Discriminant validity of the 'big five' personality traits in employment settings

The ability of the 'big five' personality traits to predict supervisors' ra tings of performance is investigated using the Orpheus personality question naire. Orpheus is a broad spectrum work-based personality questionnaire con taining 190 items. It generates scores on sixteen scales - five major scale s, seven minor scales, and four audit scales. The major scales are Fellowsh ip, Authority, Conformity, Emotion and Detail and are based on the 'big fiv e' model of personality The minor stales are Proficiency, Work-orientation, Patience, Fair-mindedness, Loyalty, Disclosure and Initiative, and are bas ed on the Prudentius model of integrity. The four response audits are Dissi mulation, Ambivalence, Despondency and Inattention, and are designed to scr een for inappropriate responding. Supervisors' ratings on 245 subjects in a variety of occupations and employment settings are obtained on the Orpheus respondents. All of the 'big five' traits were found to have significant c orrelations with appropriate supervisors' ratings.