Anton Aluja

A comparative study of Zuckerman's three structural models for personality through the NEO-PI-R, ZKPQ-III-R, EPQ-RS and Goldberg's 50-bipolar adjectives

Abstract This study was designed to explore the inter-relationships of the personality inventories NEO-PI-R, ZKPQ-III-R and EPQ-RS, within the framework of the structural models of 3, 4 and 5 factors proposed by Zuckerman, Kuhlman, Teta, Joireman, and Kraft [(1993). A comparison of three structural models of personality: the Big Three, the Big Five, and the alternate Five. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 757–768]. As an additional measure of the Big Five, Goldbergs bipolar adjectives were added. Extraversion and Neuroticism were quite similar across all three models. With a three-factor solution, the different measures of personality can be grouped into Neuroticism, Extraversion and Psychoticism factors. Openness of the NEO-PI-R, Sociability and Activity of the ZKPQ-III-R are clearly located on the Extraversion factor, while Conscientiousness and Agreeableness come within the Psychoticism factor, together with Impulsive Sensation Seeking and Aggressivity-Hostility of the ZKPQ-III-R. The four-factor structure suggests that Psychoticism is split into two factors. The first one was formed by Conscientiousness, Impulsive Sensation Seeking and Psychoticism, and the other by Agreeableness and Aggression-Hostility. The five-factor model seems to be similar to the four-factor one, except for Openness markers that forms an independent factor. The relationship of Openness with Psychoticism and Extraversion is discussed.

Relationships among extraversion, openness to experience, and sensation seeking

Abstract This study was designed to examine the relationships among Extraversion, Openness to Experience (and their facets), measured through the NEO-PI-R, and the Sensation Seeking construct and its sub-scales, measured through the Sensation Seeking Scale, form V (SSS-V). The sample comprised 1006 non-psychology undergraduates doing different degrees. In general, relationships among the SSS total scale and the four sub-scales (TAS, ES, Dis, BS) are mainly accounted for by the E5-Excitement Seeking facet of the NEO-PI-R. The other Extraversion facets as well as those of Openness, except O4-Actions, explain little variance. Taking together E5, O4 and O1, 85% of the higher and lower scorers on SSS-V are classified properly.

Development of the Zuckerman–Kuhlman–Aluja Personality Questionnaire (ZKA–PQ): A Factor/Facet Version of the Zuckerman–Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ)

The development of a new 200-item questionnaire based on the theoretical constructs of the alternative Five-factor model of personality is described. We developed the Zuckerman–Kuhlman–Aluja Personality Questionnaire (ZKA–PQ) from an initial pool of 537 items. Its final version includes 5 factors with 4 facets per factor and 10 items per facet. Internal consistencies were adequate particularly for the factors. The 1 factor confirmatory factor analyses showed satisfactory goodness-of-fit indexes, but not for the 5 factor simple structure. When incorporating the secondary loadings and the correlated error terms, the model fit improved. A multigroup analysis showed gender differences for the factors Sensation Seeking, Neuroticism, Aggressiveness, and Activity for the Spanish-speaking sample but only for Aggressiveness in the English-speaking sample. We assessed the convergent and discriminant validity of the ZKA–PQ by inspecting correlations with shortened versions of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (Costa & McCrae, 1992) and Temperament and Character Inventory–Revised (Cloninger, 1999) in 2 independent and additional samples. This new instrument may be useful for basic and applied research, including normal personality, psychobiology of personality, personality and clinical disorders, and industrial-organizational psychology.

Replicability of the three, four and five Zuckerman's personality super-factors: exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of the EPQ-RS, ZKPQ and NEO-PI-R

This study was designed with a double objective: (1) testing the replicability of the three, four and five factor personality structure proposed by Zuckerman et al. (1993) and (2) testing which of the three models obtain the better goodness-of-fit to the data using structural equation modelling analysis. The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised, the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Inventory Form III-Revised, and the NEO-Personality Inventory-Revised were applied to a sample of 1006 Spanish University students. Different statistical techniques such as Exploratory Factor Analysis (with Varimax and Procrustes rotation methods) and Confirmatory Factor Analyses were used. Comparative results show that the three, four and five-factor structures obtained on the Zuckermans study and the current data are very similar, demonstrating their cross-cultural replicability. Results of the CFA show that the simple structures of the three different models obtained unsatisfactory fit indices, although after introducing modifications these improve acceptably. None of the three models was clearly superior. We discuss the relationships among Agreeableness, Conscientiousness and Psychoticism.

