Using Personality Item Characteristics to Predict Single–Item Internal Reliability, Retest Reliability, and Self–Other Agreement

Development of the Hogan Personality Content Single-Items Inventory

The Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI) and Hogan Developmental Survey (HDS) are among the most widely used and extensively well-validated personality inventories for organizational applications; however, they are rarely used in basic research. We describe the Hogan Personality Content Single-Items (HPCS) inventory, an inventory designed to measure the 74 content subscales of the HPI and HDS via a single-item each. We provide evidence of the reliability and validity of the HPCS, including item-level retest reliability estimates, both self-other agreement and other-other (or observer) agreement, convergent correlations with the corresponding scales from the full HPI/HDS instruments, and analyze how similarly the HPCS and full HPI/HDS instruments relate to other variables. We discuss situations where administering the HPCS may have certain advantages and disadvantages relative to the full HPI and HDS. We also discuss how the current findings contribute to an emerging picture of best practices for the development and use of inventories consisting of single-item scales.

Nuanced HEXACO: A Meta-Analysis of HEXACO Cross-Rater Agreement, Heritability, and Rank-Order Stability

Most Five-Factor Model (FFM) questionnaire items contain unique variance that is partly heritable, stable, and consensually observable, demonstrates consistent associations with age and sex, and predicts life outcomes beyond higher order factors. Extending these findings to the HEXACO model, we meta-analyzed single-item cross-rater agreement, heritability, and 2-year stability using samples from six countries. We analyzed raw item scores and their residual variance and adjusted the estimates for measurement unreliability. The median cross-rater agreement, heritability, and stability estimates were, respectively, .30, .30, and .57, for raw items and .10, .16, and .39, for item residuals. Adjusted for reliability, the respective medians were .46 and .25 for cross-rater agreement, .46 and .39 for heritability, and .87 and .94 for stability. These results are strikingly consistent with FFM-based findings, providing nondismissible evidence that single items index a partly unique level of the trait hierarchy-personality nuances-with trait properties comparable to those of higher-order traits.

Problem resolution scale: A single-item instrument for easily assessing clinical improvement

This study describes the development and tests the validity of the Problem Resolution Scale (PRS)-a single-item measure developed by researchers at Systemic Practice Research Network (SYPRENE) for assessing the degree to which the focal problem of therapy is perceived as resolved. Data were collected at termination from 747 clients seen across 18 therapists. Results suggested good construct validity, supported by a strong correlation between client and therapist perceptions as assessed by the PRS (r = 0.71, p < 0.001). Good criterion validity was also supported by strong correlations between client-reported psychological well-being and functioning at termination and both client-reported (r = -0.63; p < 0.001) and therapist-reported (r = -0.66; p < 0.001) problem resolution scores. Linear mixed model regression and stratified correlation analysis controlling for the therapist and presenting problem effects confirmed criterion validity. Results provide initial evidence for the validity and utility of the PRS.

Psychometric Evaluation of Single-Item Relationship Satisfaction, Love, Conflict, and Commitment Measures

Issues in applied survey research, including minimizing respondent burden and ensuring measures' brevity for smartphone administration, have intensified efforts to create short measures. We conducted two studies on the psychometric properties of single-item satisfaction, love, conflict, and commitment measures. Study 1 was longitudinal, surveying college-age dating couples at three monthly waves (n =121, 84, and 68 couples at the respective waves). Partners completed single- and multi-item measures of the four constructs, along with other variables, to examine test-retest reliability and convergent, concurrent, and predictive validity. Single-item measures of satisfaction, love, and commitment exhibited impressive psychometric qualities, but our single-item conflict measure performed somewhat less strongly. Study 2, a cross-sectional online survey (n = 280), showed strong convergent validity of the single-item measures, including that of conflict.

Mapping Chinese Personality: An Assessment of the Psychometric Properties of the NEO-PI-3 in Monolingual and Bilingual Studies

The NEO-PI-3 is a fourth-generation instrument that has been shown to improve the psychometrics and readability of its immediate precedent, the NEO-PI-R. We examined the psychometric properties of the Chinese versions of the NEO-PI-R and NEO-PI-3 using three datasets (Ns = 913, 299, 403) collected using both monolingual and bilingual designs. The Chinese NEO-PI-3 scales displayed a five-factor structure in which the facets had the highest loadings on their intended factors. The structure demonstrated strong invariance across both languages (English vs. Chinese) and gender groups, maintained high test-retest reliability, and attained slightly better internal consistency than the NEO-PI-R. We also examined the affective underpinnings of personality factors and well-being measures using the Chinese Circumplex Model of Affect. Consistent with past findings, Neuroticism and Extraversion were most related to affect, while Satisfaction with Life and Subjective Happiness shared the affective core of pleasant feelings and medium arousal. Based on these results, the Chinese NEO-PI-3 appears to be a sound instrument to measure personality in Chinese communities and to compare personality across cultures.

