Using the occupational personality questionnaire (OPQ) for measuring broad traits

Abstract

The widespread acceptance of the Big Five model implies that personality consists of relatively independent dimensions that form a taxonomy whereby individual differences may be explained. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the subscales of an established personality inventory that measures narrow traits of personality, the Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ), could be reduced meaningfully to fit a broad factor model within a South African context. The OPQ 5.2 concept model was administered to 453 job applicants in the telecommunications sector. An exploratory factor analysis yielded a six-factor structure that included five factors corresponding to the Big Five model of personality. The sixth factor, labeled Interpersonal Relationship Harmony, resembled the description of the Chinese tradition factor, extracted in a non-Western society.<p> <strong>Opsomming</strong> <br>Die wye aanvaarding van die Groot-Vyfmodel impliseer dat persoonlikheid uit relatief onafhanklike dimensies bestaan wat ’n taksonomie vorm waarmee individuele verskille verklaar kan word. Die doel van die ondersoek was om vas te stel of die subskale van ’n gevestigde persoonlikheidsvraelys wat gedetailleerde persoonlikheidstrekke meet, die Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ), op sinvolle wyse gereduseer kon word tot ’n breë faktormodel in ’n Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Die OPQ 5.2 konsepmodel is toegepas op 453 werkapplikante in die telekommunikasiesektor. ’n Ondersoekende faktorontleding het ’n sesfaktorstruktuur gelewer, insluitende vyf faktore wat met die Groot Vyf persoonlikheidsmodel ooreenstem. Die sesde faktor wat as Interpersoonlike Verhoudingsharmonie benoem is, toon ooreenstemming met die Chinese tradisiefaktor wat in ’n nie-Westerse samelewing onttrek is

Construct equivalence of the OPQ32n for Black and White people in South Africa

“…The OPQ32n is focused on measuring multiple narrow traits that are important for certain domains of interest (such as job competencies), rather than broad personality factors. Factor analytic research in which the Big Five personality factors are extracted from the OPQ typically explain only approximately 50% of the variance (OPQ32 Technical Manual, 2006;Visser & Du Toit, 2004). Conceptually, only 25 out of 32 traits of the OPQ are related to the Big Five (OPQ32 Technical Manual, 2006).…”

“…This OPQ32 version was chosen because it is often used in developmental and counselling applications in the industry and in practice. Furthermore, the results for the ipsative version, where forced choices have to be made, are not suitable for factor analysis (Baron, 1996;Dunlap & Cornell, 1994;Johnson, Wood & Blinkhorn, 1988;Kerlinger & Lee, 2000;Visser & Du Toit, 2004). As recommended by SHL, the ipsative version is the version of the OPQ32 used most frequently, particularly for selection, because of the hypothesis that socially desirable responding will bias individual responses.…”

Scoring Biodata: Is it rational to be quasi‐rational?

“…Scale scores on a version of the SHL Group's Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ) were contained in the quasi‐rational scale development sample and were used as the quasi‐criterion. Although the OPQ was not originally developed to measure the five factors of personality, several factor analytic studies have demonstrated that it can successfully be used to measure the five factors (Matthews & Stanton, ; Stanton, Mathews, Graham, & Brimelow, ; Visser & Du Toit, ). In addition, the latest version of the technical manual covering the development of the OPQ (Brown & Bartram, ) provides additional information on the use of the OPQ to measure the five factors.…”

“…In addition, the latest version of the technical manual covering the development of the OPQ (Brown & Bartram, ) provides additional information on the use of the OPQ to measure the five factors. Scores on 15 OPQ scales were available and were used to compute scale scores corresponding to the five factors using information in Brown and Bartram () and Visser and Du Toit ().…”

Personality, sense of coherence and the coping of working mothers

“…There is not a body of evidence that relates personality, as measured by the OPQ, to coping. However, in a study by Visser and Du Toit (2004) It can therefore be expected that personality, as measured by the OPQ, will also be associated with specific coping strategies measured by the COPE.…”