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In preparation for the Pre-Congress Conference on Training in Copenhagen, July 1967, a questionnaire was distributed to 49 psychoanalytic institutes and training centres throughout the world. Replies were received from 26, representing 12 from the U.S.A. and Canada (questionnaires were sent to 21), 8 from Europe (15 questionnaires), 5 from Latin America (10 questionnaires) and 1 from Asia (3 questionnaires). A summary of the replies follows, organized around the 14 questions of the questionnaire.
12 of the 26 respondents answered "Yes" to this question. A much larger number indicated that they ask for a curriculum vitae. In general the autobiographies are used by all interviewers as well as by the admission committees and educational or training committees. Details of what is looked for in the autobiographies were listed by a few respondents. For example:
(Boston): "Attention is given to the capacity for introspection, psychological perceptiveness, empathy, and awareness of personal problems and indications of a potential for insight, etc., autobiographical style versus curriculum vitae, etc."
(Argentina): "The following data from his autobiography are analysed:
a.Manifest and definite data of his autobiography.
b.Subjective data transpiring from his mode of expression, his emphasis put on certain facts or circumstances, etc.
c.Interrelation between (a) and (b), which gives us the pattern of the complementary series.
Point (b) is extremely useful as it provides an indication of important aspects of the applicant's personality (self-esteem, object relationship, important mechanisms, etc.)."
(San Francisco): "… indications of a psychosis, perversions or impulsive, uncontrolled behavior are noted. Empty chronologies, constrictedness in expression are looked for. We like to find evidence of warmth or empathy in the description of relationships …"