The five-factor model of personality: Is evidence of its cross-measure validity premature?

Abstract

The Adjective Check List (ACL; Gough and Heilbrun, The Adjective Check List Manual. Consulting Psychologists Press, Palo Alto, Calif., 1965) was used to study the cross-measure validity of the five-factor model of personality (McCrea and Costa, J. Person. soc. Psychol. 49, 710–721, 1985; 52, 81–90, 1987). Adjective scales from the ACL were selected as marker variables, in a factor analytic investigation, to assess the generalizability of the proposed five personality traits—Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to experience, Agreeableness-antagonism, and Conscientiousness-undirectedness—across adjective measures. Results of the factorial ACL adjective scales from 143 respondents failed to confirm the structure of the five factor model. Contrary to expectations, none of the hypothesized sets of ACL marker scales converged to form any of the suggested five personality factors. Certain procedural and methodological dissimilarities between the present and former studies are discussed, which may possibly account for the discrepancies in the findings.