16 Personality Factor Test

The Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF) is a self-report personality

assessment developed by Raymond B. Cattel. He gave 16 key personality factors such as

abstractedness, apprehension, dominance, emotional stability, liveliness, openness to change,

perfectionism, privateness, rule-consciousness, self-reliance, sensitivity, social boldness, tension,

vigilance, and warmth. He believed these traits are the source traits for an individual’s

personality and structured the 16pf questionnaire. The 16PF is a comprehensive test used in

various settings in the field of psychology; it can be used with a clinical approach to assess

personality-related problems; it can also be used in career counselling, marital counselling and in

business for employee testing and selection. (Cherry, 2023)

Psychometric Properties

Reliability

The test-retest reliability average for the primary scales is 0.80 over two week interval

and 0.70 over a two month interval. The secondary scales show higher test-retest reliability of

0.87 and 0.78 over two week and two month interval respectively. (Cattell & Mead, 2008)

Validity

Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis have confirmed the number, identity, and

independence of the primary and secondary factors. The construct validity has been confirmed

with correlations with other instruments measuring personality. (Cattell & Mead, 2008)
 Psychodiagnostic Report

Name: S.M

Age: 21 yrs

Gender: Female

DOB: 16/09/2001

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Psychology

Referred by: Self-referred

Presenting Concerns

Procrastination, increased stress levels due to assignments and problems with handling

money and expenditure.

Test administered: The Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF)

Purpose of Testing

To understand the personality of the individual. To analyse and get a comprehensive

understanding of the source and surface traits of the individual and give resourceful

recommendations for the subject.

Behaviour Observations

The subject was calm and composed while doing the test. They seemed to like answering

the questions as they smiled for giving responses to some questions. They seemed uncertain

while answering a few questions due to the printing quality of the questionnaire, but after

clarifying it, they gave the responses.

Test Results

Table 1

The Analysis of First Order Factors of the Subject SM

Factors Raw Score Sten Score Description

A (Warmth) 8 5 Average

B (Reasoning) 6 7 Average

C (Emotional Stability) 11 9 High

E (Dominance) 3 4 Average

F (Liveliness) 6 5 Average

G (Rule-Consciousness) 6 5 Average

H (Social Boldness) 10 8 High

I (Sensitivity) 4 3 Low

L (Vigilance) 1 1 Low

M (Abstractedness) 4 4 Average

N (Privateness) 3 4 Average

O (Apprehension) 2 2 Low

Q1 (Openness to change) 7 6 Average

Q2 (Self-Reliance) 3 5 Average

Q3 (Perfectionism) 8 6 Average

Q4 (Tension) 4 3 Low
Table 2

The Analysis of Second Order Factors of the Subject SM

Secondary Factors Sten Scores Interpretation

Extraversion 7.9 High

Anxiety 1.4 Low

Tough Poise 5.0 Average

Independence 3.8 Average

Test Interpretation

Primary Factors

From Table 1, it can be seen that the subject SM has the maximum scores on factor C

(Emotional Stability) and factor H (Social Boldness) and the minimum scores on factor I

(Sensitivity), L (Vigilance), O (Apprehension) and Q4 (Tension). There was no MD correction

which indicates the subject did not give responses to please the test administrator, so the

responses are not distorted. A very high score of 9 on factor C indicates the subject tends to be

emotionally stable, mature, faces reality and is calm in nature. A high score of 8 on factor H

indicates that the subject tends to be bold, venturesome, uninhibited and can take stress well. An

extremely low score of 1 on factor L (Vigilance) says the subject could be very trusting, more

accepting of different conditions and easy to get on with. A Low score of 2 on factor O

(Apprehension) says, the subject could be more self assured, secure, feels free of guilt,

untroubled and self satisfied. A low score of 3 on factor I (Sensitivity) says the subject could be

tough-minded, self-reliant, no-nonsense, rough and realistic. A low score of 3 on factor Q4

(Tension) says the subject could be relaxed, tranquil, composed, has low drive and is usually

unfrustated.
 Having the highest score on factor C (Emotional Stability), the subject tends to possess

good ego strength, meaning their ego has the capacity to effectively balance between the inner

impulses of the id, the superego and reality. They could be a person who can put up with stress

and frustration, have the ability to put off selfish desires when necessary and handle internal

conflicts and emotional issues before they develop into neurosis. (APA Dictionary of

Psychology, n.d.) An extreme score means the subject may tend to avoid negative feelings or use

strong defences like denial. (Cattell, 2001) They have high score in factor H (Boldness), this

means the subject tends to be a sociable person who is bold, ready to try new things, spontaneous

and abundant in emotional response. It could be a reason why they want to try many things but

are poor in managing their priorities which may lead to problems with handling money. They

tend to be thick-skinned and deal with people and tough situations without fatigue. However,

they might have the tendency to overlook small details, ignore warning signs and talk

excessively. They might be actively interested in the opposite sex. (Cattell, 2001)

The lowest score was on factor L (Vigilance), this means the subject could be free of

jealous tendencies, adaptable, cheerful, uncompetitive, concerned about others, good team

worker, open and tolerant, and usually willing to take a chance with people. The subject has also

got low scores on factor I, O and Q4, This means the subject tends to be tough, realistic, down to

earth independent and responsible. They might have unshakable nerve, unanxious confidence in

themselves however they could be secure to the point of being insensitive to the feedback of

others. They might also be relaxed, composed and satisfied. Sometimes their over-satisfaction

could lead to laziness and low performance, and low motivation. (Cattell, 2001) This nature of

the subject could be why they engage in procrastination that could possibly lead to academic

stress.
 The scores on other factors, A (warmth), B (Reasoning), E (Dominance), F (Liveliness),

G (Rule-Consciouness), M (Abstractedness), N (Privateness), Q1 (Openess to Change), Q2

(Self-Reliance), and Q3 (Perfectionism) lie on the average range. Therefore we can infer that the

subject could possess these traits on moderate level. They could be comfortable and adapt well

according to different situations.

