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16 PERSONALITY
FACTOR
Personality
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The unique, relatively enduring internal and
external aspects of a person’s character
that influence behavior in different
situations.
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Cattell’s
Definition of
Personality
– Cattell defined personality as " That which
permits a prediction of what a person will do in
a given situation.“
– Source Traits are the underlying basic
factors of an individuals personalities (reserved
versus outgoing).
– Cattell examined every possible (over
18,000) possible vocabulary words which
indicated Surface Traits, i.e. some
aspect of personality (optimistic attitude).
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The 16 PF
– The Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF) is a self report
personality test developed over several decades of empirical research by
Raymond B. Cattell, Maurice Tatsuoka and Herbert Eber to measure
comprehensively normal range personality found to be effective in a variety of
settings where an in-depth assessment of the whole person is needed.
– Cattell proposed a multi-level, hierarchical structure of personality: the secondorder global measures describe personality at a broader, conceptual level, while
the more precise primary factors reveal the fine details and nuances that make
each person unique, and are more powerful in predicting actual behavior.
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Development of 16PF
Raymond Cattell’s personality research was based on his strong background in
the physical sciences; born in 1905, he witnessed the firsthand awe-inspiring
results of science, from electricity and telephones to automobiles, airplanes, and
medicine. He wanted to apply these scientific methods to the uncharted domain
of human personality with the goal of discovering the basic elements of
personality (much as the basic elements of the physical world were discovered
and organized into the periodic table).
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Development of 16PF
Three different methodologies applied:
– observation of natural, in-situ life behavior or L-data (e.g. academic grades,
number of traffic accidents, or social contacts);
– questionnaire or Q-data from the self-report domain;
– objective behavior measured in standardized, experimental settings or T-data
(e.g. number of original solutions to problem presented, responses to
frustrations). Eventually, this research resulted in the 16 unitary traits of the
16PF Questionnaire
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Development of 16PF
– Cattell and his colleagues first discovered the primary traits, which provide the
most basic definition of individual personality differences.
– These researchers factor-analyzed the primary traits themselves in order to
investigate personality structure at a higher level. From this, the broader ‘secondorder’ or global factors emerged – the original Big Five.
– Then the global factors were factor-analyzed into third-order traits at the
highest, most abstract level of personality organization .
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Purpose of
16PF
▪ The 16PF questionnaire is a broad
assessment of normal adult
▪ personality.
▪ – The purpose of the measure is to
provide a comprehensive snapshot of an
individual’s personality profile, by
reporting on 16 primary personality factor
scales as well as five broader global
scales.
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Versions of
16PF
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The 16 PF has 5 versions
– First edition in 1949
– 2nd edition in 1956
– 3rd edition in 1962
– 4th edition in between 1967 and 1969
– 5th edition in 1993 (updated in 2002
with new norming groups based on the
2000 US Census
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Purpose of 5th edition
– Update, improve, and simplify the language used in the test items;
– Simplify the answer format;
– Develop new validity scales;
– Improve the psychometric properties of the test, including new
reliability and validity data; and
– Develop a new standardization sample (of 10,000 people) to reflect
the current U.S. Census population.
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16PF
 The 16PF Fifth Edition contains 185 multiple-choice items which are
written at a fifth-grade reading level.
 Of these items, 76% were from the four previous 16PF editions,
although many of them were re-written to simplify or update the
language.
 The item content typically sounds non-threatening and asks simple
questions about daily behavior, interests, and opinions e. g. When I
find myself in a boring situation, I usually "tune out" and daydream
about other things.
 The 16PF 5th edition is intended for use with adults 16 years old and
older.
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16 PF Primary
Factors
Factor A: Reserved-Warm
Factor B: Concrete-Abstract
Factor C: Emotionally Reactive-Stable
Factor E: Deferential-Dominant
Factor F: Liveliness- Serious
Factor G: Nonconforming (Expedient)Dutiful (Rule consciousness)
 Factor H: Shy-Socially Bold
 Factor I: Objective-Sensitive
 Factor L: Trusting-Vigilance
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16 PF Primary
Factors
 Factor M: Workable Oriented (Grounded)-Idea
Oriented (Abstracted)
 Factor N: Forthright- Private, Discreet (Tact)
 Factor O: Self-Assured-Apprehensive
 Factor Q1: Attached to Familiar-Open to
Change
 Factor Q2: Group Oriented-Self Reliant
 Factor Q3: Tolerates Disorder-Self
Disciplined, Perfectionistic
 Factor Q4: Relaxed-Tense
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16 PF Global
Factors
 Extraversion (EX): Introverted-Extraverted
(Socially participating)
 Anxiety (AX): Little Anxiety-High Anxiety
 Tough-Mindedness (TM): Open-minded,
Intuitive-Tough-minded, Not empathetic
 Independence (IN): Accommodating, SelflessIndependent, Willful
 Self-Control (SC): Unrestrained, Self
Controlled, Inhibited
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Description of Primary Factors
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Validity Scales
Three Validity Scales
o The Impression Management Scale (IM), a twelve item, bipolar scale that
does not contribute to any of the primary personality scales. The IM scale
evaluates social desirability, whether or not an examinee is willing to admit
behaviors that aren’t socially desirable.
o The Acquiescence Scale (ACQ), which measures an examinee’s tendency to
agree with whatever statement is presented by choosing true regardless of
whether or not the statement was actually factual about the responder.
o – The Infrequency Scale (INF) is composed of 32 items which is used to
measure the degree to which examinee responses are likely to be the result
of random responding, A high score on the INF scale indicates that the
examinee responded to a “relatively large number of items” differently than
the majority of people. Such a score might indicate, inability to decide, or
comprehensio difficulty (random responding).
