Personality trait structure as a human universal.
Patterns of covariation among personality traits in English-speaking populations can be summarized by the five-factor model (FFM). To assess the cross-cultural generalizability of the FFM, data from studies using 6 translations of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (P.T. Costa & R. R. McCrae, 1992) were compared with the American factor structure. German, Portuguese, Hebrew, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese samples (N = 7,134) showed similar structures after varimax rotation of 5 factors. When targeted rotations were used, the American factor structure was closely reproduced, even at the level of secondary loadings. Because the samples studied represented highly diverse cultures with languages from 5 distinct language families, these data strongly suggest that personality trait structure is universal.
McCrae
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Personality, Stress, and Coping Section, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
Costa
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PT
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires