Cattell 16 Personality Factors (16PF)

The 16 Personality Factors is a trait model and questionnaire developed by psychologist Raymond Cattell in the 1940s using factor analysis of language and behaviour. It sorts people along sixteen primary trait dimensions, each scored as a continuous position between two opposing poles; the dimensions are correlated rather than fully independent, which is why they cluster into about five broader global factors. Our free course explains Cattell's source-trait approach, the sixteen factors, and how the 16PF relates to the other major trait models including the Big Five.

The 16PF derives from factor-analytic research and remains a psychometrically validated instrument, though some of Cattell's sixteen factors show overlap and are widely summarised by the broader five-factor model. First published by Cattell (1949). (Raymond B. Cattell, 1949 (first edition of the 16PF questionnaire))

Dimensions

• Warmth (Reserved – Warm) — High scorers are outgoing, attentive to others, and easy-going, while low scorers are reserved, detached, and more impersonal.
• Reasoning (Concrete – Abstract) — High scorers tend toward abstract, quick reasoning, while low scorers think more concretely and literally.
• Emotional Stability (Reactive – Stable) — High scorers are emotionally stable and adaptive under stress, while low scorers are more reactive and easily upset.
• Dominance (Deferential – Dominant) — High scorers are assertive, forceful, and competitive, while low scorers are deferential, cooperative, and accommodating.
• Liveliness (Serious – Lively) — High scorers are lively, spontaneous, and enthusiastic, while low scorers are serious, restrained, and careful.
• Rule-Consciousness (Expedient – Rule-conscious) — High scorers are dutiful, conforming, and conscientious about rules, while low scorers are expedient and less bound by conventions.
• Social Boldness (Shy – Bold) — High scorers are socially bold, venturesome, and thick-skinned, while low scorers are shy, timid, and easily threatened.
• Sensitivity (Utilitarian – Sensitive) — High scorers are sensitive, aesthetic, and sentimental, while low scorers are utilitarian, objective, and unsentimental.
• Vigilance (Trusting – Vigilant) — High scorers are vigilant, suspicious, and wary, while low scorers are trusting, accepting, and unsuspecting.
• Abstractedness (Grounded – Abstracted) — High scorers are abstracted, imaginative, and idea-oriented, while low scorers are grounded, practical, and solution-focused.
• Privateness (Forthright – Private) — High scorers are private, discreet, and non-disclosing, while low scorers are forthright, genuine, and open.
• Apprehension (Self-assured – Apprehensive) — High scorers are apprehensive, self-doubting, and worried, while low scorers are self-assured, secure, and untroubled.
• Openness to Change (Traditional – Open to change) — High scorers are open to change, experimenting, and analytical, while low scorers are traditional and attached to the familiar.
• Self-Reliance (Group-oriented – Self-reliant) — High scorers are self-reliant, solitary, and individualistic, while low scorers are group-oriented and prefer companionship.
• Perfectionism (Tolerates disorder – Perfectionistic) — High scorers are perfectionistic, organised, and self-disciplined, while low scorers tolerate disorder and are more flexible and unexacting.
• Tension (Relaxed – Tense) — High scorers are tense, driven, and impatient, while low scorers are relaxed, placid, and patient.

References

• Cattell, R. B. (1943). The description of personality: Basic traits resolved into clusters. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 38(4), 476–506
• Cattell, R. B., Eber, H. W., & Tatsuoka, M. M. (1970). Handbook for the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16 PF). Champaign, IL: Institute for Personality and Ability Testing (IPAT)
• Cattell, H. E. P., & Mead, A. D. (2008). The Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF). In G. J. Boyle, G. Matthews, & D. H. Saklofske (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Personality Theory and Assessment, Vol. 2: Personality Measurement and Testing (pp. 135–159). SAGE

Related topics

• Big Five (Five-Factor Model, OCEAN)
• HEXACO model
• Eysenck PEN model
• Dark Triad / Dark Tetrad
• Light Triad

All topics on ArtaQuest