Taxonomy and structure of the Romanian personality lexicon

Int J Psychol. 2019 Jun;54(3):377-387. doi: 10.1002/ijop.12464. Epub 2017 Nov 2.

Abstract

We identified 1746 personality-relevant trait-adjectives in a Romanian dictionary, of which 412 were classified as descriptors of dispositions by 10 judges. Self-ratings were collected from 515 participants on those 412 adjectives, and the ratings were factored using principal components analysis. Solutions with different numbers of factors were analysed. The two- and three-factor solutions, respectively, confirmed the Big Two and Big Three of personality traits. A five-factor solution reflected the Big Five model with a fifth factor emphasising Rebelliousness versus Conventionality. The five-factor solution was related to the International Personality Item Pool-Big Five scales, and the highest correlations were indeed between the corresponding factors and scales. A six-factor solution was indicative of the six-factor model as expressed in the HEXACO model, yet with a weak Honesty-Humility factor. Additional analysis with self-ratings from 218 participants on marker-scales for the six-factor solution and on the six scales of the HEXACO did not produce a clear one-to-one correspondence between the two sets of scales, confirming indeed that the six-factor model was only partially found.

Keywords: Personality structure; Psycho-lexical approach; Trait-taxonomy.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Classification / methods*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Personality / classification*
  • Personality Inventory / standards*
  • Romania
  • Young Adult