Part 8 (1/2)
The most striking result here is the rather low correlation of the academic records with the other measures of intelligence. The psychological tests agree closely with the results of the estimates by a.s.sociates. The correlation of the tests with the records is considerably lower, while the correlation of records with estimates is exceedingly low. The full significance of these results will of course depend on the att.i.tude one takes toward the various measures. One who has faith in the value of academic records must of course reject the estimates of a.s.sociates and be very sceptical of the value of the mental tests. But vocationally the estimates of a.s.sociates must always have value, since these determine or indicate the reactions of others toward a given individual, and vocational success will depend to a considerable degree on these reactions. The ultimate value of the mental tests is still to be determined; in fact, it was partly in order to aid in their evaluation that these experiments were performed. Inasmuch as the tests and the estimates agree closely, the tests and the records less closely, while the records do not correlate to any marked degree with either of the two other measures, the significance of the academic marks, or their reliability in this instance, must be seriously called into question.
TABLE 8
SHOWING THE RELATION BETWEEN JUDICIAL CAPACITY AND (A) ABILITY IN MENTAL TESTS; (B) ACADEMIC RECORDS
-------------------------------------------------------------
Correlation of Judicial
Correlation of Judicial Trait
Capacity and Ability
Capacity and Academic
in Mental Tests
Records -------------+-----------------------+----------------------- Neatness
.05
.09 Intelligence
.55
.26 Humor
.48
-.02 Conceit
.20
.09 Beauty
.15
.14 Vulgarity
.18
.14 Sn.o.bbishness
.20
-.02 Refinement
.15
.25 Sociability
.26
.03 -------------------------------------------------------------
_VI. Does the ability to judge the traits of others (judicial capacity) stand in any relation to proficiency in mental tests or to success in college work?_ The following table shows the correlation of judicial capacity in the case of each trait with standing in the tests and with academic records.
In the case of academic records there is seen to be absolutely no correlation with judicial capacity, in any of the traits estimated. In the case of the mental tests, only two of the traits yield high coefficients.
In intelligence and in humor there is fairly high correlation (.55 and .48). The suggestion here is that those who do well in the mental tests are good judges of the intelligence and the humor of their friends, but that in the case of the other traits there is no necessary or probable relation.
_Question VII. Is the individual who is a good judge of others also one whose self-estimates have high reliability?_ If the individuals are placed in an order of merit with respect to their judicial capacity in estimating the characteristics of their friends, and placed also in another order of merit on the basis of the accuracy of their self-estimates, what relation will be found between the two arrangements? The following table gives the coefficients of correlation when such arrangements are compared in the case of each of the traits.
TABLE 9
SHOWING THE RELATION BETWEEN ABILITY TO JUDGE OTHERS AND ABILITY TO JUDGE ONESELF
------------------------------------------
Correlation between Judicial Trait
Capacity and Accuracy of the
Individual's Self-Estimates -------------+---------------------------- Refinement
.54 Humor
.53 Beauty
.47 Sociability
.46 Intelligence
.44 Conceit
.26 Neatness
.22 Vulgarity
.22 Sn.o.bbishness
.15 ------------------------------------------
All the coefficients are positive, their median value being .44. In the long run it is true that she who knows herself best is the best judge of others. The degree to which this is true, however, varies with the trait in question. With the ”undesirable” traits of sn.o.bbishness, conceit and vulgarity, the coefficients are so low as to be quite unreliable and perhaps represent only chance. The same is true of neatness. But in the cases of refinement, humor, beauty, sociability and intelligence the coefficients are fairly high.
_VIII. What correlations are found among various traits of character, as these are estimated by a.s.sociates?_ For example, is an individual who is judged intelligent also likely to be judged to be humorous, or refined, or sn.o.bbish, etc.? If there are such correlations between estimated traits, what is their direction and amount? The following table shows the average correlations (from the two groups) in the case of all the traits:
TABLE 10
SHOWING THE INTERCORRELATION OR ESTIMATED TRAITS(1)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Neat.
Intel.
Hum.
Con.
Beau.
Vulg.
Sn.o.b.
Refin.
Socia.
------------+-----+------+----+----+-----+-----+-----+------+------ Neatness
--
.39
.29
.51
.50
.09
.57
.32
.10 Intelligence
.39
--
.59
.44
.34
.06
.43
.49
.25 Humor
.29
.59
--
.32
.50
.40
.50
.23
.55 Conceit
.51
.44
.32
--
.51
.24
.75
.33
.07 Beauty
.50
.34
.50
.51
--
-.09
.41
.56
.32 Vulgarity
.09
.06
.40
.24
-.09
--
.40
-.37
.18 Sn.o.bbishness
.57
.43
.50
.75
.41
.40
--
.20
-.12 Refinement
.32
.49
.23
.33