Personality Measurement and Profile in a European Sample of Civil Airline Pilots

Abstract

Abstract. The study examined the psychometric properties of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R, UK edition) in a large European sample of civil airline pilots. The NEO PI-R is a comprehensive and robust measure of personality that has been validated across cultures and contexts. Furthermore, the personality profile of the pilot sample was examined and compared to a normative sample representing the UK working population. Data from 591 pilots (95.1% male) were collected. Analyses include the internal reliability and factorial validity (precisely, Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling) to examine the measurement equivalence of the NEO PI-R with reference to UK norms ( N = 1,301). Internal reliability estimates of the NEO PI-R scores were good at the domain level, but generally weak at the facet level. The structural model in the pilot sample was congruent with the general working population sample. Furthermore, there was convincing evidence for a distinct personality profile of civil pilots, although the stability of this profile will require further validation. The NEO PI-R’s validity in the assessment of general personality in civil airline pilots is discussed, along with implications of the results for the utility of personality assessment in civil aviation contexts.