The traits personality questionnaire (TPQue): A Greek measure for the five factor model

In this paper we present a new questionnaire for the measurement of the big five personality dimensions in the Greek language. The development of the Traits Personality Questionnaire (TPQue) is based on Costa and McCrae's definitions of the most acceptable factors in the five factor theory (extraversion, neuroticism, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness), taking into account, simultaneously, the specific ethnic and cultural characteristics of the Greek population. The development of the items was based on both rational and factor analytic techniques. The final version of the TPQue, consists of 180 items measuring the five broad dimensions of personality, as well as 30 items measuring social desirability responses. Each factor consists of 36 items and each facet of 6 items. The various steps in the development of the questionnaire involved more than 1000 Students from various universities around Greece. Finally, in order to investigate the factor structure of the new instrument, we applied factor analytic techniques. The results revealed psychometric evidence [e.g. internal validity-factorial structure, content validity, construct validity (i.e. convergent and discriminant), internal and temporal stability], which supports the existence of the big-five in Greece and justifies the inventory (TPQue) as a valid measure of the model. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.