Psychological test paper

A novel psychological test paper utilizable for the assessment of the psychology of a subject being tested with respect to his or her past, present or future perspective comprises a sheet of paper having a unique physical pattern of first to sixth blank areas depicted thereon. Each of the first to sixth blank areas is delimited by a delineated contour. The physical pattern is such that the second to sixth blank areas are depicted on top, left-hand side, right-hand side, diagonally lower left-hand and diagonally lower right-hand sides of the first blank area, respectively. The blank areas on the test paper are utilized to be selectively colored by a subject to be tested in different colors during a psychological test. The psychology of the subject is assessed by reference to which blank areas are colored in what color, the sequence of coloring and/or the manner of coloring.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a psychological test paper utilizable for 
the assessment of past, present and/or future psychological conditions 
such as, for example, personality, of a person being tested. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Psychological testing methods now in use are many, but no psychological 
testing method effective to assess past, present and/or future 
psychological conditions of a person being tested has yet been made 
available up to date. Although, for example, the Japanese Examined Utility 
Model Publication No. 63-40969, published in 1988, discloses a handy 
psychological test paper, this known test paper is merely used to assess 
the development of intelligence of a child. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is intended to provide a novel psychological test 
paper utilizable for the assessment of past, present and/or future of 
psychological conditions of a person being tested with no need to employ 
any complicated technique. 
According to the present invention, there is provided a sheet of paper 
having a unique physical arrangement of first to sixth blank areas 
depicted thereon, each of said first to sixth blank areas being delimited 
by a delineated contour. The physical arrangement is such that the second 
to sixth blank areas are depicted on top, left-hand side, right-hand side, 
diagonally lower left-hand and diagonally lower right-hand sides of the 
first blank area, respectively. 
The blank areas on the test paper are utilized to be selectively colored by 
a subject (a person being tested) in different colors during a 
psychological test. More specifically, when the psychological test is to 
be performed, the subject is presented the novel psychological test paper 
and is asked to color some or all of the blank areas on the test paper, a 
psychologist or counselor should start the test on the premises that, due 
to the physical arrangement of the first to sixth blank areas depicted on 
the novel test paper, the subject looking at the novel test paper will 
associate the first blank area with what he or she has in mind at the time 
of test, the second blank area with what he or she will be in the future, 
the third and fourth blank areas with current circumstances in which he or 
she is currently placed, and the fifth and sixth blank areas with what he 
or she had been in the past. 
After the subject has colored the first to six blank areas on the novel 
test paper, the psychologist or counselor evaluates the test paper having 
been colored by the subject for the assessment of his or her past, present 
and/or future psychological conditions. For example, if the subject has 
colored the second blank area in red color, the psychologist or counselor 
may well determine that he or she would be a man of ambition towards the 
future. 
With the novel test paper according to the present invention, the sequence 
of coloring of the first to sixth blank areas, that is, the order of 
coloring in which the subject has colored the first to sixth blank areas, 
can provide a cue for the assessment of the subject's psychological 
conditions. For example, if the subject colors the second blank area the 
first thing to do, the subject may be assessed as having a future-oriented 
personality. 
Also, the manner in which the first to sixth blank areas on the novel test 
paper is colored can provide a cue for the assessment of the subject's 
psychological conditions. By way of example, if the subject colors all of 
the first to sixth blank areas evenly solid, the subject may be assessed a 
man of great tenacity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
Referring first to FIG. 1, a novel psychological test paper according to 
the present invention comprises a generally oblong sheet of paper P having 
one of its opposite side depicted with a physical pattern of first to 
sixth blank areas 1 to 6 each delimited by a delineated contour. The 
physical pattern is such that, while the first blank area 1 is positioned 
inside and surrounded by a generally round rows of the second to sixth 
blank areas 2 to 6, the second to sixth blank areas 2 to 6 are depicted on 
top, left-hand side, right-hand side, diagonally lower left-hand and 
diagonally lower right-hand sides of the first blank area 1, respectively. 
