Factor analyses of the NEO-PI-R Inventory and the Comrey Personality Scales in Italy and the United States

The Costa and McCrae NEO-PI-R Inventory and the short form of the Comrey Personality Scales (CPS) were administered to volunteer samples in Italy and the United States. In each sample, the 30 NEO-PI-R facet scales defining Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness were intercorrelated and factor analyzed. In the American sample, all five NEO-PI-R factors were well defined. In the Italian sample, only three of these factors were well defined. The five NEO-PI-R factor scores and the eight CPS scale scores were intercorrelated and factor analyzed in each sample separately to show the overlap between these two instruments. Four factors were found in the American data and five in the Italian data. Good correspondences were shown in both samples between NEO Extraversion and CPS Extraversion, NEO Neuroticism and the reverse of CPS Emotional Stability, as well as NEO Conscientiousness and CPS Orderliness. In both samples, NEO Agreeableness was related to both CPS Trust and CPS Empathy. An additional factor found only in the Italian data was defined by NEO Openness and the reverse of CPS Social Conformity.