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Originally
when the first developed 'home' webpage, for the Personnel
Security Standards Psychological Questionnaire (PSSPQ)
was created, some type of identifying icon symbol/pciture was wanted to
complete this internet presentation project. The picture-icon, on
the immediate left, after a great deal of searching, was finally selected
to highlight the PSSPQ home page, and other subsequently developed web
pages further describing PSSPQ matters. The present web page (i.e.,
the page you are now reading), was created so as to describe the historical
raison d'etre as to why this particular picture/icon was chosen by Dr.
LeRoy A. Stone, the developer and current marketer of the PSSPQ. This current
page was developed as a 'fun project' and presents no additional information
concerning actual prediction usage of the PSSPQ.
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There may be readers who are not aware of what
the PSSPQ is and/or why it was developed. This short paragraph will
attempt to provide that knowledge, as this will make the following paragraphs
understandable. The PSSPQ was originally developed almost a couple
decades ago; its purpose was to provide a scientifically based means for
being able to predict very early on when an individual, who might be processed
by the Government for possibly being denied or granted high-level security
clearance status (i.e., up to the TS-SCI access level), would be successful
or not. An informational instrument was constructed utilizing the
tried and true procedures and techniques employed in the psychometric or
psychological testing arena. In final form, the PSSPQ consists of
72 multiple-choice type items that can be scored for 13 specific psychological
behavioral fields. One of the most important scales is the so-called
LIE Scale, which measures propensity to do what is known as "faking good."
This scale has been shown, based on numerous research studies, to be relatively
uncorrelated with intelligence, which most other similar type scales on
most other 'personality' type tests, seem not to share. The PSSPQ's
content is entirely based upon a directive from the Director of Central
Intelligence that specifies what considerations and matters will be studied
and evaluated prior to any granting of high-level security clearances.
The PSSPQ has undergone a number of small modifications over the years
and has continued to, based upon a number of data-based reserach investigations,
show high test reliability and validity. Its accuracy rate continues
to be seen in the 95+% range level. For the past several years, it
has been commercially offered, on the Internet, by its developer, Dr. L.
A. Stone, who at the time of the original development of the test, was
the Chief Research Psychologist in the USA's then largest intelligence
agency. Late in 2006 it was discovered that the test worked exceeding
well when evaluating online dating site prospects. Description of
this new use of thePSSPQ can be found by clicking
HERE.
Dr. Stone (whose professional forensic psychologist web site cab be found
by clicking HERE)
originally wondered as to why the icon/picture he had selected for the
PSSPQ web site, after having reviewed many hundreds of possible images,
seemed so well fitting to the PSSPQ concept. A couple of years ago,
about 2 to 3 years following his selection of the icon, a bit of self-understanding
knowledge finally was recognized and accepted. The following is a
description of this bit of self-knowledge. It is hoped that this
discourse may widen additional future acceptance of the PSSPQ instrument
itself.
In early 1950,when Dr. Stone was just 18 years of age, and in during his
midyear as a college freshman, his father died totally unexpectedly.
A couple months following this traumatic incident, while in San Francisco,
he attended movie in its opening weeks that, it now appears, produced a
psychological kind of influence, that to this day has some meaningful effect.
That movie, was The Third Man, which was filmed in Europe in 1949 and depicted
a major European capital city, in the years shortly following the end of
WWII, as a place of foreign intrigue and all that such entails. It
was at this time, that the beginnings of the Cold War had already started
and that this unusual kind of wartime psychology was to continue for the
next four or more decades. It is interesting to note that Stone, at the
theatre, purchased a 78 rpm record of the major background music for the
movie, The Third Man Theme and a somewhat similar piece, the Cafe Mozart
Waltz, both composed and played by Anton Karas on a zither. These
muscial renditions must have seriously impressed Stone as the purchasing
of records, at this time point in his life, was an almost nonexistent kind
of behavior for Stone.
In January of 1955, Stone entered the U.S. Army and shortly after was assigned
to the 9th Infanty Division, which was located in southern Germany, as
its Division Psychologist. Not long after arriving, he traveled to
Vienna (via the Orient Express) for a extended weekend. At this time, Vienna
was still controlled by Russian, French, English and American troops and
Stone found it to resemble very closely the Vienna that had been depicted
about a half decade earlier in the Third Man film. Approximately
a year later he again visited Vienna for a couple days and still found
much of the city to be like that promoted in the film. For example,
the Cafe Mozart, which was a memorable location in the movie was still
much alike as that portrayed in the movie. Again, as on his earlier
visitation to Vienna, he heard repeated playing of both the Third Man Theme
as well as the Cafe Mozart Waltz.
During the next few decades in his life, Stone, whenever given an opportunity
to hear the the playing of these two tunes, almost automatically chose
to hear them. If asked, he would have responded with saying that
these were some of his favorate music pieces.
It is also interesting to know that after having had a very successful
period of academic employment, he was invited to join the National Security
Agency in the capacity of a senior psychologist. For 14 years he
served as the Deputy Chief of the Agency's Psychological Services Division.
In 1987, he became the Agency's Chief Research Psychologist. Following
his federal retirement in 1997, he continued to carry on research and writng
pertaining to the psychology of spying, espionage and the like. During
this time, he also founded the electronic behavioral science journal, the
Psychology of Espionage Reports, which to date he has functioned as its
editor.