Each of the blank areas 1 to 6 depicted on the sheet of paper P may be of 
any shape, provided that the respective blank area 1 to 6 can signify the 
area in which coloring is to be made. Each blank area 1 to 6 may 
represents a round, oval, elliptical, triangular or rectangular shape, or 
any other shape defining the area in which coloring is to be made. In the 
illustrated embodiment, each blank area 1 to 6 represents an elliptical 
shape having a ratio of the long axis thereof relative to the short axis 
thereof being chosen to be 1:0.9. However, where the elliptical shape is 
chosen for the shape of each blank area 1 to 6, the ratio of the long axis 
relative to the short axis may be chosen to be smaller than 1/0.7 and 
greater than 1/1. 
More specifically, although FIG. 2(a) illustrates a balloon 11, the 
illustrated balloon 11 represents in a plan view a round shape combined 
with a shape of the blow-in mouth 12 and, however, the shape of the 
illustrated balloon 11 as a whole can be perceived as a generally round 
shape. Similarly, although FIG. 2(b) illustrates a balloon 21, the 
illustrated balloon 21 represents in a plan view an elliptical shape 
combined with shape of the blow-in mouth 22 and, however, the shape of the 
illustrated balloon 21 as a whole can be perceived as a generally 
elliptical shape. 
In view of the foregoing, for the purpose of the present invention, the 
term "round" is to be understood as including a right round shape, a 
substantially round shape and a generally round shape combined with any 
other shape which is so minor that the subject may perceive it as a round 
shape as discussed with reference to FIG. 2(a). Similarly, the term 
"elliptical" is to be understood as including a right elliptical shape, a 
substantially elliptical shape and a generally elliptical shape mixed with 
any other shape which is so minor that the subject may perceive it as an 
elliptical shape as discussed with reference to FIG. 2(b). It is also to 
be noted that such a shape as shown in FIG. 3 which comprises parallel 
straight line segments and arcuate line segments continued to respective 
ends of the straight line segments is indeed perceived as and should 
therefore be understood as included in the concept of elliptical shape. 
Referring again to FIG. 1, the second to sixth blank areas 2 to 6 are shown 
as having their perimeters adjoining the perimeter of the first blank area 
1 while the perimeter of the third blank area 3 adjoins the perimeter of 
the fifth blank area 5 which in turn adjoins the perimeter of the fourth 
blank area 4 through the sixth blank area 6. However, in the practice of 
the present invention, they may be separated a slight distance from each 
other. Also, although in FIG. 1 the second blank area 2 is shown as 
separated from any one of the third and fourth blank areas 3 and 4 with a 
space 8 intervening therebetween, the presence of the space 8 between the 
second blank area 2 and any one of the third and fourth blank areas 3 and 
4 is not always essential and may therefore be dispensed with to allow the 
perimeter of the second blank area 2 to adjoin the perimeter of any one of 
the third and fourth blank areas 3 and 4. 
Although not essential in the practice of the present invention and 
therefore not limited thereto, the physical pattern of the first to sixth 
blank areas 1 to 6 is preferably chosen to resemble an abstract 
representation of the human body so that a subject to be tested can 
readily grasp an impression of man. Hence, in the physical pattern shown 
in FIG. 1, the first blank area 1 represents body; the second blank area 2 
represents head; the third and fourth blank areas 3 and 4 represents 
left-hand and right-hand upper limbs; and the fifth and sixth blank areas 
5 and 6 represents left-hand and right-hand lower limbs. 
Alternatively, the physical pattern of the first to sixth blank areas 1 to 
6 may be chosen to resemble the shape of an inverted figure of "V" as 
shown in FIG. 4 or an abstract representation of a flower as shown in FIG. 
5. 
According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the first to sixth blank areas 
1 to 6 each being of a triangular shape are so positioned as to represent 
the required physical pattern. Namely, the second to sixth blank areas 2 
to 6 are depicted on top, left-hand side, right-hand side, diagonally 
lower left-hand and diagonally lower right-hand sides of the first blank 
area 1, respectively. 
According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, while the first blank area 1 
is of a shape representing a flower core, each of the second to sixth 
blank areas 2 to 6 is of a shape generally similar to a flower petal and 
the combination thereof surround the first blank area 1, thereby 
permitting the physical pattern as a whole to resemble a flower. Even in 
this embodiment, the second to sixth blank areas 2 to 6 are depicted on 
top, left-hand side, right-hand side, diagonally lower left-hand and 
diagonally lower right-hand sides of the first blank area 1, respectively. 
In the practice of the present invention, instead of the oblong paper 
referred to above, any sheet of any suitable shape may be employed as 
material for the test paper. For example, a sheet or board of plastic 
material or wooden material may also be employed for bearing the physical 
pattern of the first to sixth blank areas 1 to 6 thereon. 
