A contrarian view of the five-factor approach to personality description.

1995/01/01 by Jack Block · 6 citations
Computer Science · Mathematics · Psychology · #Artificial Intelligence in Education #Cognitive psychology #Computer science #Contrarian #Economics #Emotional Intelligence and Performance #Factor (programming language) #Mathematics #Mathematics education #Personality #Personality Traits and Psychology #Psychology #Rubric #Social psychology #Variable (mathematics)

paper · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.117.2.187

openalex publication_date 1995/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01

Abstract

The 5-factor approach (FFA) to personality description has been represented as a comprehensive and compelling rubric for assessment. In this article, various misgivings about the FFA are delineated. The algorithmic method of factor analysis may not provide dimensions that are incisive. The "discovery" of the five factors may be influenced by unrecognized constraints on the variable sets analyzed. Lexical analyses are based on questionable conceptual and methodological assumptions, and have achieved uncertain results. The questionnaire version of the FFA has not demonstrated the special merits and sufficiencies of the five factors settled upon. Serious uncertainties have arisen in regard to the claimed 5-factor structure and the substantive meanings of the factors. Some implications of these problems are drawn.

Citations

• Domains and Facets: Hierarchical Personality Assessment Using the Revised NEO Personality Inventory
• Factor Comparability As A Means Of Determining The Number Of Factors And Their Rotation
• Normal personality assessment in clinical practice: The NEO Personality Inventory.
• An Introduction to the Five‐Factor Model and Its Applications
• Facet Scales for Agreeableness and Conscientiousness: A Revision of the NEO Personality Inventory
• Redundancy Analysis an Alternative for Canonical Correlation Analysis
• Accuracy and bias in self-perception: Individual differences in self-enhancement and the role of narcissism.
• The two disciplines of scientific psychology.
• Factors and Taxa, Traits and Types, Differences of Degree and Differences in Kind

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• The stereotype of accountants: using a personality approach to assess the perspectives of laypeople
• The structure of the lexical personality descriptors in Serbian language
• Psychology [wikipedia]