Dr Niko Tiliopoulos Room 448, Brennan McCallum building

In search for the basic dimensions of personality (Psychometric) issues with Cattell’s 16PF (Psychometric) issues with Cattell’s 16PF Inability to replicate the structure Inability to replicate the structure Fiske (1949) – used 22 of Cattell’s trait-descriptors Fiske (1949) – used 22 of Cattell’s trait-descriptors Tupes & Christal (1958) – reanalysed Cattell’s and Fiske’s matrices Tupes & Christal (1958) – reanalysed Cattell’s and Fiske’s matrices Norman (1963) – Followed Tupes & Christal’s methodology Norman (1963) – Followed Tupes & Christal’s methodology Possible reasons: Possible reasons: Rotation used (oblique vs. orthogonal) Rotation used (oblique vs. orthogonal) (absence of) simple structure (problem with convergence and discriminant validity) (absence of) simple structure (problem with convergence and discriminant validity) Response invariance Response invariance Scaling Scaling Low loadings Low loadings Hans Eysenck argued that the 16PF are not primary (basic) factors of personality Hans Eysenck argued that the 16PF are not primary (basic) factors of personality

The magic number 5! Donald Fiske (1949) Five recurrent factors: Social adaptability Emotional control Conformity Inquiring intellect Confident self-expression

The magic number 5! Both Norman (1963) and Tupes & Christal (1958, 1961) identified five factors Both Norman (1963) and Tupes & Christal (1958, 1961) identified five factors

The magic number 5!

The evolution of the lexical taxonomy Lewis Goldberg, PhD Professor of Psychology University of Oregon “In the English language trait-descriptors are versions of five major features of personality:” Love (Agreeableness) Love (Agreeableness) Work (Conscientiousness) Work (Conscientiousness) Affect (emotional stability) Affect (emotional stability) Power (Surgency) Power (Surgency) Intellect Intellect

Goldberg’s assessment The Abridged Big Five-Dimensional Circumplex (AB5C; Hofstee, de Raad, & Goldberg,1992) The Abridged Big Five-Dimensional Circumplex (AB5C; Hofstee, de Raad, & Goldberg,1992) A circular model of the personality domain, in which each pair of the Big-5 factors comprises its own circle A circular model of the personality domain, in which each pair of the Big-5 factors comprises its own circle Many items in the personality domain, when they are factor analyzed, have two large loadings instead of just one! Many items in the personality domain, when they are factor analyzed, have two large loadings instead of just one! Thus, when these items are mapped onto a two-dimensional planes using their loadings as Cartesian coordinates, they form a polygon Thus, when these items are mapped onto a two-dimensional planes using their loadings as Cartesian coordinates, they form a polygon The International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) The International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) Hans Eysenck (1991): “… we have literally hundreds of inventories incorporating thousands of traits, largely overlapping but also containing specific variance, each empirical finding is strictly speaking only relevant to a specific trait [...] This is not the way to build a unified scientific discipline” (p. 786)

Enter the OCEAN (Five Factor Model – FFM) Paul Costa, Jr., PhD Professor of medical psychology Johns Hopkins University Robert McCrae, PhD Senior Investigator Laboratory of Personality & Cognition Baltimore

OCEAN Used the 16PF but instead of factor analysing they Cluster analysed it Used the 16PF but instead of factor analysing they Cluster analysed it Originally identified three personality super-traits: Originally identified three personality super-traits: Neuroticism Neuroticism Extraversion Extraversion Openness Openness Developed the NEO personality inventory (mid 80s) Developed the NEO personality inventory (mid 80s) Later (in the 90s) added the dimensions of Agreeableness & Conscientiousness Later (in the 90s) added the dimensions of Agreeableness & Conscientiousness

OCEAN The NEO has a hierarchical arrangement The NEO has a hierarchical arrangement 240 items (PI-R version), 60 items (FFI version) 240 items (PI-R version), 60 items (FFI version) 5-point Likert scales 5-point Likert scales Personality dimensions are orthogonal Personality dimensions are orthogonal Principal Components analysis, Varimax rotation Principal Components analysis, Varimax rotation Each consists of six facets (traits) Each consists of six facets (traits) The NEO is probably the most validated personality questionnaire (and typology) in academia The NEO is probably the most validated personality questionnaire (and typology) in academia Probably the most commonly used traits assessment instrument in any personality research Probably the most commonly used traits assessment instrument in any personality research

Factor One Extraversion (Sociability) Extraversion (Sociability) Other labels: Social adaptability, Assertiveness, Surgency Other labels: Social adaptability, Assertiveness, Surgency Relates to (a degree of) having social impact Relates to (a degree of) having social impact Facets: Facets: Gregarious Gregarious Warmth Warmth Assertiveness Assertiveness Activity Activity Excitement seeking Excitement seeking Positive emotion (enthusiasm) Positive emotion (enthusiasm) Observed behavioural correlates: Prominence in social organizations Observed behavioural correlates: Prominence in social organizations (avg) Heritability index: 0.36 (avg) Heritability index: 0.36

Factor Two Neuroticism (emotionality) Neuroticism (emotionality) Other labels: Emotional control, emotional stability Other labels: Emotional control, emotional stability Relates to anxiety and distress Relates to anxiety and distress Facets: Facets: Anxiety Anxiety Anger-hostility Anger-hostility Depression Depression Self-consciousness Self-consciousness Impulsiveness Impulsiveness Vulnerability Vulnerability Observed behavioural correlates: Poor marital functioning, impaired academic performance Observed behavioural correlates: Poor marital functioning, impaired academic performance (avg) Heritability index: 0.31 (avg) Heritability index: 0.31

