Big Five personality factors and the prediction of behavior: A multitrait–multimethod approach

We investigated the construct validities of three, quite diverse, Big Five personality questionnaires using confirmatory factor analysis applied to multitrait–multimethod data. Participants (N = 295) completed three different personality questionnaires: the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (Costa & McCrae, 1992), the Five-Factor Nonverbal Personality Questionnaire (Paunonen, Jackson, & Ashton, 2004), and a 50-item bipolar adjective rating form (Goldberg, 1992). They also completed a behavior report form as a separate criterion measure. The multitrait–multimethod analyses provided evidence for the convergent validity and, to a lesser extent, the discriminant validity of the Big Five personality measures. Criterion-related validities of the Big Five measures were also supported.