ABSTRACT
The laborious comparative study of Heymans and Wiersma in which the character traits of thousands of persons were treated statistically on the basis of both biographical and questionnaire material resulted in, or rather began with, the selection of three fundamental criteria for the rating of character, viz., activity, emotionality and the preponderance of either the primary or the secondary function, and the statistical tabulation of numerous traits or responses relative to the above criteria. The criteria of activity and emotionality need no explanation, but the curious designation of “ primary functioning ” refers to such qualities as “ easily comforted ”, “ changeable sympathies ”, “ ever interested in new impressions and friends ”, “ easily reconciled ”, “ apt to change occupation or course of study ”, “ often takes up with great plans which never are realized ”, etc. The preponderance of the “ secondary function ”, on the other hand, yielded such data as tenacity, “ clinging to old memories,” “ hard to reconcile,” conservatism, “ influenced by future prospects rather than by immediate gain,” and so on.