Factor Three Agreeableness Agreeableness Other labels: Conformity, friendly compliance, likeability Other labels: Conformity, friendly compliance, likeability Relates to maintaining positive relations with others (quality of relationships) Relates to maintaining positive relations with others (quality of relationships) Facets: Facets: Trust Trust Straightforwardness Straightforwardness Altruism Altruism Compliance Compliance Modesty Modesty Tender-mindedness Tender-mindedness Observed behavioural correlates: Conflict resolution tactics, greater social support from others Observed behavioural correlates: Conflict resolution tactics, greater social support from others (avg) Heritability index: 0.28 (avg) Heritability index: 0.28

Factor Four Conscientiousness Conscientiousness Other labels: Responsibility Other labels: Responsibility Relates to will to achieve Relates to will to achieve Facets: Facets: Competence Competence Order Order Dutifulness Dutifulness Achievement striving Achievement striving Self-discipline Self-discipline Deliberation Deliberation Observed behavioural correlates: avoidance of risky behaviours, higher academic achievement Observed behavioural correlates: avoidance of risky behaviours, higher academic achievement (avg) Heritability index: 0.28 (avg) Heritability index: 0.28

Factor Five Openness (to experience) Openness (to experience) Other labels: Culture, inquiring intellect, intelligence Other labels: Culture, inquiring intellect, intelligence Relates to intelligence, (acquisition or will to acquire) social or existential experience Relates to intelligence, (acquisition or will to acquire) social or existential experience Factor with least consensus about meaning Factor with least consensus about meaning Facets: Facets: Fantasy Fantasy Aesthetics Aesthetics (appreciation of or attendance to) Feelings (appreciation of or attendance to) Feelings Actions Actions Ideas (curiosity) Ideas (curiosity) Values Values Observed behavioural correlates: Greater engagement with existential challenges, artistic expression Observed behavioural correlates: Greater engagement with existential challenges, artistic expression (avg) Heritability index: 0.46 (avg) Heritability index: 0.46

Profiling with the NEO

Psychometric value of the NEO Normative internal consistencies (alphas): 0.70 to 0.85 Normative internal consistencies (alphas): 0.70 to 0.85 Cross-cultural replicability Cross-cultural replicability Emic approach Emic approach (imposed) Etic approach (imposed) Etic approach

Psychometric value of the NEO Good temporal stability Good temporal stability

The NEO & psychopathology

Evaluating the Big-5 The negatives Disagreement about the exact nature of the five factors Disagreement about the exact nature of the five factors Are the dimensions really orthogonal? (N & C r ≈ -0.45) Are the dimensions really orthogonal? (N & C r ≈ -0.45) Doesn’t really possess a solid theoretical basis Doesn’t really possess a solid theoretical basis Is Openness a dimension of personality? Is Openness a dimension of personality? How about Honesty-Humility? How about Honesty-Humility? Still a descriptive taxonomy Still a descriptive taxonomy The positives Probably the most commonly used typology in personality research Immediate applications in occupation and health Good cross-cultural validity and other psychometric properties “It is unlikely that the five factors identified are the only fundamental personality factors. There are quite likely other fundamental concepts involved among the Allport-Odbert adjectives” (Tupes & Christal, 1961, p.12)

Beyond the lexical approach (discussed in PSYC3015: Personality & Intelligence II) Psychobiological perspectives (the birth of Clinical Psychology) Psychobiological perspectives (the birth of Clinical Psychology) The rise of causal (predictive) theories of personality The rise of causal (predictive) theories of personality Hans Eysenck and neurological personology Hans Eysenck and neurological personology Marvin Zuckerman’s alternative (biopsychological) Big-5 Marvin Zuckerman’s alternative (biopsychological) Big-5 Claude Cloninger and the Biosocial model of health & mental health Claude Cloninger and the Biosocial model of health & mental health Theodore Millon and the dimensional approach to personality disorders Theodore Millon and the dimensional approach to personality disorders Interpersonal & cross-cultural perspectives Interpersonal & cross-cultural perspectives Timothy Leary and the interpersonal circumplex of traits Timothy Leary and the interpersonal circumplex of traits Cindy Hazan and the attachment-based models of traits Cindy Hazan and the attachment-based models of traits Kim Bartholomew and the construction of adult attachment Kim Bartholomew and the construction of adult attachment The development of the psychology of religion & spirituality The development of the psychology of religion & spirituality Evolutionary & behaviour genetics perspectives Evolutionary & behaviour genetics perspectives David Buss and the k-factor of evolutionary personology David Buss and the k-factor of evolutionary personology Robert Plomin and the genomics of personality traits Robert Plomin and the genomics of personality traits Samuel Gosling and the study of personality in non-human animals Samuel Gosling and the study of personality in non-human animals

Main reading Murphy, K. et al. (2010). PSYC2014: Personality & Intelligence I (3 rd ed.). Frenchs Forest: Pearson Australia. (Section 2, Chapter 8 “Cattell & the Big Five: Factor analytic trait theory”, pp ) In case you are interested: In case you are interested: Tiliopoulos, N., Pallier, G., & Coxon, A.P.M. (2010). A circle of traits: A perceptual mapping of the NEO-PI-R. Personality & Individual Differences, Tiliopoulos, N., Pallier, G., & Coxon, A.P.M. (2010). A circle of traits: A perceptual mapping of the NEO-PI-R. Personality & Individual Differences, 48, or Tiliopoulos, N. (2011). A proposition for Tiliopoulos, N. (2011). A proposition for a parsimonious taxonomic convergence of personality traits. In S. Boag, & N. Tiliopoulos (Eds.), Personality & individual differences: Theory, assessment, & application. New York: Nova Science Pubs.