An Investigation of the Factor Structure of the 16PF, Version 5

Abstract

In order to examine its higher-order factor structure, we applied confirmatory factor and invariance analysis to item level data from the US standardization sample of the 16PF5, divided into a calibration sample (N = 5,130) and a validation sample (N = 5,131). Using standard assessments of model fit, all primary factors displayed good to excellent model fit, thus suggesting the scales to be broadly unidimensional. Results indicated a drop in model fit in both the structural and configurally invariant second order models, suggesting some level of misspecification in the global scales of Extraversion, Anxiety, Tough-Mindedness, Independence, and Self-Control. However, the degree of misspecification was slight. Overall, the analyses generally supported the proposed structure of the 16PF5.