Psychology · Ch 2 — Self and Personality
Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16 PF)
Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16 PF)
The Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16 PF)
This test was developed by psychologist Raymond Cattell. Cattell began with a huge collection of words that describe personality traits. He then applied a statistical technique called factor analysis to this data. Factor analysis helped him identify the underlying, basic dimensions of personality — the core building blocks from which all surface-level traits are made.
The 16 PF is a self-report questionnaire. It presents the test-taker with declarative statements. For each statement, the person must choose a response from a set of given alternatives, indicating how the statement applies to them in a specific situation.
The test is designed for use with high school students as well as adults. It has proven to be extremely useful in practical settings, especially for career guidance, vocational exploration, and occupational testing.
Problems with Self-Report Measures
Self-report measures like the 16 PF, while widely used, suffer from several problems that can make personality assessment less reliable. Two major problems are:
Common Distortions in Self-Report Tests
Social Desirability: This is the tendency of a respondent to answer items in a way that they believe is socially acceptable or favourable, rather than answering truthfully. They choose the "good" answer instead of the honest one.
Acquiescence: This is the tendency to agree with items or questions regardless of what they actually say. It often shows up as a pattern of simply saying "yes" to everything.