ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author deals with context, both in terms of what has been happening in relevant parts of the social science scene, mainly in Britain, and about how the personal context—her own history and values—interacted with it. She explains the parts of the relevant background and context against which the work in the papers was carried out, interspersing this with some anecdotes and experiences. Industrial psychology began in Britain during the First World War. While the First World War provided the stimulus for psychological research in British industry, it faced the American army with the problems of classifying and training vast numbers of men from widely varied backgrounds, many of them illiterate. The Advisory Council recommended setting up a new type of body, representative of "Government, employers and workers in industry, and of the natural and social sciences".
