title: The nature and structure of correlations among Big Five ratings: the halo-alpha-beta model.
abstract: In light of consistently observed correlations among Big Five ratings, the authors developed and tested a model that combined E. L. Thorndike's (1920) general evaluative bias (halo) model and J. M. Digman's (1997) higher order personality factors (alpha and beta) model. With 4 multitrait-multimethod analyses, Study 1 revealed moderate convergent validity for alpha and beta across raters, whereas halo was mainly a unique factor for each rater. In Study 2, the authors showed that the halo factor was highly correlated with a validated measure of evaluative biases in self-ratings. Study 3 showed that halo is more strongly correlated with self-ratings of self-esteem than self-ratings of the Big Five, which suggests that halo is not a mere rating bias but actually reflects overly positive self-evaluations. Finally, Study 4 demonstrated that the halo bias in Big Five ratings is stable over short retest intervals. Taken together, the results suggest that the halo-alpha-beta model integrates the main findings in structural analyses of Big Five correlations. Accordingly, halo bias in self-ratings is a reliable and stable bias in individuals' perceptions of their own attributes. Implications of the present findings for the assessment of Big Five personality traits in monomethod studies are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. anusiciv@msu.edu
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Anusic
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schimmack
authors.forename: Rebecca T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Pinkus
authors.forename: Penelope
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lockwood
mesh_terms: D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010551:Personality / Q000502:physiology*; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011582:Psychological Theory; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012649:Self Concept; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires