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ABSTRACT OFTHE BEHA VIORDYNE REPORT ON PSYCHOLOGICAL

CHANGES MEASURED AFTER TAKING THEERHARD SEMINARS TRAINING

MAY 29,1973

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Purpose andGeneral FindingsPurposeThe purpose of this study was twofold : (1)to determine if the est training seminars produce any measurable personality changes;and (2) if such changes do occur, whetherthey remain over time.The growing enrollment in est attests to itspopularity and its increasing impact viareaching more and more people. Much of thegrowth of awareness groups generally hasbeen through testimonials; est is no exception. The intent of this effort is to assignsome objec tive ' measures to the changes described by. former est participants. Untilsuch measures are obtained it is difficult tomake claims concerning real or long termeffects of the system.No study represents the ultimate truth. Noclaim is presen ted here that this is the definitive study on est. Rather , the study wasdesigned withi n its limits to give some clarityto what occurs as a result of the est experience.General Findings1. The overriding findings of the study are

that measurable changes in personality dooccur as the result of the est training.2. These changes continue to manifest themselves three months after the training hasended.3. More changes were noted for the femaleparticipants in the study than the male.4. The psychological picture that emerges is

that of a happier, psychologically sounderand more responsible person.

Procedures1. All individuals enrolled in an est trainingsession were asked to take the CaliforniaPsychological Inventory (CPI) prior to the

start of the training. At the completion ofthe training all participants were asked totake the CPI. Three months followingcompletion of the training all individualswho had been tested previously wereasked to take the CPI once again. Thepopulation included both males and females. All participants were over 18 yearsof age.

2. The CPI was chosen because it is one ofth e most researched and respectedpsychological instruments for as sessingeffective behavior. The CPI is concernedwith characteristics of personality which

have a wide and pervasive applicability tobehavior, and which are related more tothe positive aspects of personality than tothe pathological. The scales are primarilyaddressed to characteristics for social liv-ing and social interaction. Since oursample was drawn from that part of thepopulation that is functioning in everydaylife the CPI seemed ideally suited.

3. The Behaviordyne system was used on theanalysis of the CPl. This system uses the480 items on the CPI as an item pool for141 scales that have been developed byresearchers over the past 17 years. Thisapproach was well suited to this studysince we were seeking the anatomy of thepsychological changes (i f any) as well as aprofIle of the group.

4. The CPI tests were broken down by sexbefore scoring. Thus the data analyzed areby sex.5. Each of the 141 scales were statistically

compared on the following bases :(a) Pre test vs. post test(b ) Pre test vs. three-month follow-up

6. The statistical techni que used was the " t"test (students). This test measures thedifference between the means (averagescore) of two groups. Within any givenexperience i t is possible for individl\als tovary tremendously while the averageresponse remains essen tially unchanged.If , however, the mean response altersdrastically after having gone through anexperience then a. genuine effect maybeassumed to have occurred.

7. In addition to the statistical comparisonsof each scale, a comprehensive clinicalpicture of each group was generated. Re-ports were generated for the followinggroups:(a) Female: pre test, post test and three

month follow-up.(b) Male: pre test, post test and three

month follow-up.8. The most serious methodological concernwas the expected attrition of the sample

over the months between pre testingand the three-month follow-up testing. Thesample size was as follows:(a) Pre test - 227(b) Post test - 144(c) Three-month follow up test - 93

However, a comparison was made, based onthe first testing, between those who onlyparticipated in the first testing and thosewho later went through all three testings. Thepurpose was to get a quick check on whetherwe were dealing with two distinct populations insofar as personality make-up wasconcerned.Out of 141 scales checked, the two groupsscored differently on only eight scales. Theoverall personality make-up of both groupswas essentially the same.

ResultsThere is no magic point at which a statistibecomes statistically significant. The naturof the data, convention and judgment determine what is statistically significant. Fo r thpurpose of this study the 5% (.05) level habeen considered statistically significant. Thais, a difference between scale scores of thsize noted or greater would occur due tchance only 5% of the time. All other timethe difference can be assumed to be rea(non-chance). Some of the scale differencenoted were significant at beyond the .001level of significance.The results listed below relate to those individuals who were available for testing thremonths after the completion of the est training.1. The results of the study indicate that certain personality variables as measured b

the CPI do change after going through thest training.

2. Measurable personality changes existhree months after the completion of thetraining.3. A greater number of variables change fowomen than for men. Specifically, 26scales changed for men and 76 scalechanged for women .4. In no case do any scale changes occuwhich are different for male and femal

on a given scale; (i.e., an increased scorfor one sex and a decreased score for thother sex on the same scale).

Comparison of computerprintout after three testings

One of the easiest ways of arriving at aunderstanding of the changes which occura result of participation in the est training ito be found in portions of the computeprintout.In the section of the report entitled "ThStatements That Can Be Made Most ClearlAbout This Person Are As Follows: " thcomputer summarizes conclusions about thcomposite male and female test group pesonalities.Following are the pre-est, post-est, and ththree months after est computer statemenfor the females and males in the test grou

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FemalesPre-est:She expresses some aesthetic interests.She sometimes sulks about things.She admits her faults willingly. She describesherself as an unenthusiastic person whoavoids commitments, and is not overly devoted to duty.She is something of a complainer. She thinksof herself as helpless, but is indirectly aggressive. She uses sexuality as a weapon.Post-est:She doesn' t harbor unconscious resentment.She expresses some aesthetic interests.Three months after est:She doesn't harbor unconscious resentment.She is a spontaneous person with social presence and poise. She is vigorous and enthusiastic, and yet she is smooth and sophisticated. She is decisive, and she knows whatshe wants. She expresses herself well , andshe is imaginative. She has savoir-faire.

MalesPre-est:He admits his faults willingly. He describeshin1self as an unentl1Usiastic person whoavoids commitments, and is not overly devoted to duty.He doesn't harbor unconscious resentment.He tends to commit antisocial acts at times.He thinks independently, and he uses goodjudgment in his work.Post-est:He admits his faults willingly. He describeshimself as an unentl1Usiastic person whoavoids commitments, and is not overly devoted to duty.He doesn't harbor unconscious resentment.He tends to commit antisocial acts at times.He scores somewhat high on one measure ofwarmth. This doesn't mean anything unlessit is confirmed by other measures.Three months after est :He doesn't harbor unconscious resentment.He tends to commit antisocial acts at times.He scores somewhat high on one measure ofwarmth. This doesn't mean anything unlessit is confirmed by oilier measures.He is a spontaneous person wiili social presence and poise. He is vigorous and eniliusiastic, and yet he is smooth and sophisticated. He is decisive, and he knows what hewants. He expresses himself well, and he isimaginative. He has savoir-faire.

Conclusions andImplicationsThe meaning of personality data from astudy such as iliis does not come from iliestatistical results but from skilled subjectiveevaluation.The precise causes of ilie changes noted inilie previous section remain open to speculation. However, the basic conclusion to bedrawn from ilie data is iliat ilie group thatcompletes the est training and stays in somecontact wiili est shows significant positivechanges in certain intra-psychic aspects.Specifically, for ilie male group, the scalechanges noted in ilie previous section describe a person whose self-image has im proved. He is less anxious and dependent. Heshows less guilt and fewer fears; wiili a lessening of psychophysiologic reactions. Inshort, he is more willing to assume responsibility for himself.In ilie case of ilie female group one may sayilie same as for the males, plus some additional changes such as a greater sense of self,more ambition coupled with an increaseddemand upon self. The female group showedmore scale changes ilian ilie male group.One can only infer as to why iliis differencebetween the groups exists . I t is our contention that ilie societal demands upon womenand men are sufficiently different so as tocause this difference in change.Anoilier way of looking at-ilie scale changesis in terms of everyday coping. As statedabove, boili ilie male and female groups appear to have significantly strengiliened theircoping capabilities. In looking at ilie changesit is important to realize iliat the groupsstart out as being mentally healiliy. Thus,changes are less likely to be dran1atic (Le .,from non-functional to functional). Ratherilie changes relate more to a shifting of coping mechanism which leads to a more balanced intra-psychic structure. And, if onecan equate less measured anxiety and bitterness with happiness, ilien ilie est graduate isa happier person.Almost any dramatic experience can causesome in1mediate chaJ1ge in a group. What iscrucial is whether the change is positive, andwhether the change can be maintained.Clea-rly the changes measured are positive .Equally clearly they can be maintained atleast for three months, and probably for alonger period. Where changes do occur ilieyprobably are started as the result of ilieoriginal training and are benefited by supportive seminars.It appears to us iliat ilie sociotechnologicalforces that help create ilie need for awareness experiences are increasing and the needfor programs such as est will continue toexist and grow.

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THE Erhard Seminars Training

I. COMPARISON OF RATES OF PARTICIPATION IN BEHAVIORDYNE TESTING AND PARTICIPATION IN est.The Behaviordyne Report called attention to the attrition in the number of persons participating in the later phases ofthe testing. This decrease in participation in testing should no t be considered to be the same as attrition inparticipation in est.As the table below shows, nine months after the July 1972 training, 85% of those who graduated were participating ineither seminars or events. Another 7% were geographically located in areas where seminars were no t offered. 8% eitherdesired to be only on th e est mailing list or were inactive.As the comparisons with the June and August trainings indicate, the rate of participation is similar fo r other trainingsas well.

RATES OF PARTICIPATION IN est AS OF MARCH 31, 1973

CATEGORY JUNE 1972 TRAINING JULY 1972 TRAINING AUGUST1972 TRAININGTotal trainees 212 (100%) 232 (100%) 21 8 (100%)Participating in 182 (86%) 197 (85%) 20 4 (94%)seminars or eventsGeographically locatedwhere seminars not offered 16 (7%) 16 (7%) 7 (3%)Desire to be only 14 (7%) 19 (8%) 7 (3%)on mailing list or inactive

II. CONTROL GROUP FOR TEST RESULTSWhile it was not part of the report, a matched control group of 200 was also tested to further validate the constancyof the instrument (CPI) and to make sure that what caused the changes in scores of the test sample was the esttraining and no t some unknown intervention. The control was matched by age, sex, and vocational and economicconsiderations. Over the course of the three testings, the control group showed no significant changes.