DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY A.N. COLLEGE, PATNA M.A. Semester – II Prof. Vinita Narain Paper -9 Psychological Assessment Unit-3 16PF Test
BASIC FEATURES OF THE 16PF QUESTIONNAIRE
First published in 1949, the 16PF Questionnaire has had four major revisions, in 1956, 1962, 1968, and the fifth edition in 1993 (Cattell, R.B. et al.). The latest edition contains 185 multiple-choice items, with a three point answer format. Item content is non-threatening, asking about daily behavior, interests, and opinions. The short ability scale items (Factor B) are grouped together at the end of the questionnaire with separate instructions. The questionnaire is written at a fifth grade reading level, and meant for use with people 16 years and older. The instrument provides scores on the 16 primary scales, 5 global scales, and 3 response bias scales. All personality scales are bipolar (have clear, meaningful definitions at both ends), and are given in ‘stens’ (standardized-ten scores) ranging from 1 to 10, with a mean of 5.5 and a standard deviation of 2.0. The latest standardization includes over 10,000 people and was published in 2001.
The questionnaire is available in many different languages (international translations exceed 35 languages worldwide). Unlike many commercially available personality measures, recent 16PF translations are culturally adapted, with local norms and reliability and validity information available in individual manuals. Internet administration also allows use of international norms for scoring, plus reports in over a dozen different language groups. The 16PF traits are also measured in parallel versions for younger age ranges. For example, the 16PF Adolescent Personality Questionnaire measures the 16PF traits in 12–18 year olds (Schuerger, 2001). A shorter (20-minute) version of the questionnaire, consisting of a subset of somewhat- shortened scales, was developed for use in employee selection settings – the 16PF Select (Cattell, R.B. et al., 1999). The 16PF Express (Gorsuch, 2006) provides a very short, 15-minute measure of all the traits (with four or five items per factor). The 16PF traits also appear in the PsychEval Personality Questionnaire (PEPQ; Cattell, R.B. et al., 2003), a comprehensive instrument which includes both normal and abnormal personality dimensions.
Administration
Because the questionnaire is un-timed and has simple, straightforward instructions, administration requires minimal supervision in either individual or group settings. Administration time is about 35–50 minutes for paper-and-pencil format, and about 25–40 minutes for computer administration. Easy scoring procedures are provided for paper-and-pencil, computer, or Internet formats. Detailed instructions for administration and scoring can be found in numerous places (H.E.P. Cattell and Schuerger, 2003; Russell and Karol, 2002).
The aims of the test The 16-PF can be used, among other applications, for identifying personalities, which fit specific profiles for occupational applications.
The format 16-PF includes a list of statements on a self-scoring sheet. In completing 16-PF, it is simply a case of choosing between two statements given, with the option also to choose a midway answer. Thus there are three options to each statement. 16 PF test Factors The characteristics below represent broad personality fields of the Cattell 16 personality traits theory / 16 PF test. The various groups of personality traits occur in a lot of people. People who have a high need for social contact, for instance, tend to be more talkative and more open. However, these don’t always occur together in a certain individual. Personality is complex and each individual can display behaviour in conformity with these different characteristics. Furthermore, behaviour is an interaction between personal and situational variables. The situation a person is in plays a large role. The Cattell 16 personality traits theory identifies the following personality traits:
Emotional engagement
The desire to develop intimate relationships with others: outgoing versus reserved
Emotional stability
How calmly people respond to what life brings or what happens in life: calm versus stressed
Liveliness
How free and spontaneous a person expresses themselves: spontaneous versus restrained
Socially secure
The extent to which a person feels at ease in social situations: uninhibited versus shy
Vigilance
The extent to which someone is cautious with regard to the intentions and motivations of others: suspicious versus trusting
Openness
The extent to which someone wishes to keep personal information to themselves: discreet versus openness
Openness to change
The extent to which a person enjoys new situations and experiences: Flexible versus connected to the familiar Perfectionism
The need someone feels to trust in structure rather than leaving things to chance: controlled versus undisciplined
Reasoning ability
The extent to which a person is able to identify and solve numerical and verbal problems and connections: abstract versus concrete
Dominance
The tendency to have influence and control over others: powerful versus submissive
Rule aware
The extent to which a person values rules: conforming versus non-conforming
Sensitivity
The extent to which emotions and feelings of others affect a person: tender versus tough
Abstractness
The amount of attention that someone pays to abstract rather than concrete observations: imaginative versus practical
Uncertainty
A person’s tendency to self-criticism: self-critical versus self-assured
Independence
The extent to which a person trusts in his own judgements and capacities and opts to work solo: self-reliant versus dependant Tension
The extent to which a person may be frustrated by different situations: impatient versus relaxed
Raymond Cattell's 16 Personality Factors[edit] Below is a table outlining the personality traits measured by the 16PF Questionnaire.
