PAPERS OX PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATION 463 



Treatment of advantages and disadvantages or limi- 

 tations has been taken up in reverse order because of 

 the writer's enthusiasm for the advantages of self-analy- 

 sis where conservatively and sanely administered. The 

 final impression should be one of faith and confidence in 

 a proper self-analysis device. There are many argu- 

 ments in favor of self-analysis. First, it helps to place 

 responsibility for important evaluations where it belongs, 

 — upon the shoulders of the individual himself. A large 

 portion of that "getting by" attitude which is obvious 

 at most school levels is due to that spirit of rebellion 

 which the student feels toward the system which places 

 so little personal responsibility upon him. Self -analysis 

 is an effort to have the student or employee analyze his 

 own case. The rater should not have to be told his weak 

 points by the interviewer. In consistently passing thru 

 the experiences provided for in the blank the rater's 

 weak points may be revealed to him. Illustrative of such 

 benefits, the following example from the writer's exper- 

 ience is offered : Three young men desiring clerical work 

 called at a placement office. It could almost be seen at 

 a glance that none of them was suited for office work of 

 any sort. After a courteous reception they were request- 

 ed to write brief letters of application, describing that 

 type of clerical work for which each felt himself best 

 suited. The interviewer continued his work with other 

 cases, noticing the progress of the three applicants inci- 

 dentally. After a few minutes each applicant had de- 

 cided that he didn't care to attempt clerical work. None 

 had gotten far beyond the salutation in his crude attempt 

 at writing the letter of application. The interviewer 

 was free to aid the individuals after they had partially 

 analyzed their respective cases. 



Self-analysis should cause the rater to feel responsible 

 for courses he is pursuing, especially on the higher school 

 levels, and for indicated vocational preferences and 

 choices. Many college students can give no consistent 

 reason for being in college except the vague impression 

 that college training is held to be the most adequate prep- 

 aration for larger responsibilities. A larger percent- 

 age of students are even more helpless when asked to 



