Measuring personality: a comparison of three personality questionnaires in the Netherlands

Three studies were conducted in order to examine (1) what can be measured with three commonly used Dutch self-report personality questionnaires, and (2) which instrument is most suitable for measuring personality in The Netherlands. In Study 1, the relationships between the Five Factor Personality Inventory (FFPI) and the Dutch Personality Questionnaire (DPQ) were examined in a community sample of 329 participants. In the second study, the relationships between the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) and the DPQ were examined in a community sample of 275 participants. Finally, in the third study the relationships between the DPQ, EPQ and FFPI were examined in a community sample of 254 participants. There are considerable relationships between all three questionnaires. The factor structures in all three studies are very similar, suggesting that a total of four personality dimensions can be assessed using these self-report personality questionnaires: Neuroticism, Extraversion, Conformity and Egoism. The factor Egoism can only be measured with the DPQ.