Secondary Factors

From Table 2, it can be seen that the subject SM has the highest score of 7.9 on

extraversion and the lowest score of 1.4 on anxiety. Having high scores on extraversion means

the subject could be a person who is socially outgoing, uninhibited and good at maintaining

interpersonal contacts. They may show interest towards activities involving interaction with othe

rpeople. Extremely low scores on anxiety means the subject could be a person who has a

satisfying life and can achieve things that are important to them. However they could also lack

motivation for difficult tasks. The subject has average scores on tough poise and independence,

This means they might have a balance of tough mindedness and receptiveness towards others

views and they might also adapt well to the environment and be accommodating others wishes.

They could be more likely to conform to the situation than to be forceful or persuasive.

Final Impression and Recommendation

The subject’s strong primary factors are emotional stability and social boldness. On the

other hand weak primary factors are vigilance, sesitivity, apprehension and tension. The subject

SM, tends to have strong emotional stabilty; tend to be socially bold, very trusting, utilitarian,

self-assured and relaxed. The subject’s dominant secondary factor is extraversion, and the least

dominant factor is anxiety.

 Since the subject is from a psychology background, possessing these traits could favour

them in their field of work. They might have good emotional regulation and good people skills.

However, they might have to be mindful about not talking too much and be open to the feedback

of others. According to research, emotional stability is linked to job satisfaction and job

performance. Therefore, we can say the subject may perform and adapt well to their future career

path. (Judge & Bono, 2001) Also, having high emotional stability could prevent the subject from

experiencing job burnout. (Alessandri et al., 2018) However, a very high score in emotional

stability could also mean the subject may be avoiding their negative feeling and engaging in

denial. Denial management counselling could be helpful for them to overcome this. (Grinstead,

2015)

High extraversion has some downsides to it. They tend to experience excitement-seeking,

impulsivity, overconfidence, recklessness and intolerance of boredom. Therefore the subject can

try to build their awareness by practicing mindfulness or meditation to focus on what they are

feeling and thinking in the present moment. Spending more time alone doing solitary activities

can help in reflecting on their own thoughts without distractions; writing in a journal can also

help. These activities could also help the subject deal with their emotional stability and denial

management. (Melman & Zohar, 2014)

Having very low scores on anxiety indicates the subject could have a low drive for

challenges and to come out of their comfort zone. Motivational Interviewing (MI) or MI

combined with Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) could help the subject make positive

changes in their life by reducing the ambivalence about changing their behaviour. This might

help them overcome procrastination and improve their money management. (Miller & Rollnick,

2013)
Summary

SM, a 21 year old female, completed bachelors degree in psychology, was having

problems of procratination, academic stress, and handling money. The 16pf questionnaire by

Cattell was administered to get a comprehensive understanding of their personality traits and to

better understand the reasons for presenting concerns. According to the test results their

dominant primary factors are high emotional stabilty high social boldness, low sensitivity, low

vigilance, low apprehension, and low tension. Their dominant secondary factors are high

extraversion and low anxiety. The subject might have better job satisfaction and job performance

in their work. Since they are from the psychology background, having the above traits might be

helpful in working with future clients. They might need to develop listening skills and engage in

mindful practices to be in connect with their feelings and decrease the use of denial mechanisms.

Motivational interviewing and CBT might help in overcoming procrastination, reduce academic

stress and improve their money handling skills.

 References

Alessandri, G., Perinelli, E., De Longis, E., Schaufeli, W. B., Theodorou, A., Borgogni, L.,

Caprara, G. V., & Cinque, L. (2018). Job burnout: The contribution of emotional stability

and emotional self-efficacy beliefs. Journal of Occupational and Organizational

Psychology, 1-29. The British Psychological Society. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12225

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Psychological Assessment (pp. 187-215). Springer, Boston.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1185-4_10

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In The Sage Handbook of Personality Theory and Assessment (pp. 135-159). SAGE

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Cherry, K. (2023, January 16). Cattell's 16 Personality Factors. Verywell Mind. Retrieved

January 23, 2023, from

https://www.verywellmind.com/cattells-16-personality-factors-2795977

Grinstead, S. F. (2015). Overcoming Resistance and Denial: Lessons Learned. NAADAC.

https://www.naadac.org/assets/2416/aa&r_fall2015_overcoming_resistance_and_denial_l

essons_learned.pdf

Judge, T. A., & Bono, J. E. (2001). Relationship of Core Self-Evaluations Traits—Self-Esteem,

Generalized Self-Efficacy, Locus of Control, and Emotional Stability—With Job

Satisfaction and Job Performance: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology,

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Melman, R. B., & Zohar, A. H. (2014). Addressing he Imbalance: The downside of Extraversion

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