The 5-Dimensional Personality Test (5DPT): Relationships With Two Lexically Based Instruments and the Validation of the Absorption Scale

Abstract

Although intended to assess vulnerability factors associated with psychopathology, the 5-Dimensional Personality Test (5DPT) shows at least a superficial similarity to instruments that adhere to the lexical tradition in personality psychology. To investigate to which extent this similarity goes, this article compares the 5DPT with 2 lexically based measures, the NEO–Five Factor Inventory and the HEXACO–Personality Inventory–Revised. Moreover, as the NEO Openness to Experience construct demonstrates little relationship with maladaptive personality, whereas the 5DPT Absorption factor was hypothesized to underlie the emergence of positive schizotypic symptoms and related phenomena, the 5DPT was also correlated with the Schizotypic Syndrome Questionnaire (SSQ), the Creative Experiences Questionnaire, Thalbourne's Transliminality Scale, the Launay–Slade Hallucination Scale, and the OLIFE–Unusual Experiences scale. On examining the correlations between the various instruments, it was ascertained (a) that there is no need to extend the theory-informed 5DPT with a 6th dimension similar to the HEXACO factor Honesty–Humility, (b) that the 5DPT dimensions were found on average to share only a moderate amount of variance with the Five-factor model/Big Five factors, and (c) that the 5DPT Absorption scale turned out as anticipated to correlate with the positive symptom scales of the SSQ, as well as with the remaining criterion scales that measure similar constructs.

Acknowledgments

Reprints of the (Dutch or English) 5DPT and permission for research use can be obtained from the author.

I thank the following general practitioners for their cooperation: H. W. A. J. Garretsen, M. Günther, and A. F. J. Scholtens (Amsterdam); C. J. H. Broekmeulen (Den Bosch); H. A. Dirkse and A. J. Luiten (The Hague); J. L. Krom (Den Helder); J. P. Dijkmans, D. J. C. Heijl, V. J. G. M. de Kort, and I. Smeele (Eindhoven); J. Bolt (Ermelo); H. M. Dethmers and A. J. T. Ellenbroek (Groningen); S. F. J. J. van den Brand, B. W. M. van den Brand-Valkenburg, and M. G. G. Weyts (Heerlen); W. C. J. Hanssen (Kerkrade); J. J. M. van der Werf (Laren); S. Kort (Leeuwarden); P. A. M. J. van Abel (Nijmegen); M. Rodrigues-de Miranda, and G. Schneider (Reusel); and J. J. Groeneveld (Zutphen).

Notes

It is not difficult to find correlations that temper McCrae and Costa's (1985) claim of a “one-to-one correspondence” between the FFM and the lexical Big Five (see, e.g., Mooradian & Nezlek, 1996). However, in this article, we follow this equalization.

Except for some data found in Sample B (see De Vries & Van Kampen, 2010), no findings have been published about the factor structure, reliability, and other psychometric details of the 5DPT. A forthcoming article will address these issues.

Correcting the Dutch LSHS for its low Cronbach's alpha reliability (see earlier), the correlations with 5DPT A and 5DPT N rise to r = .45 and r = .49, respectively.

The HEXACO model is also defended by Lee and Ashton (2005) by pointing to evidence that Honesty–Humility is able to increment the amount of variance explained by the FFM/B5M in traits like psychopathy and Machiavellianism (see also De Vries & Van Kampen, 2010). However, as Ashton and Lee (2008) have to admit, a similar situation arises if a subfactor of Agreeableness, defined by straightforwardness and modesty, is given attention.