Test-retest reliability of the HEXACO-100-And the value of multiple measurements for assessing reliability

Despite the widespread use of the HEXACO model as a descriptive taxonomy of personality traits, there remains limited information on the test-retest reliability of its commonly-used inventories. Studies typically report internal consistency estimates, such as alpha or omega, but there are good reasons to believe that these do not accurately assess reliability. We report 13-day test-retest correlations of the 100- and 60-item English HEXACO Personality Inventory-Revised (HEXACO-100 and HEXACO-60) domains, facets, and items. In order to test the validity of test-retest reliability, we then compare these estimates to correlations between self- and informant-reports (i.e., cross-rater agreement), a widely-used validity criterion. Median estimates of test-retest reliability were .88, .81, and .65 (N = 416) for domains, facets, and items, respectively. Facets' and items' test-retest reliabilities were highly correlated with their cross-rater agreement estimates, whereas internal consistencies were not. Overall, the HEXACO Personality Inventory-Revised demonstrates test-retest reliability similar to other contemporary measures. We recommend that short-term retest reliability should be routinely calculated to assess reliability.

The Main Dimensions of Sport Personality Traits: A Lexical Approach

To uncover the main dimensions of sport personality traits, a lexical study was conducted. In the first two phases, 321 adjectives denoting the way somebody practices sports were selected. In the third phase, 555 respondents self-rated the adjectives. Congruence analyses provided evidence of six factors, five of which are sport personality trait factors (friendly fairness, resilience, drive, perfectionism, and inventiveness) plus one physical individual difference factor (agility). Marker scales from the sport personality trait factors show convergent correlations with the generic HEXACO personality obtained years earlier. Furthermore, meaningful relations with the six most frequently practiced sport and leisure activities were observed. Contextualized sport personality trait factors can be useful in research on sport preferences, sport behaviors, and sport outcomes.

Meta-Analytic Investigations of the HEXACO Personality Inventory(-Revised)

Abstract. The six dimensions of the HEXACO model of personality are most commonly measured via the HEXACO Personality Inventory(-Revised) (HEXACO-PI(-R)), which comes in three versions (60, 100, and 200 items) and is available as a self- and observer report form in several languages. The present study meta-analytically investigates the psychometric properties of the HEXACO-PI(-R), relying on empirical data from 549 independent samples providing information about 316,133 individuals. In particular, we performed reliability generalization meta‐analyses to examine internal consistency, determined self–observer agreement, investigated structural properties in terms of the intercorrelations between the HEXACO dimensions, and established relations between the dimensions and demographic variables. Results show that all HEXACO-PI(-R) versions exhibit fairly high reliabilities and a high degree of self–observer agreement. With the exception of a moderate correlation between Honesty-Humility and Agreeableness, the HEXACO dimensions are only weakly correlated overall. Finally, notable gender differences (with women scoring higher) occurred on Emotionality and Honesty-Humility.

Source method biases as implicit personality theory at the domain and facet levels

OBJECTIVE

We tested predictions about the structure and magnitude of method biases in single-source personality trait assessments. We expected a large number of distinct biases that would parallel the observed structure of traits, at both facet and item levels.

METHOD

We analyzed multimethod ratings on the Estonian NEO Personality Inventory-3 in a sample of 3,214 adults. By subtracting informant ratings from self-reports, we eliminated true score variance and analyzed the size and structure of the residual method biases. We replicated analyses using data (N = 709) from the Czech Revised NEO Personality Inventory.

RESULTS

The magnitude of method biases was consistent with predictions by McCrae (2018, Psychological Assessment). Factor analyses at the facet level showed a clear replication of the normative Five-Factor Model structure in both samples. Item factor analyses within domains showed that facet-level method biases mimicked the facet structure of the instrument.

CONCLUSIONS

Method biases apparently reflect implicit personality theory (IPT)-beliefs about how traits and trait indicators covary. We discuss the (collective) accuracy and possible origins of IPT. Because method biases limit the accuracy of single-source assessments, we recommend assessments that combine information from two or more informants.

