I often do it vs. I like doing it: Comparing a frequency- and valency-approach to extraversion

Abstract

The phrasing of many personality questionnaire items is often seemingly done without systematic considerations regarding item and response format which may deteriorate data quality. Psychometric properties of two widely used item formats, a Behavior Frequency Approach (BFA: “How often is the behavior enacted?”) vs. a Behavior Valency Approach (BVA: “How much is the behavior enjoyed?”), are compared with two extraversion scales tailored to the approaches. We investigated in three studies (Study 1: N = 215; Study 2: N = 60; Study 3: nfrequency = 150, nvalency = 141) convergent/discriminant validity with NEO-PI-R, NEO-FFI, and BFI-S Extraversion and concurrent predictive validity with self-reported criteria. The BFA consistently demonstrated an advantage vis-à-vis the BVA. Implications are discussed.