Validities of the forced-choice and questionnaire methods of personality measurement

Abstract

A personality questionnaire and forced-choice personality test, both of the same factorial structure and containing much the same item content, were constructed by the method of internal consistency. The tests consisted of the factors Ascendency, Hypersensitivity, Responsibility, and Sociability. A validation study was conducted with 118 college students as subjects, using descriptive nominations by associates as the criterion. For all four scales the forced-choice method was found to be more valid than the questionnaire method. Multiple correlations indicate that the questionnaire adds nothing towards the prediction of the criteria when placed in a battery with the forced-choice test. 20 references. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)