Adjusting Bilingual Ratings by Retest Reliability Improves Estimation of Translation Quality

The quality of cross-language scale translations is often explored by having bilingual participants complete the scale in both languages and then correlating their scores. However, low cross-language correlations can be observed due to score unreliability rather than due to poor scale translation. McCrae, Yik, Trapnell, Bond, and Paulhus suggested that a better indicator of translation quality can be formed by dividing the raw cross-language correlation by the same-language retest correlations over a similar measurement interval. Here, we illustrate how this method can be extended to evaluate the translation quality of individual items. We translated the English version of the Inventory of Individual Differences in the Lexicon (IIDL) into Chinese, and within a single survey session participants either completed the instrument either in both languages ( N = 151 bilingual participants) or twice in Chinese ( N = 94) or in English ( N = 82). Finally, additional bilingual participants ( N = 46) rated the perceived translation quality of each item. Variation in the cross-language correlations across items predicted perceived translation quality, however, adjusting for same-language retest correlations resulted in significantly stronger indicators of perceived translation quality. The present study thus indicates the validity of McCrae et al.’s general method, and demonstrates that it can be extended to designs where all participants complete a single test session and can be applied to evaluate the quality of translations of single items.

Three Nightmare Traits in Leaders

This review offers an integration of dark leadership styles with dark personality traits. The core of dark leadership consists of Three Nightmare Traits (TNT)—leader dishonesty, leader disagreeableness, and leader carelessness—that are conceptualized as contextualized personality traits aligned with respectively (low) honesty-humility, (low) agreeableness, and (low) conscientiousness. It is argued that the TNT, when combined with high extraversion and low emotionality, can have serious (“explosive”) negative consequences for employees and their organizations. A Situation-Trait-Outcome Activation (STOA) model is presented in which a description is offered of situations that are attractive to TNT leaders (situation activation), situations that activate TNT traits (trait activation), and the kinds of outcomes that may result from TNT behaviors (outcome activation). Subsequently, the TNT and STOA models are combined to offer a description of the organizational actions that may strengthen or weaken the TNT during six career stages: attraction, selection, socialization, production, promotion, and attrition. Except for mainly negative consequences of the TNT, possible positive consequences of TNT leadership are also explored, and an outline of a research program is offered that may provide answers to the most pressing questions in dark leadership research.

Unusual Configurations of Personality Traits Indicate Multiple Patterns of Their Coalescence

It is widely accepted that the Five Factor Model (FFM) is a satisfactory description of the pattern of covariations among personality traits, which supposedly fits, more or less adequately, every individual. As an amendment to the FFM, we propose that the customary five-factor structure is only a near-universal, because it does not fit all individuals but only a large majority of them. Evidences reveal a small minority of participants who have an unusual configuration of personality traits, which is clearly recognizable, both in self- and observer-ratings. We identified three types of atypical configurations of personality traits, characterized mainly by a scatter of subscale scores within each of the FFM factors. How different configurations of personality traits are formed, persist, and function needs further investigation.

Comparing Job Applicants to Non–Applicants Using An Item–Level Bifactor Model on the Hexaco Personality Inventory

The present study evaluated the ability of item–level bifactor models (a) to provide an alternative explanation to current theories of higher order factors of personality and (b) to explain socially desirable responding in both job applicant and non–applicant contexts. Participants (46% male; mean age = 42 years, SD = 11) completed the 200–item HEXACO Personality Inventory–Revised either as part of a job application ( n = 1613) or as part of low–stakes research ( n = 1613). A comprehensive set of invariance tests were performed. Applicants scored higher than non–applicants on honesty–humility ( d = 0.86), extraversion ( d = 0.73), agreeableness ( d = 1.06), and conscientiousness ( d = 0.77). The bifactor model provided improved model fit relative to a standard correlated factor model, and loadings on the evaluative factor of the bifactor model were highly correlated with other indicators of item social desirability. The bifactor model explained approximately two–thirds of the differences between applicants and non–applicants. Results suggest that rather than being a higher order construct, the general factor of personality may be caused by an item–level evaluative process. Results highlight the importance of modelling data at the item–level. Implications for conceptualizing social desirability, higher order structures in personality, test development, and job applicant faking are discussed. Copyright © 2017 European Association of Personality Psychology