Measurement has got immense and various functions in psychology. It helps in distinguishing between high and low skilled workers and new job incumbents in selection tests. It also helps a psychologist to diagnose the present status of the applicability of the tests in recruitment purpose. Also, it might help an industrial psychologist to place a particular worker in his particular domain of job. However measurement has got many other functions which are depicted as follows:
· In selection purpose: Aptitude test is extremely common nowadays, and has become an indispensable tool of the selection procedure in industries. However psychologists are required in such organizations for a perfect administration and observation of such tests. Personnel selection in industries and organizations will not have been possible without psychologists. It is needless to say that measurement tools serve an important function in the selection process. Its not only predicts the capability of an applicant but also it provides solid information about what kind of action should be taken against which personnel, for which kind of behavior.
· In comparison between employees: No two persons on earth are similar. Individual differences commonly exist in terms of cognitive processes, tendencies, traits, habits, abilities, educational achievements, etc. between them. Measurement comes into play whenever we try to compare two or more persons together on the basis of the above factor or factors. Only with the help of a sound and accurate measurement we can successfully conclude who is better than whom, in a particular domain of comparison.
· In research work: Research work is common in every kind of organization and industry. It is quite obvious that measurement immensely help in such activities. Measurement serves to be the basic foundation of all such psychological researches, everywhere. Research is a kind of investigation which is usually done to discover new and unknown facts about any problem. With the help of research we can observe the effect of one or more than one variables, over some other variable or variables. The extraneous variables are as usually controlled during this. However in doing this a great amount of measurement is required which eventually confirms that the design of the experiment, statistical calculations and the results etc. are consistent with the principles of measurement. Without this, any research would be meaningless. Hence measurement can be rightly attributed as the heart of any psychological research.
· In different types of classification: Classification is extremely important for any organizational or research program to be successful. In industries measurement help the organizational staffs to be classified according to the indices of job satisfaction, absenteeism, accident proneness etc.
· In guidance and counselling purpose of the employees: Often due to various internal and external factors the motivation of the existing employees goes down. Indeed productivity suffers. One definite way to revive this drooping productivity would be providing an effective counselling and guidance to the employees. This way they will feel more attached to their organization. Although there is a difference between counselling and guidance, counselling is a specialized kind of guidance program which usually refers to the advice given to the individuals so that he might arrive at a workable solution to various adjustment problems in life.
