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Is the general factor of personality based on evaluative responding? Experimental manipulation of item-popularity in personality inventories.

Bäckström, Martin LU and Björklund, Fredrik LU orcid (2016) In Personality and Individual Differences 96. p.31-35
Abstract
The general factor of personality (GFP) is understood as a hierarchically superordinate factor, which suggests that it and the subordinate personality traits are mutually dependent on one another. If a personality inventory captures the subordinate traits the GFP should appear too. Likewise, manipulating the GFP should affect the subordinate traits and vice versa. The current study was an attempt to uniquely affect the size of the GFP by manipulating the evaluativeness of the inventory. First we estimated a general factor in a standard (evaluative) personality inventory, and found it to be robust. Then we estimated it in an inventory with evaluatively neutralized items, and found it to be unreliable. Finally, the neutralized inventory was... (More)
The general factor of personality (GFP) is understood as a hierarchically superordinate factor, which suggests that it and the subordinate personality traits are mutually dependent on one another. If a personality inventory captures the subordinate traits the GFP should appear too. Likewise, manipulating the GFP should affect the subordinate traits and vice versa. The current study was an attempt to uniquely affect the size of the GFP by manipulating the evaluativeness of the inventory. First we estimated a general factor in a standard (evaluative) personality inventory, and found it to be robust. Then we estimated it in an inventory with evaluatively neutralized items, and found it to be unreliable. Finally, the neutralized inventory was made evaluative again. As expected, the GFP reappeared, suggesting the increased evaluative content to be the cause. Results are discussed in relation to personality assessment and to higher order factors in personality theory. It is suggested that for determining whether the GFP exists or not researchers should turn to other measures than personality inventories. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
General factor of personality, Big Five, Personality, Self-ratings
in
Personality and Individual Differences
volume
96
pages
31 - 35
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:84959360027
  • wos:000374604300007
ISSN
1873-3549
DOI
10.1016/j.paid.2016.02.058
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
76f643f5-e671-4c8f-bf1c-6d8b1921afd5 (old id 8833313)
alternative location
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886916301143
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:05:57
date last changed
2022-04-04 02:12:42
@article{76f643f5-e671-4c8f-bf1c-6d8b1921afd5,
  abstract     = {{The general factor of personality (GFP) is understood as a hierarchically superordinate factor, which suggests that it and the subordinate personality traits are mutually dependent on one another. If a personality inventory captures the subordinate traits the GFP should appear too. Likewise, manipulating the GFP should affect the subordinate traits and vice versa. The current study was an attempt to uniquely affect the size of the GFP by manipulating the evaluativeness of the inventory. First we estimated a general factor in a standard (evaluative) personality inventory, and found it to be robust. Then we estimated it in an inventory with evaluatively neutralized items, and found it to be unreliable. Finally, the neutralized inventory was made evaluative again. As expected, the GFP reappeared, suggesting the increased evaluative content to be the cause. Results are discussed in relation to personality assessment and to higher order factors in personality theory. It is suggested that for determining whether the GFP exists or not researchers should turn to other measures than personality inventories.}},
  author       = {{Bäckström, Martin and Björklund, Fredrik}},
  issn         = {{1873-3549}},
  keywords     = {{General factor of personality; Big Five; Personality; Self-ratings}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{31--35}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Personality and Individual Differences}},
  title        = {{Is the general factor of personality based on evaluative responding? Experimental manipulation of item-popularity in personality inventories.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.02.058}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.paid.2016.02.058}},
  volume       = {{96}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}