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By Rob Bailey, Managing Consultant, R&D at OPP®
The 16PF® questionnaire is a powerful and comprehensive measure of personality. Learning how to make the best use of it is a process that continues well after initial training in the instrument. This article presents answers to a number of questions that OPP® often hears from practitioners using the 16PF questionnaire, in relation to the transition from the fourth to the fifth edition, and the interpretation of particular factors.
Q: I have been using the fourth edition of the 16PF questionnaire for many years and really like it. Why should I switch to the fifth edition?
A: Although the fifth edition of the 16PF questionnaire has been available for over ten years, a number of people still use the fourth edition. The 16PF questionnaire does, however, offer some significant advantages over the earlier version:
- The questions are now shorter and less ambiguous. Questions which were unnecessarily complicated were rewritten or dropped. This makes the questionnaire clearer, fairer and more acceptable to those completing it.
- Some questions that could be challenged on the basis of gender, race, culture, religion or disability, or that showed statistical biases on these factors, have been removed.
- Some questions that were dated, or that were likely to become dated, were removed, giving the 16PF questionnaire a more contemporary feel.
- All the questions, other than those relating to Reasoning, now have the same consistent response format, with '?' as the middle response, making the questionnaire easier to complete.
- All of the Reasoning (Factor B) questions have now been moved to the end of the questionnaire. As a result, respondents find the questionnaire more straightforward to complete, and it is easier for administrators to ask respondents to omit these questions if desired.
- Questions that were seen as extremely socially desirable or undesirable have been removed, as have questions where there was a strong bias to a particular response. This means that the fifth edition is less prone to response biases than earlier versions of the questionnaire. The 16PF questionnaire also has three scales, or indices, to look at response biases – Impression Management, Acquiescence and Infrequency.
- Scale reliabilities have been improved, without significantly reducing the breadth of the factors. This means that 16PF users can have more confidence in the accuracy of their results and there is less likelihood that respondents will disagree with these results.
- The 16PF questionnaire has been standardised on a representative sample of the UK population, meaning that large and representative norm groups are available. British validity data is available and OPP has an ongoing programme of research. It is also happy to work with clients to develop their own norm tables.
- The 16PF questionnaire is available in a wide range of languages, including Danish, Dutch, and French, which have also been standardised with local samples.
- New scale names have been developed, which are easier for people to understand and remember
- An integrated profile chart and feedback sheet is available for the 16PF questionnaire.
- The 16PF questionnaire is available on PC-based software and in a large number of different languages via the internet.
- The basic personality structure underlying the test remains the same, which means a transfer to 16PF will be easy.
Q: Somebody got a high score on Impression Management (IM). What does this mean?
A: A high score on IM indicates that the person has demonstrated traits or behaviours deemed desirable in society, or has denied undesirable characteristics. The tendency to portray oneself in an improbably positive light is sometimes seen in job placement settings. However, it may also reflect authentic responses. A high IM score also may reflect an idealised self-image rather than deliberate 'faking'.
Q: Somebody got a low score on Impression Management (IM). What does this mean?
A: A low IM score suggests that the person has presented themselves in an unfavourable light by selecting items that reflect or even exaggerate undesirable qualities. This may be because they are extremely self-critical or may reflect a need for support or attention
Q: Somebody got a high score on Infrequency (INF). What does this mean?
A: A high score on the INF scale indicates that the person selected responses seldom chosen by others. This therefore suggests they selected their responses randomly. Alternatively, a high INF score may indicate an inability or unwillingness to make a commitment to specific response choices. In rare cases, a high INF score may reflect the accurate responses of an individual with an idiosyncratic profile.
Q: Somebody got a high score on Acquiescence (ACQ). What does this mean?
A: The purpose of the ACQ scale is to detect a person's tendency to answer a question positively, regardless of its content. An acquiescent response pattern can affect all the results. This may indicate a high need for acceptance, or may reflect 'test sabotage', where the respondent has deliberately chosen mostly or all 'a' responses. |