Psychotechnological testing method and device therefor

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.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a psychotechnological method and device 
for detecting the traits of human test subjects. 
It is desirable to be able to classify individuals according to their 
traits so that the optimal working place and job functions may be found 
for them. If carried out successfully, individuals will be satisfied and 
will be remunerated in accordance with their actual capabilities and 
demonstrated performance. 
Qualification tests and examinations of this type have existed for decades 
and are constantly being refined. They include psychotechnological 
procedures which are carried out in order to determine the disposition of 
such test subjects, in order to establish their suitability, in accordance 
with the objectives which are set forth above. 
The method according to the present invention provides an improvement over 
known methods which is characterized in that several complexes or sets of 
statements are formulated, each set being divided into two complementary 
statement groups. The first of the two groups probes one human trait from 
one perspective, while the second group contains statements which probe 
the same human trait from a different, complementary perspective. The test 
subject is asked to comment by selecting an answer from a list of three or 
more possible responses. The test subject is judged by his or her 
responses. The responses are weighted groupwise by means of predetermined 
weighting factors which produce response scores which are added together 
per group to provide a group test score. The group test scores associated 
with the first group of each set are plotted on the numerically graduated 
axes of a multi-axial polar coordinate system having enough axes to cover 
the number of complexes or sets of statements. Analogously, the group test 
scores associated with the second group of each set, which deal with the 
complementary statements, are plotted on another corresponding polar 
coordinate system. The values which the test provides are used for 
evaluating the test subject. 
The invention further includes an apparatus for carrying out the foregoing 
method. The apparatus includes at least one of the following implements: 
(A) statement sheets; 
(B) evaluation templates; 
(C) graduated or indexed polar coordinate system networks with coordinate 
axes which represent human qualities or traits. 
The invention will be explained below by reference to an embodiment thereof 
in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The invention will now be described by reference to a sample problem which 
is solved by means of the present invention. The test, discussed below, is 
intended, for instance, to assist in estimating the communicative attitude 
of a person. For this purpose, pairs of relatively contrasting statements 
or questions regarding manners, attitudes or conduct are presented, which 
are not necessarily mutually exclusive of each other. The person being 
tested will judge the extent to which a given statement is true of him or 
her. It is natural that, the answers which will be provided depend on the 
situation, the test subject, the mood, etc., and may vary accordingly. It 
is also true that, on the average, the answers will tend to reflect the 
actual behavior of that subject. For this reason, in each case, both sides 
of the two columns which appear in FIG. 1 are judged simultaneously and in 
connection with each statement the evaluator will decide which one of four 
choices of answers reflects the individual under evaluation. Each of the 
four answers is of a specified type or category, for example, as shown 
below. 
Answer "1" is: this statement is rarely or never true of me; 
Answer "2" is: this statement is now and then or occasionally true of me; 
Answer "3" is: this statement is frequently true of me; 
Answer "4" is: this statement is very frequently, and as rule, most of the 
time, true of me. 
In FIGS. 1a-1c, 24 pairs of statements are set forth. Each odd numbered 
statement is complementary to the adjacent even numbered statement. In 
other words, each statement requires and is complemented by another 
statement, so that statement pairs appear throughout. The pairs of 
statements differ from each other in viewing a given subject from two 
different perspectives such as, for example, a glass being half-full or 
half-empty, or one-third full or two-thirds empty, etc. 
Each statement requires a response from the test subject. Four standard 
responses are provided and a given response is selected by the test 
subject by marking one of four columns 1, 2, 3, and 4. A mark, for 
instance an X, in column 1 means, "rarely or never", in column 2, "now and 
then, occasionally", in column 3 "frequently", and in column 4 "very 
frequently, and as a rule, most of the time". From the arrangement in FIG. 
1 and from the associated statements, it is evident that an individual who 
responds to a statement located on the left side by marking column 1 is 
likely to mark colum 4 in response to the corresponding statement located 
in the right side of the questionnaire. The corresponding statements, for 
instance statements 1 and 2, are referred to as complementary staements, 
and the answers to them evidence complementary attitudes. For example, a 
low interest in one's fellow men can also be expressed by stating that one 
prefers to maintain a distance from others. These are the two 
complementary attitudes. 
If a person, even while having different opinions, is generally open-minded 
with regard to those with whom he communicates, he will mark column 4 in 
response to statement 13. Since, to him, real differences of opinion 
rarely or never result in dislike of the person with whom he disagrees, he 
will mark column 1 in response to statement 14 and therefore these two 
attitudes correspond to one another and are complementary. The statements 
are thus laid out such that on the one side, column 1 and, on the other 
side, column 4, correspond to each other, as is also true of columns 2 and 
3 and columns 4 and 1. Responses selected from columns 1 and 1 or 4 and 4 
from the opposite sides of the page are not compatible to one another. 
