Cattell's 16 Personality Factors

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTrait TheoryThe 16 Personality FactorsThe 16PF Personality Factors QuestionnaireUses for Cattell’s 16 Personality Factors Test (16PF)Test InterpretationHistory of the 16 Factors

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Trait Theory

The 16 Personality Factors

The 16PF Personality Factors Questionnaire

Uses for Cattell’s 16 Personality Factors Test (16PF)

Test Interpretation

History of the 16 Factors

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People have long been interested in understanding humanpersonality. As a result, numeroustheorieshave been developed to explain how personality develops and influences behavior.

The Trait Approach to Personality

Psychologists have long debated exactly how personality should be defined and described. One of these key ideas is known as thetrait theory of personality.

According to trait theory, human personality is composed of a number of broad traits or dispositions.

Some of the earliest trait theories attempted to describe every trait that could possibly exist. For example, psychologistGordon Allportidentified more than 4,000 words in the English language that describe personality traits.

Although this broad approach identified traits well, it’s unwieldy, ambiguous, and difficult to use. For example, many traits are very similar and, therefore, difficult to distinguish.

Cattell viewedpersonality traitson a continuum. Each person has all 16 traits to a degree, but each person

The following are Cattell’s 16 personality factors:

Cattell’s 16 personality factors were based on Allport’s original list. Some researchers believe these 16 factors can be further reduced in number. Thefive-factor modelis one example.

Cattell’s 16PF Personality Factors Questionnaire is still used frequently today, especially in careercounseling, marital counseling, and employee testing and selection.The respondent must choose one of three alternatives in forced-choice questions. The score is expressed in a range and falls between the highest and lowest extremes.

Researchers use various systems to interpret scores, depending on the test’s purpose. Some of the resulting interpretive reports take a clinical approach; others focus on areas such as career selection, teamwork development, and leadership potential.

Research has supported the test’s validity, including its use in career development and personality assessment.

Afree versionof the 16PF Questionnaire is available online through the Open-Source Psychometrics Project. The test is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice or medical diagnosis. Talk to a mental health provider or career testing service to have a professional administer the test and interpret your results.

Other Personality Tests

Although they test somewhat varying traits, similar personality assessments are available. These include:

The 16PF has a variety of uses, including:

Personality, he believed, was not just some unknowable and untestable mystery. It could be studied, organized, and sometimes predicted based on underlying personality traits.

High and low scores aren’t “good” or “bad.” A scoring guide is necessary to determine what your score indicates.

A Word From Verywell

The 16 Factors of Personality is one example of the trait approach. According to trait theory, human personality comprises many traits in unique combinations. The 16PF Questionnaire is widely used in a variety of settings for numerous purposes, including healthcare, human resources, investigations, and much more.

6 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cattell HEP, Mead AD.The sixteen personality factor questionnaire (16PF). In: Boyle GJ, Matthews G, Saklofske DH, eds.The Sage Handbook of Personality Theory and Assessment: Volume 2 - Personality Measurement and Testing. Sage, 2016. doi:10.4135/9781849200479.n7Fleeson W, Jayawickreme E.Whole trait theory.J Res Pers. 2015;56:82–92. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2014.10.009Power RA, Pluess M.Heritability estimates of the Big Five personality traits based on common genetic variants.Translation Psychiatry. 2015;5:e604. doi:10.1038/tp.2015.96Abel MH, Brown LK.Validity of the 16pf reasoning ability scale.Psychol Rep. 1998;83(3):904-906. doi:10.2466/pr0.1998.83.3.904Cattell HEP.The sixteen personality factor (16pf) questionnaire. In: Dorfman WI, Hersen M, eds.Understanding Psychological Assessment. Springer US; 2001:187-215. doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-1185-4_10PSI.16PF Comprehensive Insights Report.

6 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cattell HEP, Mead AD.The sixteen personality factor questionnaire (16PF). In: Boyle GJ, Matthews G, Saklofske DH, eds.The Sage Handbook of Personality Theory and Assessment: Volume 2 - Personality Measurement and Testing. Sage, 2016. doi:10.4135/9781849200479.n7Fleeson W, Jayawickreme E.Whole trait theory.J Res Pers. 2015;56:82–92. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2014.10.009Power RA, Pluess M.Heritability estimates of the Big Five personality traits based on common genetic variants.Translation Psychiatry. 2015;5:e604. doi:10.1038/tp.2015.96Abel MH, Brown LK.Validity of the 16pf reasoning ability scale.Psychol Rep. 1998;83(3):904-906. doi:10.2466/pr0.1998.83.3.904Cattell HEP.The sixteen personality factor (16pf) questionnaire. In: Dorfman WI, Hersen M, eds.Understanding Psychological Assessment. Springer US; 2001:187-215. doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-1185-4_10PSI.16PF Comprehensive Insights Report.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Cattell HEP, Mead AD.The sixteen personality factor questionnaire (16PF). In: Boyle GJ, Matthews G, Saklofske DH, eds.The Sage Handbook of Personality Theory and Assessment: Volume 2 - Personality Measurement and Testing. Sage, 2016. doi:10.4135/9781849200479.n7Fleeson W, Jayawickreme E.Whole trait theory.J Res Pers. 2015;56:82–92. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2014.10.009Power RA, Pluess M.Heritability estimates of the Big Five personality traits based on common genetic variants.Translation Psychiatry. 2015;5:e604. doi:10.1038/tp.2015.96Abel MH, Brown LK.Validity of the 16pf reasoning ability scale.Psychol Rep. 1998;83(3):904-906. doi:10.2466/pr0.1998.83.3.904Cattell HEP.The sixteen personality factor (16pf) questionnaire. In: Dorfman WI, Hersen M, eds.Understanding Psychological Assessment. Springer US; 2001:187-215. doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-1185-4_10PSI.16PF Comprehensive Insights Report.

Cattell HEP, Mead AD.The sixteen personality factor questionnaire (16PF). In: Boyle GJ, Matthews G, Saklofske DH, eds.The Sage Handbook of Personality Theory and Assessment: Volume 2 - Personality Measurement and Testing. Sage, 2016. doi:10.4135/9781849200479.n7

Fleeson W, Jayawickreme E.Whole trait theory.J Res Pers. 2015;56:82–92. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2014.10.009

Power RA, Pluess M.Heritability estimates of the Big Five personality traits based on common genetic variants.Translation Psychiatry. 2015;5:e604. doi:10.1038/tp.2015.96

Abel MH, Brown LK.Validity of the 16pf reasoning ability scale.Psychol Rep. 1998;83(3):904-906. doi:10.2466/pr0.1998.83.3.904

Cattell HEP.The sixteen personality factor (16pf) questionnaire. In: Dorfman WI, Hersen M, eds.Understanding Psychological Assessment. Springer US; 2001:187-215. doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-1185-4_10

PSI.16PF Comprehensive Insights Report.

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