DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY A.N.

COLLEGE, PATNA
M.A. Semester – II
Prof. Vinita Narain
Paper -9 Psychological Assessment
Unit-3
16PF Test
BASIC FEATURES OF THE 16PF QUESTIONNAIRE

First published in 1949, the 16PF Questionnaire has had four major revisions, in
1956, 1962, 1968, and the fifth edition in 1993 (Cattell, R.B. et al.). The latest edition
contains 185 multiple-choice items, with a three point answer format. Item content
is non-threatening, asking about daily behavior, interests, and opinions. The short
ability scale items (Factor B) are grouped together at the end of the questionnaire
with separate instructions. The questionnaire is written at a fifth grade reading level,
and meant for use with people 16 years and older. The instrument provides scores
on the 16 primary scales, 5 global scales, and 3 response bias scales. All personality
scales are bipolar (have clear, meaningful definitions at both ends), and are given in
‘stens’ (standardized-ten scores) ranging from 1 to 10, with a mean of 5.5 and a
standard deviation of 2.0. The latest standardization includes over 10,000 people and
was published in 2001.

The questionnaire is available in many different languages (international translations

exceed 35 languages worldwide). Unlike many commercially available personality
measures, recent 16PF translations are culturally adapted, with local norms and
reliability and validity information available in individual manuals. Internet
administration also allows use of international norms for scoring, plus reports in over
a dozen different language groups. The 16PF traits are also measured in parallel
versions for younger age ranges. For example, the 16PF Adolescent Personality
Questionnaire measures the 16PF traits in 12–18 year olds (Schuerger, 2001). A
shorter (20-minute) version of the questionnaire, consisting of a subset of somewhat-
shortened scales, was developed for use in employee selection settings – the 16PF
Select (Cattell, R.B. et al., 1999). The 16PF Express (Gorsuch, 2006) provides a very
short, 15-minute measure of all the traits (with four or five items per factor). The
16PF traits also appear in the PsychEval Personality Questionnaire (PEPQ; Cattell,
R.B. et al., 2003), a comprehensive instrument which includes both normal and
abnormal personality dimensions.

Administration

Because the questionnaire is un-timed and has simple, straightforward instructions,

administration requires minimal supervision in either individual or group settings.
Administration time is about 35–50 minutes for paper-and-pencil format, and about
25–40 minutes for computer administration. Easy scoring procedures are provided
for paper-and-pencil, computer, or Internet formats. Detailed instructions for
administration and scoring can be found in numerous places (H.E.P. Cattell and
Schuerger, 2003; Russell and Karol, 2002).

The aims of the test The 16-PF can be used, among other applications, for
identifying personalities, which fit specific profiles for occupational
applications.

The format 16-PF includes a list of statements on a self-scoring sheet. In

completing 16-PF, it is simply a case of choosing between two statements given,
with the option also to choose a midway answer. Thus there are three options
to each statement.

16 PF test Factors
The characteristics below represent broad personality fields of the Cattell 16
personality traits theory / 16 PF test. The various groups of personality traits occur
in a lot of people. People who have a high need for social contact, for instance, tend
to be more talkative and more open. However, these don’t always occur together in
a certain individual. Personality is complex and each individual can display
behaviour in conformity with these different characteristics. Furthermore, behaviour
is an interaction between personal and situational variables. The situation a person
is in plays a large role. The Cattell 16 personality traits theory identifies the
following personality traits:

Emotional engagement

The desire to develop intimate relationships with others: outgoing versus reserved

Emotional stability

How calmly people respond to what life brings or what happens in life: calm
versus stressed

Liveliness

How free and spontaneous a person expresses themselves: spontaneous versus

restrained

Socially secure

The extent to which a person feels at ease in social situations: uninhibited versus
shy

Vigilance

The extent to which someone is cautious with regard to the intentions and
motivations of others: suspicious versus trusting

Openness

The extent to which someone wishes to keep personal information to themselves:

discreet versus openness

Openness to change

The extent to which a person enjoys new situations and experiences: Flexible
versus connected to the familiar
Perfectionism

The need someone feels to trust in structure rather than leaving things to chance:
controlled versus undisciplined

Reasoning ability

The extent to which a person is able to identify and solve numerical and verbal
problems and connections: abstract versus concrete

Dominance

The tendency to have influence and control over others: powerful versus
submissive

Rule aware

The extent to which a person values rules: conforming versus non-conforming

Sensitivity

The extent to which emotions and feelings of others affect a person: tender versus
tough

Abstractness

The amount of attention that someone pays to abstract rather than concrete
observations: imaginative versus practical

Uncertainty

A person’s tendency to self-criticism: self-critical versus self-assured

Independence

The extent to which a person trusts in his own judgements and capacities and opts
to work solo: self-reliant versus dependant
Tension

The extent to which a person may be frustrated by different situations: impatient

versus relaxed

Raymond Cattell's 16 Personality Factors[edit]

Below is a table outlining the personality traits measured by the 16PF Questionnaire.

