Readability of Normal Personality Inventories

Abstract

Although several studies and professional texts address the issue of required reading levels for self-report psychopathology inventories such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 and Personality Assessment Inventory, little research effort has been directed to the examination of required reading levels for inventories measuring normal personality characteristics. In order to establish guidelines for clinical use of commonly used personality inventories, this study examined the text complexity of four widely used tests: the California Psychological Inventory, the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire, the Personality Research Form, and the revised NEO Personality Inventory. Analysis of the text complexity of complete item sets indicated that the inventories had overall reading levels at the fifth- to sixth-grade range. However, examination of the text difficulty of individual scales revealed reading level estimates as high as the eighth grade. Guidelines for test administration with subjects of varying education levels are discussed.