A thorough test of a subject includes three complexes or sets or 
statements, each set consists of two groups, the statement in each group 
being related to one another in a manner similar to the sample statements 
in FIGS. 1a-1c, i.e., they are complementary to one another. 
For the present example, it is assumed that the first set is directed to a 
first human trait and includes group "a" and "d" ("a" and "d" refer to the 
two complementary groups of statements); the second set is directed to a 
second trait and includes groups "b" and "e"; and the third set includes 
groups "c" and "f". 
Statements related to different qualities or traits such as quality groups 
"a" and "d", or "b" and "e", or "c" and "f" are intermixed in order to 
avoid influencing the person who is tested in one direction or another. 
This is illustrated in FIGS. 1a-1c wherein statements 1, 7 and 9 test the 
communicative attributes of a person and as such belong to quality group 
"a", while statements 3 and 5 are non-communicative and belong to quality 
group "d". 
The transparent template which is illustrated in FIG. 2, makes it possible 
to quickly evaluate the responses related to a given trait, for example 
the responses to the communicative statements. In this connection, one of 
templates "a", "b" or "c" ("a" is shown in FIG. 2a) is used to evaluate a 
given complex or set of communicative statements a, b, or c, and a 
template is provided for each complex or set of non-communicative 
statements d, e, f (template "d" is shown in FIG. 2b). Template "a" is 
constructed such that the communicative statements of columns "2-4" are 
assigned values 3, 5 and 8 while, for the non-communicative statements, a 
response in column "1" has a value of 2, while the other columns "2-4" 
are assigned a value of zero. These templates are placed on the statement 
sheets. The boxes on the template which show an X are marked on the 
template and for each template the sum of the assigned values are 
recorded. 
In the example of FIGS. 1a-1c and 2a, the communicative-value template of 
FIG. 2a is placed on the statement sheet of FIG. 1 and those values marked 
with Xs on the statement sheet as seen through the template are added and 
recorded. The sum A* is entered on the bottom of the template. One 
proceeds in a similar manner with the non-communicative template d. In 
template d, the values are complementary to template a. The same applies 
to the pair of templates b, e and c, f. 
The above procedure is repeated for the two other complexes or sets of 
statements relating to quality groups b and e and the quality groups c and 
f. In this manner the communicative total values A*, B* and C* and the 
noncommunicative total values D*, E* and F* are derived. With the values 
A*, B*, C* recorded on templates a, b and c and the values D*, E*, F* 
recorded on templates d, e and f, two graphs are now drawn over two 
triaxial polar coordinate systems (FIGS. 3 and 4) which show the 
tendencies of attitude and traits of the person tested. 
Each of the values A*, B* and C*, D*, E* and F* is associated with a 
respective one of the six axes provided by the two coordinate systems. The 
system according to FIG. 3 contains the axes a, b and c, and the system 
according to FIG. 4 contains the axes d, e and f. The six axes are 
graduated from 0 to 100. The obtained values are plotted on the 
corresponding axes and the points are marked with an X. A graphical 
representation of the traits of the test subject is obtained by drawing a 
circle determined by the values A*, B* and C* and D*, E* and F*, 
respectively, on the two coordinate systems. 
The centers of the two circles associated with the three groups of values 
are found by adding the three vectors A*, B* and C* and D*, E* and F*, 
respectively. The midpoint of the resultant vector is the center point M 
of a circle. The radii of the circles can be calculated as the arithmetic 
average of the values. 
In the coordinate system according to FIG. 3 this yields: 
##EQU1## 
and in the coordinate system according to FIG. 4 
##EQU2## 
These radii can be measured by noting their numerical value on one of the 
axes and the corresponding circles drawn around the midpoint by means of a 
compass. The shaded sectors in FIG. 3 convey meaningful data with respect 
to the test subject. It is, of course, possible to effect the evaluation 
with other center points and other radii, for instance, by means of 
geometrical or harmonic mean values, etc. 
The position and size of these specific circles provide certain indications 
as to the disposition of the test subject. For example, each sector may 
emphasize a different characteristic as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The 
coordinate system of FIG. 3 is for the evaluation of the quality groups 
"a", "b" and "c" and the coordinate system of FIG. 4 is for the evaluation 
of the quality groups "d", "e" and "f". The evaluations are based on the 
complexes or sets of statements which are similar to the statement groups 
of FIGS. 1a-1c. 
For quality groups "b", "c", "e" and "f", corresponding complexes or sets 
of statements will be prepared which are similar to those appearing in 
FIGS. 1a-1c. 
In accordance with the foregoing method using the indicated devices, it is 
possible to achieve the purpose of the present invention, namely the 
determination of the disposition of test subject in a relative reliable 
manner. 
Although the present invention has been described in connection with a 
preferred embodiment thereof, many other variations and modifications will 
now become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred, 
therefore, that the present invention be limited not by the specific 
disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.