Psychotechnological testing method and device therefor

• US 4,627,818 A
• Filed: 08/26/1985
• Issued: 12/09/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jost Von Fellenberg
• Original Assignee: Jost Von Fellenberg
• Inventors: Von Fellenberg, Jost
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H
• Application Number:
  US06/769,558
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 434/236, 434/322, 434/363, 434/364
• US Class Current: 434/236
• 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 and device for determining the disposition, traits or characteristics of human test subjects. Several sets of statements are formulated, each set being related to at least one trait. The statements in a set are divided into two groups which contain several pairs of complementary statements, each pair probing the same point from different perspectives. A test subject provides responses from a multiple choice menu. The responses are considered on a group basis and a weight factor is assigned to each response. Templates are used in which the assigned weighting factors for each response are marked. A score is added up for each group of statements. The sum of points for a given trait, for example, communicative attitudes which are addressed by one statement group, are plotted on an indexed polar coordinate system. Similarly, points derived for the complementary group which deals with the same trait but from a different perspective, i.e., statements that focus on the non-communicative attitudes of the subject, are plotted on another corresponding coordinate system. The polar vectors which represent each trait are vectorially added and the midpoint of the resultant vector is found. The arithmetic average of the vectors provides the value of a radius of a circle which is centered on the mid point of the resultant vector. The circle defines sectors between the axes of the coordinate system. From this, the test subject'"'"'s traits such as empathy, willingness to learn and sociability, as well as aggressiveness, selfishness, etc., can be determined.

Claims

1. A psychotechnological method for detecting the disposition of a human test subject toward a selected trait, said method comprising:

(a) formulating and presenting to the test subject a plurality of sets of statements, each set containing first and second groups which respectively include first and second complementary statements, and a preselected choice of at least three responses for each statement, the test subject selecting one of the responses in answer to each statement, each response being assigned a respective predetermined weighting factor which determines a response value which is assigned to each response;

(b) adding the response values which correspond to the responses selected by the test subject on a group by group basis to derive for each group a group test score;

(c) plotting the group test scores of each one of the groups that is associated with the first complementary statements on a respective axis of an indexed polar coordinate system having at least as many axes as said number of sets of statements;

(d) plotting the group test scores of each one of the groups that are associated with the second complementary statements on a respective axis of a second indexed polar coordinate system having at least as many axes as as said number of sets of statements; and

(e) comparing and evaluating the plotted response values which appear on the first and second coordinate systems to determine the characteristic or disposition of the test subject.

2. A method as in claim 1 in which three sets of statements are used and in which each of the first and second coordinate system comprises three isometrically arranged axes.

3. A method as in claim 1 in which the test subject is presented with a multiple choice of four identical responses for each statement.

4. A method as in claim 3 wherein the responses include the statements:

rarely or never;

now and then or occasionally;

frequently; and

, very frequently, and as a rule, most of the time.

5. A method as in claim 2 in which adjacent axes of the first and second coordinate system are set about 120°

apart from each other.

6. A method as in claim 1 in which the first group of statements includes communicative statements and the second group of statements includes non-communicative statements and wherein the communicative and non-communicative statements are intermixed with one another.

7. A method as in claim 1 in which the statements are presented on a sheet in accordance with a predetermined arrangement and further comprising the step of superimposing over the sheet evaluation templates which are marked with said predetermined weights and which are adapted for identifying statements which are associated with a given group of statements related to a given trait, and using the templates for adding the response value for obtaining the group test score.

8. A method as in claim 2 in which the statements are presented on a sheet in accordance with a predetermined arrangement and further comprising the step of superimposing over the sheet evaluation templates which are marked with said predetermined weights and which are adapted for identifying statements which are associated with a given group of statements related to a given trait, and using the templates for adding the response value for obtaining the group test score.

9. A method as in claim 1 further comprising the step of vectorially adding the group test scores which are plotted on each coordinate system to generate a resultant vector on each coordinate system and bisecting the resulting vector to find its mid point and for using the mid point for drawing a circle whose radius is mathematically related to the group test scores which are plotted on the coordinate system.

10. A method as in claim 9 in which the radius is equal to about the arithmetic, geometrical or harmonic mean of the group test scores.

11. A method as in claim 1 further comprising using areas in the shape of circle segments, located between adjacent axes of the coordinate systems, whose size is determined by the group test scores, for making judgments about the characteristics or disposition of the test subject.

12. A method as in claim 10, further comprising using areas in the shape of circle segments, located between adjacent axes of the coordinate systems, whose size is determined by the group test scores, for making judgments about the characteristics or disposition of the test subject.

13. An apparatus for effecting psychotechnological evaluation of the disposition of a human test subject toward a selected trait, said apparatus comprising:

a statement sheet containing first and second groups including, respectively, first and second complementary statements, and a preselected choice of at least three responses for each statement, a respective one of the responses being selected by the test subject as an answer to a given statement, the statements appearing on the statement sheet in accordance with a predefined arrangement;

at least one evaluation template which can be fitted over the statement sheet, the evaluation template having predefined response weight factors marked thereon which are applicable to each response on the statement sheet; and

scoring sheets which are marked with polar coordinate systems and having coordinate axes which represent human traits, the response values which are obtained by means of the evaluation templates being added up to calculate group test scores, the group test scores being plotted on the coordinate axis and being used for detecting the selected trait of the test subject.

14. An apparatus as in claim 13 in which the apparatus is adapted for recording thereon three sets of statements each of which is divided into said first and second complementary groups, the apparatus further including means for indicating the response to each statement, the means for indicating the response comprising four judgment boxes which may be marked by the test subject to indicate an answer, the evaluation template including means for assigning a weighting factor to each response and means for adding the scores assigned to each response for each group, each of the polar coordinate systems having three axes which are graduated in numbers and on which the group test scores may be marked.