Descriptors of low range Primary factor Descriptors of high range
Warm, outgoing, attentive to others, Impersonal, distant, cool, reserved, Warmth kindly, easygoing, participating, likes detached, formal, aloof (A) people
Concrete-thinking, less intelligent, Abstract-thinking, more intelligent, Reasoning lower general mental capacity, unable bright, higher general mental (B) to handle abstract problems capacity, fast-learner
Reactive emotionally, changeable, Emotional Emotionally stable, adaptive, mature, affected by feelings, emotionally less Stability faces reality calmly stable, easily upset (C)
Deferential, cooperative, avoids Dominant, forceful, assertive, Dominance conflict, submissive, humble, obedient, aggressive, competitive, stubborn, (E) easily led, docile, accommodating bossy
Lively, animated, spontaneous, Serious, restrained, prudent, taciturn, Liveliness enthusiastic, happy-go-lucky, introspective, silent (F) cheerful, expressive, impulsive
Rule- Rule-conscious, dutiful, Expedient, nonconforming, disregards Consciousness conscientious, conforming, moralistic, rules, self-indulgent (G) staid, rule-bound
Shy, threat-sensitive, timid, hesitant, Social Boldness Socially bold, venturesome, thick- intimidated (H) skinned, uninhibited Utilitarian, objective, unsentimental, Sensitivity Sensitive, aesthetic, sentimental, tough-minded, self-reliant, no- (I) tender-minded, intuitive, refined nonsense, rough
Trusting, unsuspecting, accepting, Vigilance Vigilant, suspicious, skeptical, unconditional, easy (L) distrustful, oppositional
Grounded, practical, prosaic, solution Abstractedness Abstract, imaginative, absentminded, oriented, steady, conventional (M) impractical, absorbed in ideas
Forthright, genuine, artless, open, Private, discreet, nondisclosing, Privateness guileless, naive, unpretentious, shrewd, polished, worldly, astute, (N) involved diplomatic
Self-assured, unworried, complacent, Apprehensive, self-doubting, worried, Apprehension secure, free of guilt, confident, self- guilt-prone, insecure, worrying, self- (O) satisfied blaming
Traditional, attached to familiar, Openness to Open to change, experimental, conservative, respecting traditional Change liberal, analytical, critical, freethinking, ideas (Q1) flexibility
Group-oriented, affiliative, a joiner and Self-Reliance Self-reliant, solitary, resourceful, follower dependent (Q2) individualistic, self-sufficient
Tolerates disorder, unexacting, flexible, Perfectionistic, organized, undisciplined, lax, self-conflict, Perfectionism compulsive, self-disciplined, socially impulsive, careless of social rules, (Q3) precise, exacting will power, control, uncontrolled self-sentimental
Relaxed, placid, tranquil, torpid, Tension Tense, high-energy, impatient, driven, patient, composed low drive (Q4) frustrated, over-wrought, time-driven
Scoring- Each personality factor is provided at least 10-13 questions or items. The questions are arranged in a roughly cyclic order and three alternative answers are provided. In all, there are 187 items in the questionnaire. The scoring can be done rapidly by a stencil key.
Score Interpretation
Scores are presented in “stens” or standard-ten scale, ranging from 1 to 10, with a mean of 5.5 and a standard deviation of 2. Sten 4 is considered low, sten 5 or 6 average, and sten 7 high. A+ indicates a high score (right pole) while A- indicates a low score (left pole) on the primary scale Warmth (A).
The 16PF primary and global scales are bipolar, with well-defined meanings at both poles rather than varying degrees of the scale. A high or low score on a scale is not regarded as good or bad. Rather, the score increases the likelihood that the trait defined at the pole will be distinctive of the individual’s behavior. Whether that trait is determined to have positive or negative effects depends on the context.