Comparison of the NEO-FFI, the NEO-FFI-R and an alternative short version of the NEO-PI-R (NEO-60) in Swiss and Spanish samples

• Published in: Personality and individual differences Vol. 38; no. 3; pp. 591 - 604
• Main Authors: Aluja, Anton, Garcı́a, Oscar, Rossier, Jérôme, Garcı́a, Luis F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2005
• Subjects: Five-Factor Model; NEO-60; NEO-FFI; NEO-FFI-R; NEO-PI-R; Personality; Psychometric properties; Five-Factor Model; Personality; NEO-PI-R; NEO-FFI-R; NEO-60; NEO-FFI
• ISSN: 0191-8869; 1873-3549
• DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2004.05.014

Three different short versions of the NEO-PI-R were compared: The NEO-FFI, the NEO-FFI-R, and a new short version developed in the current study (NEO-60). This new version is intended to improve the psychometric characteristics of the original NEO-FFI, specially in regard to the factor structure at the item-level. A French version of the NEO-PI-R was given to 1090 Swiss subjects, whereas the Spanish (Castilian) version of the NEO-PI-R was administered to 1006 Spanish subjects. Results replicate the limitations of the NEO-FFI already found in other countries. Compared to the NEO-FFI, reliability coefficients and factor structure was enhanced by the NEO-FFI-R and the NEO-60 in both samples, although substantial differences were not found. The factor structure of the NEO-60 shows the best fit since only three items do not load mainly on their own factor in both samples. Besides, correlations between items and NEO-PI-R domain scores are also higher for the items included in the NEO-60 version. On the other hand, convergent correlations with the NEO-PI-R dimensions were satisfactory irrespective of the version, and confirmatory factor analyses show slight differences among the different models generated after the three short versions.