Descriptors of low range Primary factor Descriptors of high range

Warm, outgoing, attentive to others,

Impersonal, distant, cool, reserved, Warmth
kindly, easygoing, participating, likes
detached, formal, aloof (A)
people

Concrete-thinking, less intelligent, Abstract-thinking, more intelligent,

Reasoning
lower general mental capacity, unable bright, higher general mental
(B)
to handle abstract problems capacity, fast-learner

Reactive emotionally, changeable, Emotional

Emotionally stable, adaptive, mature,
affected by feelings, emotionally less Stability
faces reality calmly
stable, easily upset (C)

Deferential, cooperative, avoids Dominant, forceful, assertive,

Dominance
conflict, submissive, humble, obedient, aggressive, competitive, stubborn,
(E)
easily led, docile, accommodating bossy

Lively, animated, spontaneous,

Serious, restrained, prudent, taciturn, Liveliness
enthusiastic, happy-go-lucky,
introspective, silent (F)
cheerful, expressive, impulsive

Rule- Rule-conscious, dutiful,

Expedient, nonconforming, disregards
Consciousness conscientious, conforming, moralistic,
rules, self-indulgent
(G) staid, rule-bound

Shy, threat-sensitive, timid, hesitant, Social Boldness Socially bold, venturesome, thick-
intimidated (H) skinned, uninhibited
Utilitarian, objective, unsentimental,
Sensitivity Sensitive, aesthetic, sentimental,
tough-minded, self-reliant, no-
(I) tender-minded, intuitive, refined
nonsense, rough

Trusting, unsuspecting, accepting, Vigilance Vigilant, suspicious, skeptical,

unconditional, easy (L) distrustful, oppositional

Grounded, practical, prosaic, solution Abstractedness Abstract, imaginative, absentminded,

oriented, steady, conventional (M) impractical, absorbed in ideas

Forthright, genuine, artless, open, Private, discreet, nondisclosing,

Privateness
guileless, naive, unpretentious, shrewd, polished, worldly, astute,
(N)
involved diplomatic

Self-assured, unworried, complacent, Apprehensive, self-doubting, worried,

Apprehension
secure, free of guilt, confident, self- guilt-prone, insecure, worrying, self-
(O)
satisfied blaming

Traditional, attached to familiar, Openness to Open to change, experimental,

conservative, respecting traditional Change liberal, analytical, critical, freethinking,
ideas (Q1) flexibility

Group-oriented, affiliative, a joiner and Self-Reliance Self-reliant, solitary, resourceful,

follower dependent (Q2) individualistic, self-sufficient

Tolerates disorder, unexacting, flexible, Perfectionistic, organized,

undisciplined, lax, self-conflict, Perfectionism compulsive, self-disciplined, socially
impulsive, careless of social rules, (Q3) precise, exacting will power, control,
uncontrolled self-sentimental

Relaxed, placid, tranquil, torpid, Tension Tense, high-energy, impatient, driven,

patient, composed low drive (Q4) frustrated, over-wrought, time-driven
Scoring- Each personality factor is provided at least 10-13 questions or items. The
questions are arranged in a roughly cyclic order and three alternative answers are
provided. In all, there are 187 items in the questionnaire. The scoring can be done
rapidly by a stencil key.

Score Interpretation

Scores are presented in “stens” or standard-ten scale, ranging from 1 to 10, with a
mean of 5.5 and a standard deviation of 2. Sten 4 is considered low, sten 5 or 6
average, and sten 7 high. A+ indicates a high score (right pole) while A- indicates a
low score (left pole) on the primary scale Warmth (A).

The 16PF primary and global scales are bipolar, with well-defined meanings at
both poles rather than varying degrees of the scale. A high or low score on a scale
is not regarded as good or bad. Rather, the score increases the likelihood that the
trait defined at the pole will be distinctive of the individual’s behavior. Whether
that trait is determined to have positive or negative effects depends on the context.