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Cattell's 16 personality factors.

According to trait theory, human personality is composed of a number of broad traits or

dispositions. Early theories attempted to describe every possible trait. For example,

psychologistGordon Allportidentified more than 4,000 words in the English language that

could be used to describe personality traits. Later,Raymond Cattellanalyzed this list andwhittled it down to 171 characteristics, mostly by eliminated terms that were redundant or

uncommon. He was then able to use a statistical technique known as factor analysis to

identify traits that are related to one another. By doing this, he was able to reduce his list to

16 key personality factors.

According to Cattell, there is a continuum of personality traits. In other words, each person

contains all of these 16 traits to a certain degree, but they might be high in some traits and

low in others. The following personality trait list describes some of the descriptive terms

used for each of the 16 personality dimensions described by Cattell.

1. Abstractedness:Imaginative versus practical2. Apprehension:Worried versus confident3. Dominance:Forceful versus submissive4. Emotional Stability:Calm versus high strung5. Liveliness:Spontaneous versus restrained6. Openness to Change:Flexible versus attached to the familiar7. Perfectionism:Controlled versus undisciplined8. Privateness:Discreet versus open9. Reasoning:Abstract versus concrete10. Rule Consciousness:Conforming versus non-conforming11. Self-Reliance:Self-sufficient versus dependent12. Sensitivity:Tender-hearted versus tough-minded.13. Social Boldness:Uninhibited versus shy14. Tension:Impatient versus relaxed15. Vigilance:Suspicious versus trusting16. Warmth:Outgoing versus reserved

Strongly

disagreeDisagree Neither agree not

disagreeDisagree Strongly

disagree

I take time out for others.

I know that I am not a special person.

I take control of things.

I try to forgive and forget.

I keep in the background.

I can't do without the company of others.

I trust others.

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I am not easily frustrated.

I cheer people up.

I often feel uncomfortable around others.

I seldom feel blue.

I dislike myself.

I take charge.

I let others make the decisions.

I believe in the importance of art.

I like to get lost in thought.

I wait for others to lead the way.

I am willing to talk about myself.

I find it difficult to approach others.

I enjoy my privacy.

I swim against the current.

I feel guilty when I say "no."

I am hard to get to know.

I don't talk a lot.

I believe in one true religion.

I am not easily annoyed.

I feel crushed by setbacks.

I am afraid that I will do the wrong thing.

I enjoy being part of a loud crowd.

I weigh the pros against the cons.

I do unexpected things.

I get angry easily.

I am quiet around strangers.

I don't mind eating alone.

I make people feel at ease.

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I use my brain.

I have a good word for everyone.

I feel desperate.

I want to be in charge.

I feel comfortable around people.

I am the life of the party.

I don't let others discourage me.

I enjoy being part of a group.

I love to daydream.

I distrust people.

I worry about things.

I am not easily bothered by things.

I respect authority.

I do things that others find strange.

I skip difficult words while reading.

I feel comfortable with myself.

I am exacting in my work.

I tend to analyze things.

I continue until everything is perfect.

I believe that people are basically moral.

I am quick to judge others.

I am relaxed most of the time.

I enjoy silence.

I show my feelings.

I judge people by their appearance.

I prefer variety to routine.

I never challenge things.

I can't stand being contradicted.

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I try not to think about the needy.

I am easily put out.

I prefer to do things by myself.

I get irritated easily.

I know the answers to many questions.

I trust what people say.

I like to stand during the national anthem.

I love flowers.

I find it hard to forgive others.

I leave my belongings around.

I feel others' emotions.

I let myself be pushed around.

I don't like crowded events.

I enjoy hearing new ideas.

I act wild and crazy.

I read a lot.

I try to follow the rules.

I enjoy wild flights of fantasy.

I use swear words.

I don't worry about things that have already

happened.

I say what I think.

I am easily hurt.

I enjoy spending time by myself.

I don't mind being the center of attention.

I seldom get lost in thought.

I seldom daydream.

I suspect hidden motives in others.

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I am not interested in abstract ideas.

I am easily discouraged.

