The 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire

It was in 1949 that Raymond Cattell published the original ersion o! a

!actor"analytically deried #uestionnaire designed !or personality assessment
$%andout& '((1)* Cattell deeloped #uestions that would uncoer the deep basic
traits which underlie human behaior* This multiple statement array measures
indiidual temperaments+ a person,s distinctie style o! thin-ing& perceiing&
and acting oer a comparatiely long period o! time as well as in a wide range
o! dierse situations* This #uestionnaire is as common today as it was when it
was !irst deeloped& used clinically !or patients o! psychotherapy and as a
research deice in the study o! personalities*
.n .ctober /& '((1& I was !irst introduced to a 16 PF #uestionnaire in my
wee-ly Psychology section* It was a combination o! nearly '(( statements about
speci!ic aspects o! behaior& such as 0I li-e to always be on time*1 2ach
statement I had to select a response o! either yes& occasionally& or no* This
led to the identi!ication o! si3teen central traits* 4y systematically computing
my answers& I discoered my arious scores* 5y indiidual results are with
respect to a large representatie sample o! !emale 6merican college students* 4y
obsering my pro!ile& it is easy to comprehend how I ary& high or low& !rom the
0aerage1& a 7ten score o! 8*8*
Reporting Mv Scores: My I6PF Profile
I scored ery high on !our o! the !actors* .n the 6 scale I receied an
eight& indicating I am a considerably warmhearted& easygoing person* It also
recogni9ed my supposed dominant& aggressie side $9)& in the 2 !actor* 5y
boldness& enturesome tendencies $:) were documented on the % scale* .n the QI
scale& as well I placed high $:)& supposedly as a radical& !reethin-ing !emale*
.n another !our o! the scales& I indicated a lower score than the aerage
college woman* The I scale shows I am tough"minded and unsentimental $/)* .n the
5 !actor& my practical 0down"to"earth1 tendencies $') protrude* The ; scale
pointed out my naiet< natural trait $')& and rather than being sel!"su!!icient&
the Q' scale determined I am group"dependent $4)*
%oweer& on two o! the scales I was !igured to be close to the aerage
college !emale* .n the C scale& I was measured to be a pretty& emotionally
stable person $8)& only a little less than the norm* The F !actor as well scored
me as slightly more impulsie $6)& but not di!!ering much !rom the seriousness
o! some*
The Scores and Mv Experience
6!ter researching what each o! the scales represents& it is simple to see
how well most o! the !actors describe my most central traits* Factor 6 is the
epitome o! what I would hope to be li-e& warmhearted* I pride mysel! in the !act
that my most cherished pass time is olunteering* I began in high school& and
6 = >armth
C = 2go 7trength
2 = ?ominance
F = Impulsiity
% = 4oldness
I = 2motional 7ensitiity
5 = Imagination
; = 7hrewdness
QI = Rebelliousness
Q' = 7el!"7u!!iciency
?escribing 5 7cores
The particular si3teen personality #uestionnaire I participated in was
measured with respect to a random sample o! !emale 6merican college students* I
then too- my raw scores and conerted them into standardi9ed scores* The results
!or each scale are re!erred to as 7ten scores* 6 score greater or lower than 8*8
suggests an escalating di!!erence !rom the aerages o! this speci!ic sample*
5y e3perience with this #uestionnaire has been ery in!ormatie* This is
since then I hae been inoled with oer 1( non"pro!it organi9ations* 6nother
scale& which depicts my behaior accurately& is 2& dominance* I! anything I am a
ery strong"willed& drien woman* This trait de!initely runs in my !amily& not
only with the women but with the men too* I am aggressie in my studies and
stubborn in my ideals* 2ery @ob I ta-e on !or mysel!& I complete to the best o!
my ability*
;eertheless& there are two results that I disagree with* The !irst is my
high score $:) in the !actor QI& rebelliousness* I! anything I would consider
mysel! a most conseratie thin-er* I was raised Catholic& respecting the ideas
o! traditional alues* I am not in any way liberal* The other scale with which I
am in disagreement with is the Q' scale* I receied a low score $4) indicating I
am group"dependent* 2en though I ta-e on actie roles in arious actiities& I
neer represent a @oiner& or sound !ollower* I beliee mysel! to be an
independent& sel!"su!!icient woman*
>ith the I6PF #uestionnaire I see !laws in the way many people complete
the statements* ?ue to the !act that some people do not want to answer a
certain way& they alter their answers* This ma-es their results worthIess*
Issues o! alidity and reliability ma-e it hard !or this #uestionnaire to be 1((
percent correct* There will always be a !ew people that answer not to the best
o! their ability*
This is the !irst personality assessment !or which I hae actually seen my
own results* I thin- when ta-en seriously& it can be o! incredible use as a
research deice and clinical tool
References
Aalat& Bames >* $'((')* Introduction to Psychology $6th edition*)* ;orth
Carolina 7tate Cniersity+ >adsworth*