retention of employees, please contact us on info@jvrafrica.co.za or capeinfo@jvafrica.co.za

You can also find more info on some of the other Schuhfried Assessments in our website’s catalogue section.