Validation of the NEO PI-R Observer Form for College Students: Toward a Paradigm for Studying Personality Development

Abstract

Using correlational designs that included an evaluation of cross-observer convergence, research on the five-factor model of personality has documented it to be a robust, comprehensive taxonomy that remains extremely stable in adulthood. Because the cross-observer paradigm can also be useful for examining personality development in late adolescence, this study evaluated the reliability and construct validity of observer ratings on the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R) in a sample of 101 college students. No such normative information is currently available. Each subject completed the NEO PI-R for themselves and had two individuals familiar to them complete the observer version. The results documented strong internal consistency for each rating scale and a factor structure which replicated previous findings using adult self-reports. Significant peer-peer and peer-self correlations were found as well as numerous cross-observer, cross-instrument convergence between the NEO PI-R ratings and self-reported scores on the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire. The results also indicated the presence of a reverse acquaintanceship effect, where long-term friends provided less accurate ratings than more recent acquaintances.