Woodworth Personal Data Sheet

Woodworth Psychoneurotic Inventory, WPI, also known as Woodworth Personal Data Sheet, Woodworth Psychopathic Questionnaire is considered the ancestor of all personal questionnaires. Psychologist Robert S. Woodworth designed it during World War I for American soldiers.

The main purpose of the questionnaire was to determine the neuro-mental stability and to eliminate emotionally unstable recruits, but this test was not used for its intended purpose, as World War I was over by the time it was published in 1919. However, the test became widespread, was widely used in clinical research, and was popular until the 1930s.

The widespread use of WPI has led to the development of psychological diagnostic techniques, and its results have been used in a variety of studies. This led to the creation of many diagnostic tests based on the approach developed by Robert S. Woodworth.

The results of modern human beings should not be compared with the norms of a century ago - the average index of emotional instability of modern human beings is much higher than it was a century ago, that is, our mental health today is much worse, than our ancestors had. Today this test has given way to more modern methods of diagnosing psychological disorders and is only of historical interest.