This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sneed, C. D. Articles by Funder, D. C. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Sneed, C. D. Articles by Funder, D. C. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Lay Conceptions of the Five-Factor Model and its Indicators

University of California, Los Angeles, ialidem{at}alpha.oac.ucla.edu

Robert R. McCrae

National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health

David C. Funder

University of California, Riverside

The five-factor model (FFM) of personality is implicit in lay conceptions of personality; this research sought to examine laypersons' explicit grasp of the model. In one study, undergraduates (N = 233) were given definitions of the five factors and asked to identify adjectives known to be associated with each. In a second study, the rated diagnosticity of behaviors in three contexts was compared with their actual correlation with self-reported and acquaintance-rated personality factors. In the final study, undergraduates (N= 76) grouped 30 adjectives into clusters of traits. Results suggest that most laypersons can easily grasp the nature of the factors and their behavioral manifestations and can spontaneously recognize their grouping when provided with clear exemplars.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?