A Re-Examination of Personality Structure in Late Childhood, and Development of the High School Personality Questionnaire

Abstract

UNTIL VERY recently in the history of fac tored personality measurement, there has been only one factored questionnaire instrum e n t f o r use at a child level. This instrument, first named the Junior Personality Quiz (JPQ), was derived from research which has been reported by Cattell and Gruen (15), and Cattell and Beloff (12). Psychologically, the JPQ factors general ly bear a close relationship to factors which have been found also at the adult level, and this rela tion has been proved by correlation (12). If such an instrument is to become widely used, either for practical or research purposes, there is, however, a need, scientifically, for re-examina tion of the structure of its component factors, up on an independent sample (for experience shows some fluctuation in simple structure). There is, also, a practical need for the extension of the scale into an equivalent B form, to give the in creased reliabilities possible from longer testing. Immediate practical aims were, therefore, (1) checking the factor structure, particularly the rotational resolution, (2) intensifying the scales, (3) extending the scales, and (4) checking the identification of the factors against those estab lished at later ages, and possibly adding one or two additional factor scales that might prove im portant. However, for the benefit of the reader unfamiliar with the several, previous, related publications (5, 9,14,15,17), it shouldbe pointed out that this research on personality structure in questionnaire responses in the age range 12 through 17 years, is also a planned part of a more general basic research program cone e rn ing personality and motivation structure. This broader program has had as its objectives the de termination of personality structure, by factor analytic and related methods, in a coordinated attack, (1) over the three possible media of be havioral observation, namely, L-data, or life | behavior, in situ; Q-data, or response to ques tionnaires, from introspective self-evaluation; and T-data, or objective non-self-evaluative, test response behavior, and (2) over the develop mental age range, by cross-sectional structur ings at the adult level, at 14 years (as here) at 10 years, at 7years, and at 4 years of age . The general coordination of L-, Qand T-data find ings is discussed elsewhere (17), and this account will digress from the questionnaire findings in the 12-16 year range only to the point of referring to their integration with Q-data findings at neigh boring ages.