Evaluating comprehensiveness in personality systems: The California Q‐Set and the five‐factor model

Abstract

Abstract The analysis of natural language trait names and questionnaire scales has suggested that the five factors of Neuroticism, Extroversion, Openness, Agreeable‐ness, and Conscientiousness constitute an adequate taxonomy of personality An alternative approach to comprehensive personality assessment based on clinical judgments is given by the California Q‐Set (CQS, Block, 1961) When self‐Q‐sorts from 403 adult men and women were factored, the five factors closely resembled those found in adjectives, and showed convergent and discriminant validity against self‐reports and peer‐ and spouse‐ratings on measures of the five‐factor model Results were replicated when interviewer Q‐sort ratings were examined for a subset of subjects These findings strongly support the claim to comprehensiveness of the five‐factor model