Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-23
INTELLIGENCE TESTS FAIL
AS CHARACTER REVEALERS
Educators Agree That They Disclose
Valuable Information, But Say the
Picture Is Incomplete.


approximately this road.
The school teacher tells the college
entrance board that a certain boy who
has applied for admission is lazy. That
is his general impression of the subject
under consideration. Why do you think
he is lazy? Mr.. Robertson and his COM
mittee ask. In order to support your
Judgment you must give specific in
stances in which he is lazy-Specif1c
instances which, if Shakespeare had
applied them to a character, would de-
note to the reader constitutional lazi-
ness. A general impression that So
| and-so is lazy means nothing. Just
how and why is he lazy?
Personality Scale Devised.
After an intensive study of the situa-
| ton and many Examinations for the sake
of simplification, Mr.. Robertson and his
| colleagues have devised a personality
rating scale composed of five searching
major questions which will be addressed
to those whose opinion of prospective
| student is sought.
These questions are as follows:
How does his appearance and manner
affect others: is he avoided, tolerated,
unnoticed, well liked or sought?
Docs he need constant prodding or
does he go ahead with his work without
being told: does he need much prod
! ding in doing ordinary assignments or
! occasional prodding; does he do ordl-
nary assignments of his own accord;
| does he complete suggested supple
mentary work; does he seek and set for
/ himself additional tasks?
| Does he get others to do what he
wishes; is he probably unable to lead
his fellows: is he satisfied to have others
take the lead; does he sometimes lead
in minor affairs; does he sometimes
| lead in important affairs; does he dis
play marked ability to lead his fellows
and make things go?
How does he control his emotions?
Is he too easily moved to anger or fits
of depression; does he tend to be over
emotional; is he unreSponsive and apa-
thetic; does he tend to be unreSpon-
Sive; is he usually well balanced, and
does he show unusual balance of re-
sponsivenesS and control?
Has he a program with definite pur-
poses in terms of which he distributes
his time and energy? Is he an aimless
trif1er, does he just aim to get by;
has he vaguely formed detectives; does
he direct his energies effectively with
fairly definite program, or is he en-
crossed in realizing well formulated OBJ
jectives?
May Picture Personality.
The answers to these questions may
mean great DEAL furnishing fairly
complete picture of the personality of
the individual But this is the case
only where they are supported by spe-
ciflc instances with the circumstances
we'll analysed. For each answer rea-
sons are required.
"Even more important than the
opinion expressed by the rating SCALE"
says Mr.. Robertson, lis the basis for
that opinion. Disraeli's wife is said
to have declared that he had high
moral courage but no physical courage.
1t might be said that she gave him
high rating in one case and a low rat
ing in the other AS his wife she must
have had opportunity to observe the
traits in question and thus to qualify
as reliable rater. But what were her
standards of physical and moral cour-
age? What did she mean by saying he
had no physical courage? She went
stepped under his shower bath he did
not have the courage to pull the cord
which brought the cold water down
upon him and she had to pull it for
him.
1T is desired not only to know the
rating of an individual by given rater,
but to have at the same time indica-
ton that the rater is competent to see
accurately significant modes of con-
duct and to record his observations eff
fectively for the guidance of others.
Observation is the basis Of useful de-
scription of personality.
Considered AS Whole.
But even if there is opportunity to
observe, the teacher may not know
what to look for. Do not seek to iso-
late illustrations of conduct if they
throw light on more than one phase Of
students personality, for after all the
whole personality if the thing to be I'M
derstood. Especially remember that the
effort is not to present an abstract
quality, like greed or any other Of the
deadly sins in a medieval morality
play, but an individual such as one finds
in the theater of today or in life.
Biography illustrates the same evolu-
ton from the utterly laudatory praise
of national hero to the true presenta-
ton of the real man. So let there be
indignation of the whole personality.
I'm recording observations one Is
practicing a very high art-the art of
Dante. Chaucer and Shakespeare.
ShakeSpeare'S characterization of Robin
Ostler, who never joyed since the price
of oats rose is more helpful in under
standing Robin than a check-mark to
| indicate that he is too easily moved to
| fits of anger and depression From
this and other great dramatists we
learn to describe character through
significant, consistent actions and ut
| terances."
Mr.. Robertson urges systematic train
ing in this art of portraying character
in college composition courses where
students, fresh in their study of the