Using the South African Version of the 16PF in a Multicultural Context

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the fairness of the 1992 South African version of the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF, SA92) for various groups and to contribute to the knowledge on the profiles of specific career groups. The use of this questionnaire was evaluated on employees of a multicultural South African financial institution. The profiles of males and females were compared. So too were the profiles of individuals tested in their first language (Afrikaans or English) and individuals who indicated that their home language is an African language but who were tested in English. A comparison with the general population showed differences in primary and second-order factors, most of which could be explained in terms of the occupational type. Although there did not seem to be a need for specific norms, some cultural and gender-specific trends were found that should be considered when interpreting results on the 16PF, SA92. The factor structures of the total sample and the various subgroups were essentially the same and justified the use of the formulae for the second-order factors given in the manual. However, group-specific trends were also found in the constructs measured and these should be considered for the interpretation and usage of the scores on the primary and second-order traits.