Fritz Ostendorf

Gender differences in personality are typically summarised using broad trait domains. To acknowledge personality traits’ multidimensionality, we studied gender differences on different levels of the personality hierarchy. Using data spanning 74 countries and four different inventories, we compared the multivariate and univariate associations of gender with aggregate trait domains and facets, and unaggregated items as markers of trait nuances. Many gender differences were specific to narrow traits and geographical contexts. While gender is accurately predictable by aggregating small gender differences in multiple traits (multivariategender difference), individual traits cannot be accurately predicted from gender (univariate gender differences), making many simplistic statements about gender differences inconsistent with data.

This replication and extension of Mõttus and Rozgonjuk (2019) compared the extents of age-related information captured by different levels of the personality trait hierarchy (domains, facets and nuances, indexed by individual items) in several samples (N = 51,524) of different age ranges and cultural backgrounds, and tested with different instruments. Across samples and measures, lower trait hierarchy levels (especially nuances) tended to contain substantially more age-sensitive information than higher levels; most of the unique age-sensitive information was in nuances. Besides showing the need for more nuanced personality (development) research, the findings suggest ways of testing novel hypotheses that rely on systematic between-trait variance in age differences.

The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Zuckerman–Kuhlman–Aluja Personality Questionnaire shortened form (ZKA-PQ/SF) in 18 cultures and 13 languages of different African, American, Asian, and European cultures and languages. The results showed that the five-factor structure with 20 facets replicated well across cultures with a total congruence coefficient of .97. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) resulted in adequate fit indices for the five factors based on the comparative fit index (CFI), Tucker–Lewis index (TLI; >.90), and RMSEA (.031-.081). A series of CFA to assess measurement invariance across cultures resulted in adequate CFIs and TLIs for configural and metric invariance. However, factors did not show scalar invariance. Alpha internal consistencies of five factors ranged between .77 (Sensation Seeking) and .86 (Neuroticism). The average alpha of the 20 facets was .64 with a range from .43 (SS4) to .75 (AG1). Nevertheless, alpha reliabilities were lower in some facets and cultures, especially for Senegal and Togo. The average percentage of the variance explained based on the adjusted R ² was 2.9%, 1.7%, and 5.1% for age, sex, and, cultures, respectively. Finally, multidimensional scaling suggested that geographically or culturally close cultures share mean profile similarities.

Objective: The goal of this study was to examine age‐associated personality differences using a measurement‐invariant representation of the higher‐order structure of the Five‐Factor Model.Method: We reanalyzed the German NEO‐PI‐R norm sample (N = 11,724) and applied ant colony optimization in a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis setting in order to select three items per first‐order factor that would optimize model fit and measurement invariance across 18 age groups ranging from 16 to 65 years of age.Results: Ant colony optimization substantially improved absolute and relative model fit under measurement invariance constraints. However, the results showed that even when selecting items, measurement invariance across a large age span could not be guaranteed. Strong measurement invariance for Extraversion and Agreeableness could not be established. The age‐associated mean‐level differences of the first‐order factors of Neuroticism and Conscientiousness supported the maturity hypothesis. The mean levels of the first‐order factors of Openness varied substantially from each other across age.Conclusions: Findings on age differences in personality can be particularly distorted in older age groups. Testing for and ensuring measurement invariance with item selection procedures can help solve this problem. The higher‐order structure of personality should be accounted for when personality development is examined.

In this genetically informative and longitudinal study of women, we investigated the nature of individual differences in tendencies to depression (TD) and anxiety (TA) as well as in the probability to develop unipolar mood disorders (UMDs), anxiety disorders (ADs) or both. Specifically, we examined the roles of neuroticism, negative and positive life events and their interplay as heritable and environmental factors of variance in TD and TA. Cross–sectional data from a total of 1200 women including 232 patients (suffering from UMDs and/or ADs) and longitudinal data from 630 female twins including 260 complete pairs were analysed. The analyses yielded that variance in neuroticism mediated the vast majority of the genetic variance in both TD (about 85–90%) and TA (about 70–75%). Negative life events additionally contributed as risk factors accounting for common and specific environmental variance in both TD and TA, whereas positive life events only acted as protective factors in the case of TD. Moreover, TD but not TA was associated with both the probability of exposure and the sensitivity to negative life events and a negative life–event balance (i.e. more negative than positive experiences). The results were discussed within the framework of additive, dynamic and synergetic diathesis–stress models. Copyright © 2016 European Association of Personality Psychology

Several personality models are known for being replicable across cultures, such as the Five–Factor Model (FFM) or Eysenck's Psychoticism–Extraversion–Neuroticism (PEN) model, and are for this reason considered universal. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the cross–cultural replicability of the recently revised Alternative FFM (AFFM). A total of 15 048 participants from 23 cultures completed the Zuckerman–Kuhlman–Aluja Personality Questionnaire (ZKA–PQ) aimed at assessing personality according to this revised AFFM. Internal consistencies, gender differences and correlations with age were similar across cultures for all five factors and facet scales. The AFFM structure was very similar across samples and can be considered as highly replicable with total congruence coefficients ranging from .94 to .99. Measurement invariance across cultures was assessed using multi–group confirmatory factor analyses, and each higher–order personality factor did reach configural and metric invariance. Scalar invariance was never reached, which implies that culture–specific norms should be considered. The underlying structure of the ZKA–PQ replicates well across cultures, suggesting that this questionnaire can be used in a large diversity of cultures and that the AFFM might be as universal as the FFM or the PEN model. This suggests that more research is needed to identify and define an integrative framework underlying these personality models. Copyright © 2016 European Association of Personality Psychology

The occurrence of differential item functioning (DIF) for gender indicates that an instrument may not be functioning equivalently for men and women. Aside from DIF effects, item responses in personality questionnaires can also be influenced by response styles. This study analyzes the German NEO-PI-R regarding its differential item functioning for men and women while taking response styles into account. To this end, mixed Rasch models were estimated first to identify latent classes that differed in their response style. These latent classes were identified as extreme response style (ERS) and nonextreme response style (NERS). Then, DIF analyses were conducted separately for the different response styles and compared with DIF results for the complete sample. Several items especially on Neuroticism, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness facets showed gender-DIF and thus function differentially between men and women. DIF results differed mainly in size between the complete sample and the response style subsamples, though DIF classification was overall consistent between ERS, NERS, and the complete sample.