About a year or so, Stone was attempting to place some music background
on a web
page he was creating for his created psychological
test, the Personnel Security Standards Psychological Questionnaire (PSSPQ).
It would not be difficult to surmise that the musical piece he eventually
chose was the Third Man Theme. With this decision made, Stone rather
quickly came to a new insight, one into his own mental processes.
He also immediately was able to see that the web site icon he had chosen
several years prior for his PSSPQ web pages, bore a most similar content
and style as a number of photo stills that had been used, in the past,
to advertize both the Third Man movie and its sound tract. All of
the images shown in this present web page were originally used to advertise
Third Man movie matters. Readers of this page are asked to take a
look an determine whether they agree with this just stated association.
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In early 1950, when Dr. Stone was just 18 years of age, and in during his
midyear as a college freshman, his father died totally unexpectedly.
A couple months following this traumatic incident, while in San Francisco,
he attended movie in its opening weeks that, it now appears, produced a
psychological kind of influence, that to this day has some meaningful effect.
That movie, was The Third Man, which was filmed in Europe in 1949 and depicted
a major European capital city, in the years shortly following the end of
WWII, as a place of foreign intrigue and all that such entails. It
was at this time, that the beginnings of the Cold War had already started
and that this unusual kind of wartime psychology was to continue for the
next four or more decades.
The Third Man film was set in the war-torn city of Vienna, just after WWII,
and is told from the point of view of an American pulp western author,
Holly Martins, who is searching for an old college friend, Harry Lime,
who had offered him the opportunity to work with him in Vienna. At
the beginning of the film, Martins discovers that his old friend, Harry
Lime, whome had had not seen since before the war, has been killed in an
accident under mysterious circumstances just prior to Martins' arrival
in Vienna.
The deeper he delves into Harry's death, the more Martins finds that there
was more to Lime than he knew and that Harry has been accused of being
a black market racketeer trafficking in adulterated penicillin. Martins
is told that Lime was struck by a truck while crossing a street.
On several accounts, two of Lime's friends carried Lime's body off the
street after the accident. All eyewitnesses to the accident happen
to be friends or associates of Lime, including the driver. Mattins'investigation
lead to another eyewitness not associated with Lime who claims that there
was a third man who helped carry Lime's body. It is this "third
man", to whom the title of the film refers.
The atmosphereic use of black and white expressionist cincmatography, with
harsh lighting and distorted camera angles, was a very key feature of this
rich and strange film. combined with the unique musical theme, seedy
locations, and highly acclaimed performances from the cast (i.e., Orson
Welles, Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard, Wilfrid Hyde-White and
Bernard Lee), the style evokes the atmosphere of an exhausted, cynical
post-war Vienna at the start of the Cold War. The distinctive musical
score was composed and played on the zither by anton Karas. A single
"The Third Man Theme", was released in 1950 by both Decca and London Records;
it almost immediately became a best-seller and later an LP was released.
 
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Summary
and Conclusion
What then can be inferred from the above descriptions of Dr. Stone's contact
with the Third Man movie rather early in his life, and apparently a surprising
continnuing interest in some aspects of the film (i.e., the background
music as well as the overall visual presentation of the film's background
narrative. His lengthy (i.e., over 50 years) appreciation for
the Third Man Theme musical score, is obviously the basis for his
chosing, about two years ago, to employ this particular musical piece as
background music for one of his most important web sites dedicated to the
presentation of the Personnel Security Standards Psychological Questionnaire
(PSSPQ).
When this association between memory and interest in a more than 50 year
old movie, with an almost current selection of a melody for an Internet
based commercial type advertisement, another preference or selection became
also rather obvious. Some almost six years ago, when Dr. Stone developed
his first PSSPQ focused web site, after reviewing literally hundreds of
possible visual symbols/images to use as icons for the Internet presentation,
he finally selected the image that is shown on the most upper left of this
current web page. He has continued to employ this same icon image
on many newer and later PSSPQ focused web pages. When one compares
this icon image, located or featured at the most upper left-hand corner
of this current web page, to those pictures or visual depictions whown
on the right and lower side of this page, a great deal of similarity is
seen. What should be especially noted is the last one, which is blue, it
is unusually similar to the PSSPQ's chosen icon. All of visual
images whown on the right/lower side of this page were obtained when an
'Image' focused Google search was made of "The Third Man movie" input.
Most of the images are 'stills' from the film, or were advertising movie
posters, or the like. The conclusion here can be clearly made,
Dr. Stone's likely unconscious basis for his final selection (about six
years ago) of the identifying visual icon for his PSSPQ focused web pages
(which are now multiple in number) can be easily seen to be quite tied
in to something not too dissimilar to visual imprinting that took place
in his late teen years.
This current web page was constructed solely as a type of recreation that
is overy self oriented. It's purpose was not to further advertise,
in any commerical fashion, the PSSPQ. If it does so, in any unexpected
fashion - great!
I hope your reading of this page gave you even a small fraction of fun
or pleasure when compared to what pleasure it gave me to create it.
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| LeRoy
A. Stone, Ph.D., ABPP (Forensic) |
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