MODELS AND PERSONALITY-TRAITS IN OCCUPATIONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL-TESTING

From a study of methods of test construction - criterion-keying, item analytic, factor analytic and using item characteristic curves - it is shown that, in the sphere of personality tests, only factor analytic methods can ensure univariate measures. A further scrutiny of factor a nalytic methodology reveals various technical defects which have creat ed a chaos of different findings and factors in personality inventorie s. It is finally demonstrated that rotation to simple structure yields reliable and replicable factors and that when this is done, four or f ive factors account for most of the variance in personality inventorie s. It is concluded that in occupational testing only tests measuring t hese factors, or primary factors clearly related to them, should be us ed.