I am not afraid of providing criticism.

I disclose my intimate thoughts.

I don't like action movies.

I want everything to be "just right."

I feel threatened easily.

I am the last to laugh at a joke.

I enjoy discussing movies and books withothers.

I joke around a lot.

I have a poor vocabulary.

I dislike loud music.

I make insightful remarks.

I enjoy bringing people together.

I get chores done right away.

I reflect on things before acting.

I am not bothered by disorder.

I don't like to get involved in other people's

problems.

I break rules.

I can take strong measures.

I love large parties.

I do not like poetry.

I believe that others have good intentions.I leave a mess in my room.

I put off unpleasant tasks.

I oppose authority.

I resist authority.

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I readily overcome setbacks.

I get confused easily.

I know how to comfort others.

I am open about myself to others.

I rarely notice my emotional reactions.

I amuse my friends.

I love to think up new ways of doing things.

I dislike works of fiction.

I do not enjoy watching dance performances.

I start conversations.

I make friends easily.

I often feel blue.

I counter others' arguments.

I am not interested in theoretical discussions.

I seek quiet.

I have frequent mood swings.

I learn quickly.

I rarely look for a deeper meaning in things.

I like to read.

I keep my thoughts to myself.

I try to avoid complex people.

I reveal little about myself.

I am not bothered by messy people.

I consider myself an average person.

I like order.

I avoid philosophical discussions.

I am annoyed by others' mistakes.

I cry during movies.

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I am not really interested in others.

I believe that people are essentially evil.

I know how to get around the rules.

I seldom joke around.

I carry the conversation to a higher level.

I spend time thinking about past mistakes.

I talk to a lot of different people at parties.

I bottle up my feelings.

I want to be left alone.

I take an interest in other people's lives.

I am wary of others.

I enjoy teamwork.

I have little to say.

I believe laws should be strictly enforced.

I do things by the book.

I am open about my feelings.

I believe that people seldom tell you the whole

truth.

I take deviant positions.

IntroductionIn his explorations of personality, British psychologist Raymond Cattell found that variations in

human personality could be best explained by a model that has sixteen variables (personalitytraits), using a statisical procedure known as factor analysis. Following this discovery he went on

to create and promote the 16PF Questionnaire. This test uses a public domain scales from the

Internation Personality Item Pool to measure the same traits.

ProcedureThis personality test consists of 164 statements about yourself, for each indicate how accurate it

is on the scale of (1) disagree (2) slightly disagree (3) niether agree nor disagree (4) slightlyagree (5) agree. It will take most people around ten minutes to complete.

Informed consentThis test should be taken for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for any type of

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professional service, medical or otherwise. You answers on this test will be stored and used for

research, and possibly shared in a way that preserves your anonymity.

The test is complete. Here are your results; scores are between 0 and 4.

Trait Score Percentile

Warmth 2.3 /

Warmth is how nice to people you are. [more]

Reasoning 2.2 /

Reasoning is how good at abstract thinking you are. [more]

Emotional stability 2.3 /

Emotional stability is how in control of your emotions you are. [more]

Dominance 2.5 /

Dominance is how assertive you are when dealing with people. [more]

Liveliness 1.8 /

Liveliness is how much energy you display. [more]

Rule-consciousness 2.2 /

Rule-consciousness is how much you abide by authority. [more]

Social boldness 2.2 /

Social boldness is how socially confident you are. [more]

Sensitivity 2.1 /

Sensitivity is how much you can be affected. [more]

Vigilance 2 /

Vigilance. [more]

Abstractedness 1.5 /

Abstractedness is how imaginative you are. [more]

Privateness 2.1 /

Privateness is how honest you are about who you are. [more]Apprehension 1.8 /

Apprehension is how troubled you are. [more]

Openness to change 1.9 /

Openness to change is how not stuck in your ways you are. [more]

Self-reliance 2.2 /

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Self-reliance is how contained your needs are. [more]

Perfectionism 2.2 /

Perfectionism is how high you standards are for yourself. [more]

Tension 2.1 /

Tension is how driven you are, crossed with impatience. [more]