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Rotation to Maximize the Construct Validity of Factors in the NEO Personality Inventory

1989; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 24; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1207/s15327906mbr2401_7

1532-7906

Robert R. McCrae, Paul T. Costa,

Mental Health Research Topics

The NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI) consists of 5 global domain and 18 specific facet scales developed to measure aspects of the five major dimensions of normal personality. To obtain optimal measures of these five dimensions from the NEO-PI scales, a method for the orthogonal rotation of principal components to maximize the convergent and discriminant validity of the rotated factors (validimax rotation) is proposed and applied to NEO-PI factors. Self-report data from 983 men and women were used to obtain the factors, and six alternative operationalizations of the five-factor model were used as external criteria to guide rotation. The rotation obtained was cross-validated on peer and spouse ratings on the NEO-PI, and in a second sample. NEO-PI domain scales, varimax factors, and validimax factors all showed evidence of construct validity, but validimax factors were somewhat superior, especially as measures of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness.