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In the late 1940s, Cattell and his colleagues developed the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (commonly known as the 16-PF), based on the 15 factors they considered best established by their data, plus general intelligence as the sixteenth factor (see Cattell, 1956). The sixteen factors are described in Table 13.1. In a very interesting chapter written by Heather Cattell (Cattell’s third wife), the 16-PF profiles are presented, and compared, for a married couple in which the husband was undergoing therapy with Heather Cattell (see H. Cattell, 1986). She described how the profiles offer insight into the problems occurring for Mr. A (as the husband is identified in the chapter), both in his personal life and in his marriage. Although the marriage ended in divorce, a subsequent follow-up found both Mr. A and Mrs. A seemingly doing well in their separate lives.
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Table 13.1: The Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire Dimensions |
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Factor |
Low Score Description |
High Score Description |
| A | Reserved - detached, critical,aloof, stiff | Outgoing - warmhearted,easy-going, participating |
| B | Less Intelligent - concrete-thinking | More Intelligent - abstract-thinking, bright |
| C | Affected By Feelings - emotionally less stable, easily upset, changeable | Emotionally Stable - mature,faces reality, calm |
| E | Humble - mild, easily led, docile, accommodating | Assertive - aggressive, stubborn, competitive |
| F | Sober - taciturn, serious | Happy-Go-Lucky - enthusiastic |
| G | Expedient - disregards rules | Conscientious - persistent, moralistic, staid |
| H | Shy - timid, threat-sensitive | Venturesome - uninhibited, socially bold |
| I | Tough-Minded - self-reliant, realistic | Tender-Minded - sensitive, clinging, overprotected |
| L | Trusting - accepting conditions | Suspicious - hard to fool |
| M | Practical - “down-to-earth” concerns | Imaginative - bohemian,absent-minded |
| N | Forthright - unpretentious,genuine but socially clumsy | Astute - polished, socially aware |
| O | Self-Assured - placid, secure, complacent, serene | Apprehensive - self-reproaching, insecure, worrying, troubled |
| Q 1 | Conservative - respecting traditional ideas | Experimenting - liberal,free-thinking |
| Q 2 | Group-Dependent - a “joiner” and sound follower | Self-Sufficient - resourceful, prefers own decisions |
| Q 3 | Undisciplined Self-Conflict - lax, follows own urges, careless of social rules | Controlled - exacting will power, socially precise, compulsive |
| Q 4 | Relaxed - tranquil, unfrustrated, composed | Tense - frustrated, driven, overwrought |
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For examples of 16-PF profiles used in a therapy setting see H. Cattell (1986). |
The Types of Data Used in the Assessment of Personality
In a rather obvious statement, Cattell noted that in order for a psychologist to study correlations there must be two measures available to be correlated. The systematic measure of various aspects of the mind, including personality, has led to the development of a specific branch of psychology known as psychometry . In order for a psychometrist to get a complete and unbiased measure of personality, they must have a concept of the individual’s total behavior, what Cattell called the personality sphere . Cattell believed this could best be accomplished by taking a sample 24-hour period in the person’s life and collecting three types of data: measures of the individual’s “life-record,” or L-data ; information provided by questionnaires, or Q-data ; and data on their personality structure provided by objective tests, or T-data (Cattell, 1965).
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