16-PF: Personality Test for Selection

The 16 PF Test, or the 16PF Personality Factor Questionnaire, was developed by Raymond Cattell at the University of Illinois in 1943. It is based on the trait theory of Allport and Odbert. They had developed a dictionary of 4,000 adjectives referring to human personality. After a thorough analysis, he grouped them into 180 categories, reducing them to 45, which were subsequently subjected to an empirical test, thus reducing them to 16 categories or personality traits.

Cattell's goal was to construct an instrument that could measure the fundamental dimensions of adult personality. The test identifies 16 primary behavioral factors or traits to explain the totality of personality.

The 16 traits are:

• Affability

• Reasoning

• Stability

• Dominance

• Liveliness

• Attention to rules

• Boldness

• Sensitivity

• Vigilance

• Abstraction

• Privacy

• Apprehension

• Openness to change

• Self-sufficiency

• Perfectionism

• Tension

The 5 global dimensions or second-order factors are:

• Extraversion

• Anxiety

• Toughness

• Independence

• Self-control

There are many tests that measure these 16 factors, although in general reference is usually made to the original test (or its subsequent official revisions) when talking about the 16 PF test. It is a test consisting of 185 closed-ended questions. Each one has three response options, among which the respondent must choose one. It takes between 15 and 30 minutes to administer. The factors are bipolar, that is, they move from one extreme to the other of the spectrum of each trait, so the person's score falls along the continuum between one of those two extremes. New versions are generated from time to time, so the number of questions and other characteristics may vary.

The target population is people over 16 years of age, with a second-year high school or secondary school level, in order to guarantee a correct understanding of the questions.

This test contains scales that allow the sincerity and verifiability of the data obtained to be evaluated. There are 4 of these scales:

1. Response style: Its main function is to ensure the reliability and validity of the data obtained from the test taker. It observes whether they answer honestly or whether there are tendencies that distort the information and, therefore, the interpretation of the profile.

2. Image: it evaluates whether the answers the candidate has given are honest, or whether they are trying to give a positive image or pretending to be in a worse situation than the real one.

3. Acquiescence: here value is given to the tendency to respond positively to the test questions; this would indicate hypocrisy or at least a lack of honesty, thus hindering the correct analysis of the subject's personality.

4. Frequency index: it serves to locate infrequent responses. This could be because the candidate answers randomly, but one must not lose sight of the analysis of the answers independently and their reciprocity with the test as a whole.

The 16 PF Test and Its Use in Personnel Selection

This personality test, as well as other versions that measure these factors, is very useful since it is frequently applied in areas such as research, organizational psychology and human resources, and even clinical psychology. It may be one of the most widely used by personnel selectors, since it is agile, quick, and reliable.

In the field of work psychology, the 16 PF test has a long history of studies aimed at discovering the most suitable candidates for different types of professional profiles such as salespeople, pilots, and teachers, among others. As well as the study of other factors such as leadership.

Since it is a question-based test, it does not require major tools or technologies for its implementation. It is agile, since the candidate must choose among three response options that are already given, with the total administration of the test taking a maximum of 30 minutes. It is also a test that can be applied both collectively and individually, which also saves time in its administration. The 16 PF test does not require great skills or knowledge, simply those mentioned earlier in the text. As mentioned above, there are many tests that measure Cattell's 16 factors, but in general when reference is made to the 16 PF test, it is the official test.

If you are interested in using a test that measures Cattell's 16 factors (or other tests) for your selection processes, you can sign up for free to use the online tests from Evalart.