Solid ground in the wetlands of personality: a reply to Block.

The five-factor model (FFM) of personality offers a structural organization of personality traits in terms of 5 broad factors. J. Block's (1995) critique of the FFM failed to recognize the utility of a trait taxonomy and the intent of research designed to test the 5-factor hypothesis. In a number of instances he omitted reference to empirical evidence that addresses concerns he raised; this evidence shows strong support for the FFM beyond the lexical and questionnaire traditions he reviews. Many of his suggestions for improving the quality of personality research are valuable, but are likely to be more fruitful when used in conjunction with established knowledge about the structure of personality traits: the FFM.

[1]  S. Briggs,et al.  Assessing the five-factor model of personality description. , 1992, Journal of personality.

[2]  P. Borkenau,et al.  NEO-Fünf-Faktoren-Inventar (NEO-FFI) nach Costa und McCrae : Handanweisung , 1993 .

[3]  S G West,et al.  Consensus, self-other agreement, and accuracy in personality judgment: an introduction. , 1993, Journal of personality.

[4]  W. T. Norman,et al.  Toward an adequate taxonomy of personality attributes: replicated factors structure in peer nomination personality ratings. , 1963, Journal of abnormal and social psychology.

[5]  L. R. Goldberg,et al.  Integration of the big five and circumplex approaches to trait structure. , 1992, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[6]  L. R. Goldberg.  The structure of phenotypic personality traits. , 1993, The American psychologist.

[7]  J. S. Wiggins,et al.  The five-factor model of personality : theoretical perspectives , 1996 .

[8]  J. Johnson,et al.  Replicated item level factor analysis of the full MMPI. , 1984, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[9]  K. Lanning.  Dimensionality of observer ratings on the California Adult Q-Set , 1994 .

[10]  D. W. Fiske.  Two Cheers for the Big Five , 1994 .

[11]  R. McCrae.  The Counterpoint of Personality Assessment: Self Reports and Observer Ratings , 1994, Assessment.

[12]  Jack Block,et al.  The Q-sort method in personality assessment and psychiatric research , 1964 .

[13]  D. Jackson.  Personality research form manual , 1974 .

[14]  M. Lorr,et al.  The Interpersonal Style Inventory and the five-factor model. , 1992, Journal of clinical psychology.

[15]  P. Costa,et al.  Toward a new generation of personality theories: Theoretical contexts for the five-factor model. , 1996 .

[16]  R. E. Christal,et al.  Recurrent personality factors based on trait ratings. , 1992, Journal of personality.

[17]  J. M. Digman,et al.  Factors In The Natural Language Of Personality: Re-Analysis, Comparison, And Interpretation Of Six Major Studies. , 1981, Multivariate behavioral research.

[18]  O. John.  Towards a Taxonomy of Personality Descriptors , 1989 .

[19]  R. Gorsuch,et al.  Number of Factors in the Personality Sphere: Does Increase in Factors Increase Predictability of Real-Life Criteria? , 1988 .

[20]  P. Costa,et al.  The structure of interpersonal traits: Wiggins's circumplex and the five-factor model. , 1989, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[21]  I. B. Myers.  Manual: A Guide to the Development and Use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator , 1985 .

[22]  D. Buss,et al.  Personality psychology : recent trends and emerging directions , 1989 .

[23]  P. Costa,et al.  Domains and facets: hierarchical personality assessment using the revised NEO personality inventory. , 1995, Journal of personality assessment.

[24]  Douglas N. Jackson,et al.  Personality Research Form , 1969 .

[25]  Douglas N. Jackson,et al.  Personality structure across cultures: A multimethod evaluation. , 1992 .

[26]  J. Block.  A contrarian view of the five-factor approach to personality description. , 1995, Psychological bulletin.

[27]  Ronald R. Holden,et al.  The NEO five-factor inventory in a Canadian context: Psychometric properties for a sample of university women , 1994 .

[28]  Paul T. Costa,et al.  Folk concepts, natural language, and psychological constructs: The California Psychological Inventory and the five-factor model. , 1993 .

[29]  J. S. Wiggins,et al.  Conceptions of personality disorders and dimensions of personality. , 1989 .

[30]  D. MacDonald,et al.  Examination of the Relationship between the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Neo Personality Inventory , 1994 .

[31]  P. Britton,et al.  CHAPTER 10 – The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory , 1966 .

[32]  Murray R. Barrick,et al.  THE BIG FIVE PERSONALITY DIMENSIONS AND JOB PERFORMANCE: A META-ANALYSIS , 1991 .

[33]  H. Stumpf,et al.  The factor structure of the Personality Research Form: A cross-national evaluation. , 1993 .

[34]  J. S. Wiggins,et al.  Extension of the Interpersonal Adjective Scales to include the Big Five dimensions of personality. , 1990 .

[35]  R. McCrae,et al.  An introduction to the five-factor model and its applications. , 1992, Journal of personality.

[36]  Robert R. McCrae,et al.  Openness to Experience as a Basic Dimension of Personality , 1993 .

[37]  Paula G. Williams,et al.  Personality and health: advantages and limitations of the five-factor model. , 1992, Journal of personality.