PERSONAL SENSITIVITY TEST METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREFOR

• US 3,777,413 A
• Filed: 07/10/1972
• Issued: 12/11/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John T. Zaccheo
• Original Assignee: John T. Zaccheo
• Inventors: Zaccheo, John T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, Wm. H.
• Application Number:
  US05/270,000
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 35/22R,69,26 273/1R,94R
• US Class Current: 434/237
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state

Abstract

A method for the systematic investigation of mental phenomena and skills associated with consciousness, behavior, emotions, traits and reactions to stimuli is disclosed which includes the steps of conveying one or more word messages by oral or visual means, associating the message with an identifying indicia and comparing the matches and mismatches of indicia as an indication of the sensitivity or lack thereof to the mental stimuli. The apparatus used to conduct the testing, which can be a serious psychiatric analysis and psychological investigation or a humorous and fascinating parlor game participated in by two or more individuals, comprises, in one embodiment, a set of cards having a plurality of sets of word phrase stimuli thereon with the stimuli of any one set being divided into three or more classes of conservative, moderate and aggressive connotations or meanings. The sets of cards are divided into several categories of human expression relating the senses, time, acts, words, mood, etc. The stimuli on each set of cards are coded in accordance with their class or contrary to the class of other sets so that no preceptive pattern can be established from use in repeated tests or plays and auxillary means are provided to record the results, score the players and arrive at a final measure of the personal sensitivity, compatibility, analytic skills, psychological reactions, superficial traits and outward manifestations of behavior of one or more participants.

Claims

1. A personal sensitivity test apparatus comprising:

a first set of a plurality of cards bearing at least two separate visual stimuli on a side thereof;

a code designation identifying each of said visual stimuli;

a second set of a plurality of cards bearing at least two separate visual stimuli on a side thereof;

an identical code designation identifying each of said visual stimuli on said second set of cards in coordination with the visual stimuli on said first set of cards;

the visual stimuli on said first and second sets of cards relating to the same category of human expression;

means to selectively identify and display the code designation of any one stimulus by the independent participants whereby the selected codes of the participants are compared; and

means to record the successive times the selected code designation of one participant matches with the selected code designation of the other participant as a measure of the personal sensitivity between the participants for that category of human expression.

2. A personal sensitivity test apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which, said visual stimuli on each of said cards of both said first and second sets comprise word phrases.

3. A personal sensitivity test apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which, said visual stimuli comprise pictures.

4. A personal sensitivity test apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which, said visual stimuli comprise symbols.

5. A personal sensitivity test apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which, said code designations comprise colored areas.

6. A personal sensitivity test apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which, said code designations comprise numbers.

7. A peRsonal sensitivity test apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which, said code designations comprise letters of the alphabet.

8. A personal sensitivity test apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which, the order of appearance of said visual stimuli on said cards is sequential and each stimulus represents a different degree of suggestion as to that category of human expression, and the sequence of appearance of said stimuli from card to card on any one set differs from the corresponding card of the other set as well as the code designations therefor.

9. A personal sensitivity test apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which, each card of the first set has a companion card in the second set, means are provided to identify said companion cards, and means are provided to arbitrarily select the pairs of companion cards from the respective sets for use by each participant.

10. A personal sensitivity test apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which, an open-ended envelope is provided for each set of said cards.

11. A personal sensitivity test apparatus in accordance with claim 10 in which several sets of said cards are provided and each is contained in an open-ended envelope.

12. A personal sensitivity test apparatus in accordance with claim 11 in which, a dual compartment packet is provided to contain the several sets of said open-ended envelopes in succession therein for ready selection.

13. A personal sensitivity test apparatus in accordance with claim 12 in which said dual compartments are open at their tops and hinged together along the inside top walls of each compartment.

14. A personal sensitivity test apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including, means to identify the participants in accordance with his or her personal sensitivity to the other.

15. A personal sensitivity test apparatus in accordance with claim 14 in which, said identifying means comprises a button.

