Personality Model of Fine Artists

Abstract

This investigation was designed to (a) identify the personality factors that best discriminated between fine artists and nonartists, and (b) develop a model through which those discriminating personality factors could be predicted from other personality factors. Cattell's 16 PF test (Form A) was individually administered to 51 artists and 51 nonartists randomly selected from 235 cases. Stepwise discriminant analyses and standardized partial regression analyses showed that three personality factors, which related to working style and creative production of artists, could best differentiate the artists from the nonartists. These could be predicted from seven other personality factors of the 16 PF. Thus, although prior studies used tests of means and found differences between artists and nonartists in a number of interrelated personality factors, the present discriminant analysis revealed that differences adequately could be explained with only three personality factors: artists are more introverted, independent, and tender-minded than nonartists. These three factors can be predicted from a larger set of traits—if prediction is an issue—and in any case they have the advantage of parsimony.