Discriminant validity assessment has become a generally accepted prerequisite for analyzing relationships between latent variables. For variance-based structural equation modeling, such as partial least squares, the Fornell-Larcker criterion and the examination of cross-loadings are the dominant approaches for evaluating discriminant validity. By means of a simulation study, we show that these approaches do not reliably detect the lack of discriminant validity in common research situations. We therefore propose an alternative approach, based on the multitrait-multimethod matrix, to assess discriminant validity: the heterotrait-monotrait ratio of correlations. We demonstrate its superior performance by means of a Monte Carlo simulation study, in which we compare the new approach to the Fornell-Larcker criterion and the assessment of (partial) cross-loadings. Finally, we provide guidelines on how to handle discriminant validity issues in variance-based structural equation modeling.

/pdf/a-new-criterion-for-assessing-discriminant-validity-in-4xs4c94ene.pdf

A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling

Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is a relatively new website that contains the major elements required to conduct research: an integrated participant compensation system; a large participant pool; and a streamlined process of study design, participant recruitment, and data collection. In this article, we describe and evaluate the potential contributions of MTurk to psychology and other social sciences. Findings indicate that (a) MTurk participants are slightly more demographically diverse than are standard Internet samples and are significantly more diverse than typical American college samples; (b) participation is affected by compensation rate and task length, but participants can still be recruited rapidly and inexpensively; (c) realistic compensation rates do not affect data quality; and (d) the data obtained are at least as reliable as those obtained via traditional methods. Overall, MTurk can be used to obtain high-quality data inexpensively and rapidly.

http://www.gruberpeplab.com/teaching/psych231_fall2013/documents/231_Buhrmester2011.pdf

Amazon's Mechanical Turk A New Source of Inexpensive, Yet High-Quality, Data?

Five studies tested two general hypotheses: Individuals differ in their use of emotion regulation strategies such as reappraisal and suppression, and these individual differences have implications for affect, well-being, and social relationships. Study 1 presents new measures of the habitual use of reappraisal and suppression. Study 2 examines convergent and discriminant validity. Study 3 shows that reappraisers experience and express greater positive emotion and lesser negative emotion, whereas suppressors experience and express lesser positive emotion, yet experience greater negative emotion. Study 4 indicates that using reappraisal is associated with better interpersonal functioning, whereas using suppression is associated with worse interpersonal functioning. Study 5 shows that using reappraisal is related positively to well-being, whereas using suppression is related negatively.

Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes: implications for affect, relationships, and well-being.

This study investigated the relation of the “Big Five” personality dimensions (Extraversion, Emotional Stability, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness to Experience) to three job performance criteria (job proficiency, training proficiency, and personnel data) for five occupational groups (professionals, police, managers, sales, and skilled/semi-skilled). Results indicated that one dimension of personality, Conscientiousness, showed consistent relations with all job performance criteria for all occupational groups. For the remaining personality dimensions, the estimated true score correlations varied by occupational group and criterion type. Extraversion was a valid predictor for two occupations involving social interaction, managers and sales (across criterion types). Also, both Openness to Experience and Extraversion were valid predictors of the training proficiency criterion (across occupations). Other personality dimensions were also found to be valid predictors for some occupations and some criterion types, but the magnitude of the estimated true score correlations was small (ρ < .10). Overall, the results illustrate the benefits of using the 5-factor model of personality to accumulate and communicate empirical findings. The findings have numerous implications for research and practice in personnel psychology, especially in the subfields of personnel selection, training and development, and performance appraisal.

The big five personality dimensions and job performance: a meta-analysis

2 Taxonomy is always a contentious issue because the world does not come to us in neat little packages (S. Personality has been conceptualized from a variety of theoretical perspectives, and at various levels of Each of these levels has made unique contributions to our understanding of individual differences in behavior and experience. However, the number of personality traits, and scales designed to measure them, escalated without an end in sight (Goldberg, 1971). Researchers, as well as practitioners in the field of personality assessment, were faced with a bewildering array of personality scales from which to choose, with little guidance and no overall rationale at hand. What made matters worse was that scales with the same name often measure concepts that are not the same, and scales with different names often measure concepts that are quite similar. Although diversity and scientific pluralism are useful, the systematic accumulation of findings and the communication among researchers became difficult amidst the Babel of concepts and scales. Many personality researchers had hoped that they might devise the structure that would transform the Babel into a community speaking a common language. However, such an integration was not to be achieved by any one researcher or by any one theoretical perspective. As Allport once put it, " each assessor has his own pet units and uses a pet battery of diagnostic devices " (1958, p. 258). What personality psychology needed was a descriptive model, or taxonomy, of its subject matter. One of the central goals of scientific taxonomies is the definition of overarching domains within which large numbers of specific instances can be understood in a simplified way. Thus, in personality psychology, a taxonomy would permit researchers to study specified domains of personality characteristics, rather than examining separately the thousands of particular attributes that make human beings individual and unique. Moreover, a generally accepted taxonomy would greatly facilitate the accumulation and communication of empirical findings by offering a standard vocabulary, or nomenclature. After decades of research, the field is approaching consensus on a general taxonomy of personality traits, the " Big Five " personality dimensions. These dimensions do not represent a particular theoretical perspective but were derived from analyses of the natural-language terms people use to describe themselves 3 and others. Rather than replacing all previous systems, the Big Five taxonomy serves an integrative function because it can represent the various and diverse systems of personality …

The Big Five Trait taxonomy: History, measurement, and theoretical perspectives.