Hostility-Aggressiveness, Sensation Seeking, and Sex Hormones in Men: Re-Exploring Their Relationship

To evaluate the relationship between sex hormones and aggressiveness, hostility and sensation seeking we studied 30 healthy males. Using a standardised technique of radioimmunoassay, we obtained blood values of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), 17β-estradiol (E2), total testosterone (TT), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and the free androgen index (FAI). Personality was evaluated by the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory and the Sensation-Seeking Scale, form V. The results showed a lack of significant correlations between the measures of aggressiveness-hostility and hormones. Nevertheless, Spearman and Pearson correlations between Sensation Seeking and testosterone were positive and significant after controlling for age. Considerably higher correlations were obtained after controlling for LH and SHBG. A group of subjects with high scores in a factor made up of Experience Seeking, Disinhibition and Boredom Susceptibility obtained significantly higher scores on TT and FAI. Subjects with high scores in a factor made up of Assault, Indirect Aggression and Verbal Aggression obtained significantly higher scores in SHBG and TT. These findings support Zuckerman’s personality model for the sensation-seeking trait.

Social support (family and supervisor), work–family conflict, and burnout: Sex differences:

We examined how work-family conflict (WFC) mediated the relationship between social support (supervisor and family) and burnout, and how sex moderated this relationship (N = 343 Spanish workers). The results sustained hypotheses in accordance with a biosocial model of sex differences. There were full mediation effects of work interference with family (WIF) in the association of work support with burnout for men, and of family support with burnout for women. This suggests that sex moderated these mediation processes. The findings are discussed in terms of a shift in the differential assignment of family roles to men and women, despite the fact that women might be the main contributors to domestic work and related tasks.

Psychometric properties of the Zuckerman–Kuhlman personality questionnaire (ZKPQ-III-R): a study of a shortened form

This study was designed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire, form III Revised (1993). The structure of the questionnaire was analysed by Exploratory (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) procedures in a sample of 1.006 university students. Several of the 89-items were grouped into different factors than in the Zuckerman et al.s analyses, while other items were highly correlated among them (and Modification Indexes regarding covariances among them were also high). It was found that a 69-item model showed better fit, similar reliability coefficients, and slightly better construct and convergent validity than the 89-item version. The use of this reduced version in the investigation of the Zuckermans Alternative Five Factor personality model in the Spanish language context has been suggested.

Influence of individual differences in the Behavioral Inhibition System and stimulus content (fear versus blood-disgust) on affective startle reflex modulation

Inconsistencies among affective startle reflex modulation studies may be due to differences in the startle potentiation produced by the specific content of the images used, to individual differences in sensitivity to negative stimuli, or to the interaction of both factors. To explore this interaction, 52 undergraduates obtaining extreme scores on a self-report measure of the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) participated in an affective startle reflex modulation paradigm. A significant interaction between BIS group (high versus low) and image content emerged from the MANOVA. Comparing startle magnitude between fear and pleasant images, low BIS participants did not seem to show startle potentiation, whereas high BIS participants did. Both groups displayed potentiated startle during blood-disgust images. The present results suggest the importance of considering personality variables and their interaction with image content in the affective startle modulation paradigm.

Sensation Seeking, Sexual Curiosity and Testosterone in Inmates

The relationships between sensation seeking, curiosity about sex, and total and free testosterone in inmates were investigated. The role of other hormones such as luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) in these relationships was also analyzed. Previous analysis allowed the deletion of extreme hormone values affecting the distribution of the variables. In spite of obtaining a high mean for SHBG, relationships between hormones were appropriate. It was observed that higher values of SHBG produce an increment in total testosterone, but not in free testosterone. Positive relationships between total testosterone and the Disinhibition scale of the Sensation Seeking Scale Form V were replicated, although they were affected by SHBG. Significant relationships between total and free testosterone and curiosity about sex were also found. LH and FSH did not influence these patterns of relations. It was suggested that relationships between SHBG and sensation seeking in inmates could be mediated by items referring to alcohol and drugs. The high levels of SHBG observed in the sample reinforced this suggestion. In spite of the role of SHBG, subjects who were desinhibited and concerned about sex presented higher concentrations of total and free testosterone. The results support Zuckerman’s sensation seeking theory.

A psychometric analysis of the revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire short scale

This study was carried out in order to study the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the EPQ-RS. The factor structure is investigated through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and structure equation modelling (SEM). Both orthogonal and oblique rotation procedures have been conducted. EFA results show that the EPQ-RS has a very robust four-factor structure. Also, these factors are found to be fairly congruent with the normative Spanish version (Eysenck, H. J., & Eysenck S. B. J. 1997). In spite of this, SEM shows a misfit of the four-factor simple structure model. However, modification indices show nine-item pairs with high correlations between their error terms. A content analysis reveals that these item pairs are quite redundant. After deleting seven of them, a respecified model of 41 items was tested yielding an appropriate fit. SEM techniques are suggested as a useful procedure to improve construct validity and dimensionality of the EPQ-RS.