Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHistoryWhat the Six Facets MeanBenefitsDrawbacks
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
History
What the Six Facets Mean
Benefits
Drawbacks
Close
The HEXACO Personality Inventory measures six facets of personality:
Those who complete the personality test answer statements such as, “I often go for walks” or “I like to watch television.” A computer then analyzes the results and provides scores on each of the 6 domains, as well as 25 facets. Responses are collected and used for research purposes.
The “Big 5,” as these core traits are called, served as the theoretical basis upon which Ashton & Lee created the HEXACO Personality Inventory.
However, when Ashton & Lee looked at other languages and cultures, they added the Honesty-Humility factor.
Since then, the HEXACO Personality Test has been used widely, and has been translated into numerous languages.
Like other personality tests, the HEXACO Personality Inventory is used to gauge human personality across a multitude of situations.
There are six primary domains that comprise the assessment.
Here’s a bit more about each one:
Each of these six domains has four facets, which further explore how personality tendencies may manifest. For instance, the Honesty-Humility domain has a Sincerity scale, which assesses individuals’ predisposition for being genuine in their interpersonal relations.
There’s also an Interstitial Scale, unattached to any of the domains, which measures individuals’ likelihood of beingaltruisticvs. antagonistic.
Benefits of the HEXACO Personality Inventory
Learning more about one’spersonality typecan be advantageous. This can help individuals understand why they act the way they do. Personality tests can also be beneficial formental healthprofessionals.
According toDr. Lee Phillips, “We must know how patients cope with their mental health issues of concern prior to starting psychotherapy. Facilitating personality tests provides psychotherapists with the framework for treatment planning and selecting a treatment modality that will benefit the patient.”
Like certain otherpersonality inventories, the HEXACO Personality Inventory is simple to administer and can be completed in relatively little time.
The HEXACO Personality Inventory May Be Used to Predict Behavior
Furthermore, the HEXACO Personality Inventory has been correlated to predict certain behaviors.
In one study, researchers found that the personality test helped determine differences in personality traits between various academic majors.
Business/commerce majors, for instance, scored higher in Extraversion compared to their Physical Sciences/Math counterparts, while Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences students exhibited more Openness to Experiences than other majors.
One meta-analysis also found that those who scored higher in Openness to Experience and Honesty and Humility were more likely to exhibit pro-environmental behavior.
Drawbacks of the HEXACO Personality Inventory
While the HEXACO Personality Inventory can be useful, it also has its drawbacks. Studies have found that individuals completing personality inventories can respond to items based on social desirability, meaning, answering in a manner that presents them in a favorable light.
Since the HEXACO Personality Inventory is subjective, it can be difficult to account for social desirability in participants’ final scores.
Additionally, although the HEXACO Personality Inventory has been studied in cross-cultural contexts, it is difficult to generalize results.Kara Nassour, LPC, NCCsays,
Personality Test Don’t Consider Cultural Differences
Finally, the HEXACO Personality can “box” people into certain categories, according to Dr. Michele Goldman of theHope for Depression Research Foundation. She also says, “People tend to hold onto the notion that their results are fixed and conclusive, but our personalities change and evolve over time.”
A Word From Verywell
The HEXACO Personality Inventory isn’t meant to diagnose any particular mental health condition but can complement a broadertreatment plan.
The Type A Personality Quiz
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.Kibeom Lee, Ph.D, & Michael C. Ashton, Ph.D.The HEXACO Personality Inventory- Revised.Ashton M.Individual Differences and Personality. 2017.Lee K, Ashton M, Novitsky C.Academic Majors and HEXACO Personality.Journal of Career Assessment. 2022;30(2):345-366. doi: 10.1177/10690727211044765Soutter ARB, Bates TC, Mõttus R.Big Five and HEXACO Personality Traits, Proenvironmental Attitudes, and Behaviors: A Meta-Analysis.Perspect Psychol Sci. 2020;15(4):913-941. doi:10.1177/1745691620903019Bäckström M, Björklund F.Social desirability in personality inventories: Symptoms, diagnosis and prescribed cure.Scandinavian Journal of Psychology. 2012.https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12015Ion A, Iliescu D, Aldharfi S, Rana N, Ratanadilok K, Widyanti A, Nedelcea C.A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Personality Structure Through the Lens of the HEXACO Model.Journal of Personality Assessment. 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00223891.2016.1187155
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.Kibeom Lee, Ph.D, & Michael C. Ashton, Ph.D.The HEXACO Personality Inventory- Revised.Ashton M.Individual Differences and Personality. 2017.Lee K, Ashton M, Novitsky C.Academic Majors and HEXACO Personality.Journal of Career Assessment. 2022;30(2):345-366. doi: 10.1177/10690727211044765Soutter ARB, Bates TC, Mõttus R.Big Five and HEXACO Personality Traits, Proenvironmental Attitudes, and Behaviors: A Meta-Analysis.Perspect Psychol Sci. 2020;15(4):913-941. doi:10.1177/1745691620903019Bäckström M, Björklund F.Social desirability in personality inventories: Symptoms, diagnosis and prescribed cure.Scandinavian Journal of Psychology. 2012.https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12015Ion A, Iliescu D, Aldharfi S, Rana N, Ratanadilok K, Widyanti A, Nedelcea C.A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Personality Structure Through the Lens of the HEXACO Model.Journal of Personality Assessment. 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00223891.2016.1187155
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.
Kibeom Lee, Ph.D, & Michael C. Ashton, Ph.D.The HEXACO Personality Inventory- Revised.Ashton M.Individual Differences and Personality. 2017.Lee K, Ashton M, Novitsky C.Academic Majors and HEXACO Personality.Journal of Career Assessment. 2022;30(2):345-366. doi: 10.1177/10690727211044765Soutter ARB, Bates TC, Mõttus R.Big Five and HEXACO Personality Traits, Proenvironmental Attitudes, and Behaviors: A Meta-Analysis.Perspect Psychol Sci. 2020;15(4):913-941. doi:10.1177/1745691620903019Bäckström M, Björklund F.Social desirability in personality inventories: Symptoms, diagnosis and prescribed cure.Scandinavian Journal of Psychology. 2012.https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12015Ion A, Iliescu D, Aldharfi S, Rana N, Ratanadilok K, Widyanti A, Nedelcea C.A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Personality Structure Through the Lens of the HEXACO Model.Journal of Personality Assessment. 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00223891.2016.1187155
Kibeom Lee, Ph.D, & Michael C. Ashton, Ph.D.The HEXACO Personality Inventory- Revised.
Ashton M.Individual Differences and Personality. 2017.
Lee K, Ashton M, Novitsky C.Academic Majors and HEXACO Personality.Journal of Career Assessment. 2022;30(2):345-366. doi: 10.1177/10690727211044765
Soutter ARB, Bates TC, Mõttus R.Big Five and HEXACO Personality Traits, Proenvironmental Attitudes, and Behaviors: A Meta-Analysis.Perspect Psychol Sci. 2020;15(4):913-941. doi:10.1177/1745691620903019
Bäckström M, Björklund F.Social desirability in personality inventories: Symptoms, diagnosis and prescribed cure.Scandinavian Journal of Psychology. 2012.https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12015
Ion A, Iliescu D, Aldharfi S, Rana N, Ratanadilok K, Widyanti A, Nedelcea C.A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Personality Structure Through the Lens of the HEXACO Model.Journal of Personality Assessment. 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00223891.2016.1187155
Meet Our Review Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit
What is your feedback?
