METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING VISUAL COMPARISON BETWEEN PSYCHOLOGICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL AGES

• US 20120115116A1
• Filed: 11/10/2011
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aleksandr A. Kronik
• Original Assignee: Aleksandr A. Kronik
• Inventors: Kronik, Aleksandr A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,602,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26

Abstract

An easy to understand visual comparison between a person'"'"'s chronological age and calculated psychological age takes the form of a time scale representing person'"'"'s estimated lifespan on which the spacing between indicators provides the comparison. In a preferred embodiment the lifespan time scale is in the form of a clock on which respective clock hands represent the chronological age and calculated psychological age.

Claims

1. In connection with a psychological test wherein an examinee enters into a computer information pertaining to the examinee'"'"'s chronological age and subjectively expected lifespan and responds to cues by entering into the computer subjective point values for significant events occurring in predetermined time segments in said expected lifespan, and wherein the computer calculates from the point values and the expected lifespan the psychological age of the examinee, a method for providing a visible indication on a screen of the computer of the examinee'"'"'s chronological age and the psychological age, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) establishing on the computer screen a lifespan time scale representing the examinee'"'"'s entered expected lifespan;

(b) providing a first indicator representing the examinee'"'"'s chronological age at a first location on the lifespan time scale corresponding to said chronological age; and

(c) providing a second indicator representing the examinee'"'"'s calculated psychological age at a second location on the lifespan time scale corresponding to said psychological age;

wherein spacing on said lifespan time scale between said first and second indicators represents the difference between the examinee'"'"'s chronological age and calculated psychological age.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) includes establishing said lifespan time scale as an angular scale in the form of a circle simulating a clock face, wherein the expected lifespan subtends an arc of approximately 360°

.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein step (b) comprises providing a first radial line simulating a clock hand at an angular position along said arc corresponding to said chronological age on said time scale, wherein step (c) comprises providing a second radial line simulating a clock hand at an angular position along said arc corresponding to said calculated psychological age on said time scale, and wherein the angular spacing between said first and second radial lines is a measure of the difference between the chronological age and the calculated psychological age.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) includes establishing said lifespan time scale as a linear scale having one end representing age zero or birth and an opposite end representing the entered age at the end of the entered expected lifespan.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein step (b) comprises providing a first indicator located at a position corresponding to said chronological age on said time scale, wherein step (c) comprises providing a second indicator located at a position corresponding to said psychological age on said time scale, and wherein the linear spacing between said first and second indicators is a measure of the difference between the chronological age and the psychological age.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) includes establishing said lifespan time scale as a radial scale having a series of spaced concentric shapes with a radial center representing birth and an outermost shape representing the end of the entered expected lifespan.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein step (b) comprises visibly distinguishing a one of said shapes to represent said chronological age on said radial time scale, wherein step (c) comprises visibly distinguishing an other of said shapes to represent the calculated psychological age on said radial time scale, and wherein the radial spacing between said one and said other shapes is a measure of the difference between the chronological age and the calculated psychological age.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the psychological age P_A of the examinee is calculated from the formula P_A=R×

L, where L is the subjectively expected lifespan, and R=P_past/P^total, where P_past is the total of entered subjective point values from birth to the present date, and P_total is the total of entered subjective point values for the entire lifespan.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

(d) displaying on the computer screen a temporary scale representing the years of the examinee'"'"'s life subdivided into a series of said predetermined time segments; and

(e) in response to entry of said subjective point values, providing a value indication associated with the time segments for which the point value was entered.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying on the computer screen an indication of a synchronicity quotient SQ as a function of the psychological age P_A and the chronological age C_A, where:

If P_A<

C_A then SQ=100−

[(C_A−

P_A)/C_A]×

100; and

If P_A≧

C_A then SQ=100−

[(P_A−

C_A)/L−

C_A]×

100

11. In connection with a psychological test wherein an examinee provides information pertaining to the examinee'"'"'s chronological age, subjectively expected lifespan and subjective point values for significant events occurring in predetermined time segments in said expected lifespan, and wherein the psychological age of the examinee is calculated from the point values and the expected lifespan, a method for providing a visible comparison of the examinee'"'"'s chronological age and the psychological age, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) establishing a lifespan time scale representing the examinee'"'"'s entered expected lifespan;

(b) providing a first indicator representing the examinee'"'"'s chronological age at a first location on the lifespan time scale corresponding to said chronological age; and

(c) providing a second indicator representing the examinee'"'"'s psychological age at a second location on the lifespan time scale corresponding to said psychological age;

wherein spacing on said lifespan time scale between said first and second indicators represents the difference between the examinee'"'"'s chronological age and psychological age.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein:

step (a) includes establishing said lifespan time scale as an angular scale in the form of a circle simulating a clock face, wherein the expected lifespan subtends an arc of approximately 360°

;

step (b) comprises providing a first radial line simulating a clock hand at an angular position along said arc corresponding to said chronological age on said time scale;

step (c) comprises providing a second radial line simulating a clock hand at an angular position along said arc corresponding to said calculated psychological age on said time scale; and

wherein the angular spacing between said first and second radial lines is a measure of the difference between the chronological age and the calculated psychological age.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein:

step (a) includes establishing said lifespan time scale as a linear scale having one end representing age zero or birth and an opposite end representing the entered age at the end of the entered expected lifespan;

step (b) comprises providing a first indicator located at a position corresponding to said chronological age on said time scale;

step (c) comprises providing a second indicator located at a position corresponding to said psychological age on said time scale; and

wherein the linear spacing between said first and second indicators is a measure of the difference between the chronological age and the psychological age.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein:

step (a) includes establishing said lifespan time scale as a radial scale having a series of spaced concentric rings or other shapes with a radial center representing birth and an outermost ring or other shapes representing the end of the entered expected lifespan;

step (b) comprises visibly distinguishing a one of said rings or other shapes to represent said chronological age on said radial time scale;

step (c) comprises visibly distinguishing an other of said rings or other shapes to represent the calculated psychological age on said radial time scale; and

wherein the radial spacing between said one and said other rings or other shapes is a measure of the difference between the chronological age and the calculated psychological age.

15. The indicator of claim 11 wherein the clock face is presented as a display on a computer screen.

16. The indicator of claim 11 wherein the clock face is applied to an article of clothing.

17. The indicator of claim 11 wherein the clock face is applied to paper or other material.

18. An indicator for providing an easy to understand comparison of a person'"'"'s chronological age and psychological age relative to the person'"'"'s estimated life span comprising:

a clock face representing the person'"'"'s estimated lifespan;

a first clock hand on said clock face angularly positionable to represent the person'"'"'s chronological age relative to the estimated lifespan; and

a second clock hand on said clock face angularly positionable to represent the person'"'"'s calculated psychological age relative to the estimated lifespan;

wherein the angular spacing between said first and second clock hands is a measure of the difference between the entered chronological age and the calculated psychological age.

19. The indicator of claim 18 wherein the clock face is applied to an article of clothing.

20. The indicator of claim 18 wherein the clock face is applied to paper or other material.