A Comparison Test for Investigating the Ideational Content of the Moral Concepts

Abstract

There is a demand for a statement of the qualities of personality and character and an accurate set of methods for measuring the quantity of the same in the individual. The author felt the necessity of first finding a solid psychological basis, and secondly, limiting the field to be investigated. The psychological basis accepted is the direct "ideo-motor" determiner of activity; the limit field is the general realm of "moral concepts." A comparison test was devised. In the first part of the tests are such words as GOOD—EVIL, and the subject is asked to place the words bad, fair, mean, kind, pure, wicked, and considerate between good and evil in their comparative relation. Seven such pairs of words were included. The second part requires the subject to choose another word worse or better, more or less forceful or more or less pleasant than the word already placed as extremes. The third part requires the subject to go over every word and place over each the word he thinks better suited to express the thought which it prompts in his mind. A set of questions follows. Three hundred thirty-one college students were given the test and standards temporarily determined from the results. On the basis of these standards a deviation scoring was made. The total possible deviation would be 128. The mode was 20, the median 24. Under closer examination the individual problem of faulty adjustment might be discovered. Under determined effort of research a test might be readily evaluated for the determining of the marks or signs of any type of personality or specific traits of character. From Psych Bulletin 20:09:00990. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)