454 ILLINOIS STATE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



is responsible for enhancing a characteristic which, 

 apart from the period marked by lack of rational ex- 

 perience, has false values. This consideration becomes 

 all the more serious in view of Cattell's findings that the 

 tendency is for scientific men neither to underestimate 

 nor everestimate themselves. It appears that the ex- 

 perience which brings individuals in contact with the 

 real work of the world eliminates to a certain extent 

 the tendency towards overestimation. Is it consistent, 

 then, to inquire how far the institution which turns in- 

 dividuals out at the close of its period of instruction, 

 egotistical and self -centered to an irrational degree, rep- 

 resents the real work of the world? While there is in- 

 sufficient data for sweeping conclusion, still the studies 

 referred to above are sufficiently indicative to warrant 

 our raising several questions which can be answered only 

 by the results of further experimentation. If the self- 

 analysis blank can reveal conditions such as described 

 above, it will be to this extent an advantage rather than 

 a disadvantage. When dealing with individual cases 

 the tendency of the individual, especially the individual 

 with mediocre or inferior ability, to overestimate him- 

 self, should be held in mind. Self-rating on character 

 qualities should be discounted in the case of the majority 

 of students. 



Another disadvantage of the blank form is the sug- 

 gestiveness of terminology. In expecting the youth to 

 represent his interests and abilities in terms which we 

 specify we can easily defeat our own purpose. Our idea 

 of simplicity of terminology may not be simple for the 

 individual who is asked to rate himself. The opposite 

 extreme of so presenting the form that the complacent 

 individual can easily check a few words, yjhrases, etc., 

 without thinking the situation through is quite charac- 

 teristic of many blanks. It is easy for the novelty of 

 the device to come in for prime consideration, rather 

 than the experience of the individual concerning which 

 a response is desired. Illustrative of such tendencies 

 we find the practice of suggesting long lists of school 

 subjects from which the individual is asked to check 

 those he has found most interesting, those which he par- 