When a psychological test is to be performed using the novel test paper P 
according to the present invention, a subject to be tested has to be given 
color writing instruments, for example, a set of 12 color pastel crayons 
or color pencils and is then asked to color the test paper P. When 
coloring the test paper P, the subject looking at the novel test paper P 
will associate the first blank area with what he or she has in mind at the 
time of test, the second blank area with what he or she will be in the 
future, the third and fourth blank areas with current circumstances in 
which he or she is currently placed, and the fifth and sixth blank areas 
with what he or she had been in the past. The test paper P according to 
the present invention is so featured as to allow the subject to acquire 
such an association. Depending on the psychology of the subject, the 
subject will choose some or all of the first to sixth blank areas 1 to 6 
and then color them with some of the color pastel crayons. Assessments of 
the psychological conditions of the subject is made using the following 
charts. 
______________________________________ 
Psychological Assessment Chart 
Colored Area 
Color Used Assessment of What Subject Feels 
______________________________________ 
Area 1 Warm Color Confident of the present positive 
attitude. 
Cold Color Confident of the present conser- 
vative attitude. 
Area 2 Warm Color Practical or ambitious to carve 
out a career for the future. 
Cold Color Conservative of the current attitude 
towards the future. 
Areas 3, 4 
Warm Color Well adapted to the present circum- 
stances. 
Cold Color Less adapted to the present circum- 
stances. 
Areas 5, 6 
Warm Color Satisfied with the past circum- 
stances. 
Cold Color Concerned with the past circum- 
stances. 
______________________________________ 
In general, it is considered that preference of the warm color including 
shades of red reflects a psychologically positive and/or practice attitude 
of the subject whereas preference of the cold color including shades of 
blue reflects a psychologically conservative attitude of the subject. 
Accordingly, the psychological assessment chart tabulated above is 
empirically determined by evaluating a combination of colors used to color 
some or all of the first to sixth blank areas 1 to 6 on the test paper P. 
The psychological conditions of a subject being tested can also be 
determined by reference to the sequence of coloring in which the subject 
has colored the first to sixth blank areas 1 to 6 on the test paper P. It 
has been found at a high match rate that most persons who are generally 
considered psychologically future-oriented start coloring from the second 
blank area 2; that most persons who are generally considered 
psychologically conservative of the current situations start coloring from 
the first area 1; and that most persons who are generally considered 
psychologically concerned with the past start coloring from the fifth or 
sixth area 5 or 6. Therefore, the reverse to this finding may be utilized 
to assess the psychology of a subject being tested on the basis of the 
sequence of coloring on the test paper P. 
Information on the manner in which the first to sixth blank areas 1 to 6 on 
the novel test paper P is colored may also be used as a cue for the 
assessment of the subject's psychological conditions. This is based on the 
finding that most persons who color all of the first to sixth blank areas 
1 to 6 evenly solid are generally considered of a considerably tenacious 
character, whereas most persons who color them roughly are generally 
considered of a smart character. Thus, the reverse to this finding may be 
utilized to assess the psychology of a subject being tested on the basis 
of the manner in which the first to sixth blank areas 1 to 6 on the test 
paper P. 
It is also pointed out that most persons who color one or all of the spaces 
8 between the second blank area 2 and the third blank area 3 and between 
the second blank area 2 and the fourth blank area 4 as shown in FIG. 1 are 
generally considered non-stereotyped and, therefore, if he or she color 
the space or spaces 8, he or she may be so assessed. 
From the foregoing description, the test paper according to the present 
invention is indeed a handy instrument to determine or assess the 
psychology, including the personality, of a subject being tested with 
respect to his or her past, present or future perspective. The test paper 
according to the present invention can be advantageously utilized by not 
only a psychologist, but also a counselor who is engaged in, for example, 
employee recruitment. 
Although the present invention has been fully described in connection with 
the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying 
drawings which are used only for the purpose of illustration, those 
skilled in the art will readily conceive numerous changes and 
modifications within the framework of obviousness upon the reading of the 
specification herein presented of the present invention. Accordingly, such 
changes and modifications are, unless they depart from the scope of the 
present invention as delivered from the claims annexed hereto, to be 
construed as included therein.