Construct validity and generalizability of the Kirton Adaption–Innovation Inventory

Abstract

The factor structure of the Kirton (1976) Adaption–Innovation inventory was examined by use of confirmatory factor analysis. A three‐factor structure was found, characterized by distinct, yet positively associated, facets, thereby challenging the oft‐assumed unidimensional conceptualization of adaption–innovation. The measures were found to achieve satisfactory levels of reliability for the separate facets and to exhibit strong evidence for convergent and discriminant validity. This was demonstrated for the full 32‐item inventory, as well as 20‐item and 13‐item abridgments. Subjects were postgraduate students from the United Kingdom (N = 149), Australia (N = 142), and the United States (N = 131). The three‐factor solution was found to generalize across all three samples in the sense of yielding identical factor loadings, error variances, and correlations among facets. Differences in the means of factors were found across samples.