Psychometric evaluation of the Japanese version of Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI-J) among middle-aged, and elderly adults: Concurrent validity, internal consistency and test–retest reliability

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to provide a psychometric evaluation of the Japanese version of the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI-J), and was conducted to confirm the concurrent validity, internal consistency, and test–retest reliability of the measure. Methods: A total of 520 middle-aged (40–64 years old) and 312 older adults (65–79 years old) participated in this study. Participants were registered research volunteers with an internet research company. The TIPI-J assesses the Big Five personality traits (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness). The NEO-Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) was used to test concurrent validity. Results: Correlations of corresponding trait measures for the TIPI-J and NEO-FFI ranged from 0.45 (Openness) to 0.70 (Extraversion) for middle-aged, and from 0.33 (Openness) to 0.67 (Neuroticism) for older adults. The correlation values of Openness between the two scales were similar to those for the correlation between TIPI-J Openness and NEO-FFI Extraversion for both middle-aged and older adults, and that for the correlation between TIPI-J Openness and NEO-FFI Conscientiousness for older adults. The relationships between TIPI-J personality scores measured at a two-week interval ranged from 0.74 (Agreeableness) to 0.84 (Extraversion) for middle-aged and from 0.67 (Openness) to 0.78 (Neuroticism and Extraversion) for older adults. Conclusion: The TIPI-J has relatively acceptable concurrent validity, with the exception of Openness, which was considerably weaker than the other traits. The scale has relatively acceptable test–retest reliability. Thus, TIPI-J would be a useful instrument, roughly speaking, for assessing the Big Five personality traits among middle-aged and older adults.

Keywords:

• the Japanese version of ten-item personality inventory (TIPI-J)
• big five personality theory
• middle-aged and elderly adults
• validity
• reliability

Public Interest Statement

The Big Five personality, which is a major personality theory, consists of five domains of personality: Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness. In recent years, the Big Five personality theory has been used to examine the relationships between personality and health issues (e.g. mortality, moderate drinking, smoking, regular physical activity, chronic disease, cognitive decline, obesity and overweight individuals, mental health, and functional capacity).

This study aimed to provide a psychometric evaluation of the Japanese version of the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI-J), which briefly assesses the Big Five personality traits, and was conducted to confirm validity and reliability of the measure among middle-aged and older adults in Japan. Findings show that the TIPI-J would be a useful instrument, roughly speaking, for assessing the Big Five personality traits among middle-aged and older adults.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interest.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hajime Iwasa

Hajime Iwasa, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Public Health at Fukushima Medical University. He is interested in health issues among older adults, including relationships between psycho-social factors (including personality, leisure activity, and mental health status) and physical health (including mortality, functional capacity, and cognitive function).

Yuko Yoshida

Yuko Yoshida, PhD, is a researcher of the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology. She has an interest in relationships between physical factors (including physical activity and eating habits) and health issues (including physical fitness and mental health) among middle-aged and older adults.

The research reported here is from a cross-sectional study to investigate relationships between psycho-social factors and health issues among middle-aged and older adults living in a Japanese community. The findings in this paper would contribute to progress in this area of research, i.e. personality and health among middle-aged and older adults.