Oscar García

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.

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.

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.

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.

Psychometric Properties of Goldberg's 50 Personality Markers for the Big Five Model1

Summary: The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Spanish transparent version of Goldbergs Big Five 50 personality markers (Goldberg, 1992). The structure of the questionnaire was analyzed through exploratory factor analyses (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) in a sample of 1189 university students. The Spanish version shows similar statistical properties to the English one. A reduced version of the Goldberg questionnaire with 25 items yields a better fit to the five-factor personality structure than the 50-adjective version.

Incremental effect for antisocial personality disorder genetic risk combining 5-HTTLPR and 5-HTTVNTR polymorphisms

As the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4 or 5-HTT) is a key regulator of central serotonergic activity, several association studies between Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) and the SLC6A4 polymorphisms have been conducted in the last decade. In the present study, the role of both 5-HTTLPR and 5-HTTVNTR polymorphisms of the SLC6A4 gene in APD is investigated. A sample of 147 male inmates was analyzed. APD was assessed by Alujas Antisocial Personality Disorder Scale, a measure that correlates 0.73 with the dimensional score of DSM-IV APD and 0.62 with factor II of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised. Inmates presenting both 5-HTTLPR S/S+S/L and 5-HTTVNTR 12/12 had a higher risk of being classified in the APD group (Odds ratio=3.48). The results also showed that the genotype and haplotype distribution was more dissimilar when extreme groups were compared with odds ratios up to 6.50. Our results supported that, in addition to the widely investigated 5-HTTLPR polymorphism, the 5-HTTVNTR polymorphism might be an interesting candidate for association studies with APD. Results also suggested that previous failures to replicate the association between serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms and APD, or similar phenotypes, could have been due to an under-representation of extremely high APD subjects in the samples analyzed.

Is Openness to Experience an Independent Personality Dimension

The Openness to Experience personality dimension has been challenged for its lack of independence from other personality constructs. In order to test whether Openness is an independent trait, we applied the following psychometric tests to a sample of 1006 nonpsychology university students: NEO-PI-R, EPQ-RS, ZKPQ-III-R, and SSS-V. Results suggest that most of the Openness variance remains to be explained. Therefore, this domain can be considered independent within the personality area, although Extraversion and, above all, Sensation Seeking presented significant relationships with the Openness scales. Each NEO-PI-R Openness facet shows a different pattern of relationships with other personality constructs proposed by the Five-Fac- tor, Eysencks, and Zuckermans theories. Those relationships are discussed.

Structural Analysis of the Facets and Domains of the Zuckerman–Kuhlman–Aluja Personality Questionnaire (ZKA–PQ) and the NEO PI–R

Aluja, Kuhlman, and Zuckerman (2010) developed an instrument for American and Spanish populations (Zuckerman–Kuhlman–Aluja Personality Questionnaire [ZKA–PQ]) that includes 4 facets for each 5 basic traits of Zuckermans psychobiological personality model. This new instrument is intended to improve the previous measure based on the same personality model, the Zuckerman–Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ), by including the narrower traits (facets) defining the factors. This article explores the convergent and discriminant validity of the new instrument relative to the NEO PI–R in a sample from the Spanish general population. A series of exploratory factor analyses comparing both instruments was conducted. Results showed good convergent and discriminant validity between both instruments, although the ZKA–PQ had a slightly better structure than the NEO PI–R. The results support the validity of the ZKA–PQ factor domains and the facets composing them. The new instrument might be useful in both applied and research settings.

Exploring the structure of Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale, Form V in a Spanish sample.

The psychometric properties of the original version of the Sensation Seeking Scale (Form V) were analyzed in a sample of 1,006 Spanish university students. The total sample was randomly split into two halves. Exploratory factor analyses were conducted on the calibration sample (n = 504), whereas confirmatory factor analysis procedures were performed on the validation sample (n = 502). As previous studies have suggested, exploratory factor structure indicated that several items load on a different factor or have loadings lower than .30. Those problems were surpassed when the best five items per factor were factor analyzed again. The confirmatory factor analyses showed that a 4-factor simple structure model gave a clearly imperfect fit. A model of 20 items (5 items per factor) gave a better fit, although with similar problems regarding the low reliabilities of the Experience Seeking and Boredom Susceptibility subscales. The need for improvement of the four-factor structure is discussed.