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Psychometric Properties of 16PF
Reliability
 Moderate to good reliability rating have been reported for the 16PF. Internal
consistency reliabilities are on average 0.76 for the primar scales (Based on
a sample of 10,261 individuals), and a range of 0.6 to 0.87 for all 16 scales.
 The test-reliabilities over a 2 week period showed scores of 0.69-0.87 for all
scales and a 2-month interval showed scores ranging from 0.56-0.79.
 Internal consistency in heterogeneous composites were applied, and average
0.87 over the five global scale.
 The five global scales of the 16PF Questionnaire show even higher test–
retest reliabilities (they have more items); they average 0.87 for a two week
interval (ranging from 0.84 to 0.91), and 0.78 for a two-month interval
(ranging from 0.70 to 0.82).
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Psychometric Properties of 16PF
Construct Validity
 With other measures of normal, adult personality (California Psychological
Inventory, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the NEO-PI-R, the Personality
Research Form, the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, other measures of
creativity, leadership, and social skills. These results consistently validate the
meanings of the 16PF scales.
Predictive Validity
 Diverse areas as creativity, social skills and empathy, marital compatibility,
leadership potential, over a hundred occupational profile, Employee selection
promotion, and development, Managers, executives, Social/helping
occupations etc.
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Who can Administer the 16PF?
 A variety of professionals who understand the limits of psychological testing and
interpretation and possess a fundamental understanding of psychometrics.
 Those administering the 16PF should also be familiar with the Standards for
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Educational and Psychological Testing as presented by the American
Psychological Association.
Specific training exists for those who would like to become experts at using the
16PF, but is not required by the publisher before use of the instrument.
The authors of the manual recommend that the administrator stress to encourage
the examinees to pick the response that initially seems mostsuited to them.
The manual suggests it might be appropriate to remind examinees of this at least
once during the administration process.
The administrator should also be cautious in scoring and interpreting the score,
paying particular attention to the reliability scales that coul indicate reporter bias.
In interpreting the score, the manual also notes that the BIR should not be given
directly to the examinee without the aid of aprofessional to explain such results
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Scoring
 The raw scores from these answers are converted to sten scores, a standardized
measure which ranges from 1-10, with a mean of 5.5 and a standard deviation of 2.
 Sten scores between 4 and 7 are considered to be average, with outliers on either side.
 The extreme scores in a profile, those that fall outside of the average range, usually
indicate the most distinctive traits of the examinee.
 Numerous extreme scores indicate more distinctive expression of personality.
 Responses can be hand scored or computer scored by the publisher through mail in
forms, software or internet-based services.
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Gender Related Norms
 The updated fifth edition also reports sex specific norms for three of the sixteen basic
personality factors. On the factors “Warmth,” “Sensitivity” and “Apprehension,” it was
found that males tended to report differently than females, which was not the case with
the
 Other factors. The gender-specific and combined gender norms are available as
scoring options for these three factors.
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Uses
 It can be used as a starting point in therapy, to give a counselor an overall view of a
client’s personality profile and serve as a guide to individualize counseling plan.
 The 16PF provides a measure of behavioral trends including anxiety and adjustment,
which can facilitate diagnostic and treatment strategies.
 To evaluate management potential, facilitate leadership development and executive
coaching, supplement individual and couple’s counseling, and inform career and
vocational counseling.
 Help identify students with potential academic, emotional, and social problems.
 Help identify personality factors that may predict marital compatibility and satisfaction.
Results also highlight existing or potential problem areas.
 Provide vocational guidance to identify occupations for which the individual is best
suited
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Limitations
 It is inappropriate for use in assessing abnormal personality. The 16PF is useful in
predicting specific behavioral areas such as social skills, but does not address
motivation behind behaviors.
 The manual itself costs $55 when purchased from the publisher.
 These starter kits range in price from about $100 to $150. Testing booklets are
available in packs of ten for $23. Answer sheets are available in packs of 25 for $20$22, depending on the quantity ordered.
 Administration is also available via computer software and internet based services. For
the BIR report, the computer administration costs approximately $25 per administration.
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Cultural Related Issue
 The 16PF fifth edition makes an effort to include aspects of identity such as race and
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ethnicity in the norming group. The publisher also notes that the questions contained in
the fifth edition were designed to be non-invasive, meeting the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC)’s requirements, as related to the Civil Rights act
(1990) and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The aim of this design was to ensure that test result differences among different ethic,
gender, and age groups were minimized (IPAT).
Several elements of the 16PF consider multicultural issues. The Rule-Consciousness
factor measures the extent to which cultural standards of right and wrong are
internalized and used to govern behavior.
Scoring high in this section does not necessarily account for the cultural values of the
client’s culture, but the values endorsed by the majority of western culture.
This measurement severely limits the interpretation of scores for individuals from
minority cultures.
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Cultural Related Issue
 The 16PF is designed to be easy to read and understand, with an overall readability at
the fifth grade level. However, this makes the test less accessible to those for whom
English is a second language.
 In addition, the manual notes that because of the verbal nature of the reasoning scale,
individuals who speak little English could be expected to obtain a lower than accurate
score.
 The 16PF manual also notes that the Vigilant factor does not account for life
circumstances that may impact the adoption of a vigilant stance, often associated with
members of oppressed minority groups
References
16 PF Manual
Cattell, R. B. (1943). The description of personality: Basic traits resolved into
clusters. The journal of abnormal and social psychology, 38(4), 476.
Schultz, D. P., & Schultz, S. E. (2016). Theories of personality. Cengage Learning.
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