The Big Five Inventory-2 (BFI-2) is a recently published 60-item questionnaire that measures personality traits within the five-factor model framework. An important aspect of the BFI-2 is that it measures the traits at both the domain and facet levels and also controls acquiescence bias via the balanced number of true- and false-keyed items across the domains and facets. The current research evaluates factorial measurement invariance of a Russian version of the BFI-2 across sex and age within samples of 1,024 university students (Study 1) and 1,029 Internet users (Study 2). Across these samples, men scored lower on the domains of negative emotionality and agreeableness and slightly higher on extraversion. Sex differences were also obtained on various facets. In the Internet sample, age correlated modestly with several Big Five domains in accordance with the well-documented maturity principle. The newly developed Russian version of BFI-2 showed good reliability and validity across both samples. Moreover, random intercept exploratory factor analyses showed that the BFI-2 displayed a hierarchical five-domain-15-facet structure that demonstrated strict measurement invariance across sex and age.

Measurement Invariance and Sex and Age Differences of the Big Five Inventory–2: Evidence From the Russian Version:

To facilitate life span research on depressive symptomatology, a depressive symptom scale for the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) is needed. The authors constructed such a scale (the CPI-D) and compared its psychometric properties with 2 widely used self-report depression scales: the Beck Depression Inventory and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Construct validity of the CPI-D was examined in 3 studies. Study 1 established content validity, classifying CPI-D items into Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition depressive symptoms. Study 2 used 3 large samples to gather evidence for reliability and validity: correlational analyses demonstrated alpha reliability and convergent and discriminant validity; factor analysis provided evidence for discriminant validity with anxiety; and regression analyses demonstrated comparative validity with existing standard PI scales. Study 3 used clinician ratings of depression and anxiety as criteria for external validity.

https://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~johnlab/pdfs/jay&john,2004.pdf

A Depressive Symptom Scale for the California Psychological Inventory: Construct Validation of the CPI-D

The Big Five Inventory-2 (BFI-2) has received wide recognition since its publication because it strikes a good balance between content coverage and brevity. The current study translated the BFI-2 into Chinese, evaluated its psychometric properties in four diverse Chinese samples (college students, adult employees, adults treated for substance use, and adolescents), and compared its factor structure with those obtained from two U.S. samples. Across two studies, the Chinese BFI-2 demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach's α and test-retest reliability), structural validity, convergent/discriminant validity, and criterion-related validity at the domain level. At lower levels of analyses, some facets and negatively worded items functioned better among participants with higher than those with lower education levels. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

The Big Five Inventory-2 in China: A Comprehensive Psychometric Evaluation in Four Diverse Samples.

La description de la personnalite a ete concue a partir d’une variete de points de vue theoriques et a differents niveaux d’abstraction. Dans l’etude de la personnalite, l’unite la plus frequemment utilisee pour mesurer les differences individuelles a ete le trait. Un consensus semble se degager actuellement sur une taxonomie generale des traits de la personnalite, les cinq facteurs de la personnalite, connus sous le nom des « Big Five », expression introduite par Goldberg. Le but de cet article est de resituer l’elaboration de la version originale du Big Five Inventory (BFI) de John, Donahue et Kentle (1991) dans son histoire, et parmi les autres tests disponibles le « TDA ou trait descriptive adjective » de Goldberg et le « NEO PI-R ou NEO personality inventory revised » de Costa et McCrae. La revue reprend les differents stades de conceptualisation des categories qui furent elaborees a partir d’une selection d’adjectifs de dictionnaires permettant de differencier un individu d’un autre. Seuls les traits seront utilises pour l’elaboration des trois tests mentionnes. Les « Big Five » retrouves a partir d’analyses factorielles peuvent se resumer en cinq facteurs replicables connus sous le nom de OCEAN ou CANOE de la personnalite, moyen mnemotechnique pour E (Extraversion, Energie, Enthousiasme) ; A (Agreabilite, Altruisme, Affection) ; C (Conscience, Controle, Contrainte) ; N (Emotions Negatives, Nevrosisme, Nervosite) ; O (Ouverture, Originalite, Ouverture d’esprit), ordre etabli par les auteurs du BFI. La structure des « Big Five » regroupe a un haut niveau d’abstraction les points communs de la plupart des systemes existant sur la description de la personnalite et met a disposition un modele descriptif integre pour des recherches sur la personnalite.

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Oliver P. John

Papers

Measurement Invariance and Sex and Age Differences of the Big Five Inventory–2: Evidence From the Russian Version:

A Depressive Symptom Scale for the California Psychological Inventory: Construct Validation of the CPI-D

The Big Five Inventory-2 in China: A Comprehensive Psychometric Evaluation in Four Diverse Samples.

Histoire des " Big Five " : OCEAN des cinq grands facteurs de la personnalité. Introduction du Big Five Inventory français ou BFI-FR

How are dimensions of adult personality related to ego development? An application of the typological approach