A lexical examination of the facets of honesty-humility: The adjective checklist of honesty

Abstract

The HEXACO model describes human personality through six major domains, each one further specified by four facets. Honesty-Humility is a key component of the model, and subsumes facets sincerity, fairness, modesty, and greed-avoidance. Although established and comprehensive measurement tools of HEXACO traits and facets through sentence items exist, a comprehensive assessment of Honesty-Humility through adjectives has not yet been developed. We present a novel instrument, the Adjective Checklist of Honesty (ACH), designed to enhance the assessment of Honesty by incorporating lexical descriptors of its facets, developed using a systematic approach. In Study 1, we identified a broad set of potential descriptors of Honesty-Humility facets, and refined it through independent raters to identify candidate items. In Study 2 (N = 266), we examined the factorial structure of the candidate items and developed the final 22-item version of the ACH. In Study 3 (N = 300), we confirmed the factorial structure of the shortened ACH questionnaire and collected validity evidence for the new scale. Our studies have important implications for the assessment of Honesty-Humility, shed light on the relationships between Honesty-Humility and truthfulness and, more generally, showcase the importance of a systematic approach in constructing assessment scales in personality psychology.

Plain language summary

Honesty is a key personality trait that influences how people interact with others, from telling the truth to acting fairly. Psychological researchers often measure honesty as part of a broader personality trait called Honesty-Humility, which includes fairness, sincerity, modesty, and greed-avoidance. However, existing tools for measuring this trait primarily use full-sentence descriptions, which may not always apply to everyone’s experiences. Our study aimed to improve how honesty is assessed by developing a new tool: the Adjective Checklist of Honesty (ACH). This checklist uses a set of carefully selected adjectives to measure different aspects of honesty and humility. The ACH was developed through a systematic process, including expert evaluations and multiple studies with participants to ensure it accurately captures the key components of Honesty-Humility. Our findings show that the ACH effectively measures honesty-related traits and provides a clearer picture of how sincerity and truthfulness fit into the broader concept of Honesty-Humility. This tool offers a quicker, more flexible way to assess honesty in various settings, including research studies and personality assessments. By improving how we measure honesty, the ACH can help psychologists better understand how personality influences ethical behavior, decision-making, and social interactions. This research has important implications for personality psychology, ethics, and real-world applications, such as workplace integrity and trustworthiness in social relationships. By refining the way we assess honesty, we take a step toward a deeper understanding of what it means to be a truthful and fair person.