16. A personal sensitivity test procedure comprising:

the selection of a visual stimulus from at least two separate stimuli relating to a category of human expression by a first party;

each of said stimuli being coded to represent different degrees of personal sensitivity thereto by said first party;

the selection of a visual stimulus from at least two separate stimuli relating to the same category of human expression by a second party;

each of said stimuli being coded to represent different degrees of personal sensitivity thereto by said second party;

repeating the said selections by said parties from additional stimuli relating to said category;

comparing the similarities and dissimilarities in said selections, and recording the number of times the said coded selections of stimuli match and mis-match as a measure of the personal sensitivity between said parties.

17. The test procedure in accordance with claim 16 in which, the selection of said visual stimuli by said parties is through the sequential and independent examination of the stimuli, followed by simultaneous comparison of said selections so that during the selection by one party the other party is unaware of the selection until his respective selection is made.

18. The test procedure of claim 16 conducted as:

a parlor game wherein counters are employed to score the matching and mis-matching of stimuli; and

those participants who score the most matching stimuli and the least matching stimuli are determined from a master scoring sheet indicating by ranges of points scored the magnitude of sensitivity between the parties.

19. A personal sensitivity test apparatus comprising:

a first set of a plurality of pages each of which bears a plurality of separate visual stimuli on a side thereof;

said stimuli relating to a category of human expression;

a code designation opposite and identifying each of said visual stimuli;

a second set of a plurality of pages each of which bears a plurality of separate visual stimuli on a side thereof;

said stimuli on said second set of pages relating to the same category of human expression as said first set;

an identical code designation opposite and identifying each of said visual stimuli on said second set of pages in coordination with the visual stimuli on said first set of pages;

the number of said visual stimuli and identifying codes on each of said sets of pages for any category being the same;

means to selectively identify and display the code designation of any one stimulus by independent participants whereby the selected codes of the participants are compared in sequence; and

means to record the successive times the selected code designation of one participant matches with the selected code designation of the other participant as a measure of the personal sensitivity between the participants for that category of human expression.

20. A psychiatric examination method comprising:

the selection of a visual stimulus from at least two separate stimuli relating to a category of human expression by a first party;

each of said stimuli being coded to represent different psychiatric responses thereto by said first party;

the said selection representing that coded response to said stimulus which best represents the expected behavior of a second party thereto;

the selection of a visual stimulus from at least two separate coded stimuli relating to the same category of human expression by said second party;

the said selection representing that coded response to said stimulus which best represents the self-acknowledged behavior of said second party thereto;

repeating said selections by said first and second parties from additional stimuli relating to said category;

comparing the selections of coded stimuli made by said parties;

recording the number of said selections by the first party which coincide with the selections of said second party;

recording the number of said selections by said first party which so not coincide with the selections of said second party; and

determining the differences in said numbers as a measure of the psychiatric response between the parties.

21. A psychiatric examination method in accordance with claim 20 in which:

the selection of visual stimuli is made by the first party from separate printed messages having at least three different shades of meaning; and

the selection of visual stimuli is made by the second party from the same printed messages in sequence thereafter.

22. A psychiatric examination method in accordance with claim 20 in which:

the selection of visual stimuli is made by the first party from a different set of separated printed messages having at least three shades of meaning, from that used by the second party;

said printed messages for both parties are coded by adjacent indica; and

the selection of the printed messages by both parties is recorded and simultaneously exchanged through means for each participant to display the code selected.

23. A parlor game procedure comprising the steps of:

selecting a pair of individuals from a group;

designating one of the individuals as the challenger;

providing a set of cards each bearing visual stimuli having at least three gradations of meaning in a selected category of human expression;

one of said individuals arbitrarily selecting a number from 1 to 12, said numbers corresponding to the sides of cards bearing said visual stimuli thereon in gradations of meaning;

one of said individuals viewing the selected card and choosing one of the gradations of meaning best defining that individual'"'"''"'"'s personal sensitivity to the other individual;

said other individual viewing the selected card and choosing one of the gradations of meaning best defining that individual'"'"''"'"'s personal sensitivity to the first individual;

said cards bearing indicia of said gradations of meaning; and

said individuals making their resPective choices through identity of said indicia whereby the proportion of matched indicia to mis-matched indicia is a measure of personal compatibility between said individuals in that category.

24. A parlor game in accordance with claim 23 in which said individuals each choose a card bearing the selected number from first and second sets of said cards, said sets having different visual stimuli thereon.