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16PF factors
Explanations > Preferences
> 16PF
The 16 Primary Factors
| The 5 Global Factors | So
what?
16PF stands for the 16 Personality Factors or 'source traits' that were
identified by Raymond Cattell in the 1930s as being the main set of factors
whereby a person can be classified. These were derived from an analysis of
personality-describing words (initially 18,000, then whittled down to 4500, then
about 171 and eventually 16).
There are 16 Primary Factors, which have
also been grouped into five global factors.
Unlike some other systems, the focus of the 16PF is to identify
innate characteristics without immediate concern for how they are applied.
The 16 Primary Factors
These are Cattells' original personality factors.
|
Primary Factor |
Ref |
Low |
High |
Warmth
|
A |
Reserved, impersonal, distant, cool, reserved, impersonal, detached,
formal, aloof |
Warm, outgoing, attentive to others, kindly, easygoing, participating,
likes people |
Reasoning
|
B |
Concrete-thinking, lower general mental capacity, less intelligent, unable
to handle abstract problems |
Abstract-thinking, more intelligent, bright, higher general mental
capacity, fast learner |
Emotional Stability
|
C |
Reactive, emotionally changeable, affected by feelings, emotionally less
stable, easily upset |
Emotionally stable, adaptive, mature, faces reality, calm |
Dominance
|
E |
Deferential, cooperative, avoids conflict, submissive, humble, obedient,
easily led, docile, accommodating |
Dominant, forceful, assertive, aggressive, competitive, stubborn, bossy
|
Liveliness
|
F |
Serious, restrained, prudent, taciturn, introspective, silent |
Lively, animated, spontaneous, enthusiastic, happy-go-lucky, cheerful,
expressive, impulsive |
Rule-Consciousness
|
G |
Expedient, nonconforming, disregards rules, self-indulgent |
Rule-conscious, dutiful, conscientious, conforming, moralistic, staid,
rule-bound |
Social Boldness
|
H |
Shy, threat-sensitive, timid, hesitant, intimidated |
Socially bold, venturesome, thick-skinned, uninhibited, can take stress
|
Sensitivity
|
I |
Utilitarian, objective, unsentimental, tough-minded, self-reliant,
no-nonsense, rough |
Sensitive, aesthetic, sentimental, tender-minded, intuitive, refined |
Vigilance
|
L |
Trusting, unsuspecting, accepting, unconditional, easy |
Vigilant, suspicious, skeptical, wary, distrustful, oppositional |
Abstractedness
|
M |
Grounded, practical, prosaic, solution-oriented, steady, conventional |
Abstracted, imaginative, absent-minded, impractical, absorbed in ideas
|
Privateness
|
N |
Forthright, genuine, artless, open, guileless, naive, unpretentious,
involved |
Private, discreet, non-disclosing, shrewd, polished, worldly, astute,
astute, diplomatic |
Apprehension
|
O |
Self-assured, unworried, complacent, secure, free of guilt, confident,
self-satisfied |
Apprehensive, self-doubting, worried, guilt-prone, insecure, worrying,
self-blaming |
Openness to Change
|
Q1 |
Traditional, attached to familiar, conservative, respecting traditional
ideas |
Open to change, experimenting, liberal, analytical, critical,
free-thinking, flexibility |
Self-Reliance
|
Q2 |
Group-oriented, affiliative, a joiner and follower, dependent |
Self-reliant, solitary, resourceful, individualistic, self-sufficient |
Perfectionism
|
Q3 |
Tolerates disorder, unexacting, flexible, undisciplined, lax,
self-conflict, impulsive, careless of social rules, uncontrolled |
Perfectionist, organized, compulsive, self-disciplined, socially precise,
exacting will power, control, self-sentimental |
Tension
|
Q4 |
Relaxed, placid, tranquil, torpid, patient, composed, low drive |
Tense, high energy, impatient, driven, frustrated, over-wrought, has high
drive, time-driven |
The single reference letters indicate the order in which the factors emerged
from the statistical factor analysis used to derive them. This means that the
earlier factors are more significant (so 'warmth' had a very significant effect
and will moderate other factors). The 'Q' factors emerged later when the initial
factors were being tested. Missing letters indicate
The Five Global Factors (16PF5)
This is a grouping and simplification from the above 16 factors, which are sometimes also
called the 16PF5. These are not a simple grouping of the 16PF - some of the
sixteen appear in more than one of the five.
|
Global Factors |
Low |
High |
16PF |
Extraversion
|
Introverted, socially inhibited |
Extraverted, social participant |
A+, F+, H+, N-, Q2- |
Anxiety
|
Low anxiety, relaxed, imperturbable, well-adjusted |
High anxiety, tense, perturbable, histrionic |
C-, L+, O+, Q4+ |
Tough-Mindedness / Willpower
|
Receptive, open-minded, intuitive, emotionality, feeling |
Tough-minded, resolute, non-empathetic, determined |
A-, I-, M-, Q1- |
Independence
|
Accommodating, agreeable, selfless, subdued |
Independence, persuasive, wilful |
E+, H+, L +, Q1+ |
Self-Control
|
Unrestrained, impulsive, uncontrolled |
Self-controlled, inhibiting impulses |
F-, G+, M-, Q3+ |
Note that these are similar to the Big Five factors,
which were developed later.
So what?
Assess people either roughly using the above table as a guide or more fully
using the standard questionnaire. The general principle is that these factors
are pretty fixed, so you can then project them onto other situations.
See also
Big Five factors
Conn, S. R., Rieke, M. L. (1994). The 16PF Fifth Edition Technical Manual.
Champagne, Illinois: Institute for Personality and Ability Testing, Inc.
Cattell, R. B. (1957). Personality and motivation: Structure and
measurement. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World
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