Item format and the structure of the Personal Orientation I ventory

were administered to 317 subjects. One version em-ployed the standard two-choice response format. The other version used a six-choice response format. The purpose of this study was (1) to determine if a multi-ple-response format resulted in improved psychometric properties, (2) to compare the component structure of the two versions, and (3) to compare the empirically derived scales with the theoretically defined scales. The results showed a slight improvement for the mul-tiple-response format, but with poorly defined compo-nent patterns. The change in format resulted in a change in component structure. The components de-rived from both versions did not correspond to the theoretical scales. An analysis indicated that the only well-defined component from either response format could be interpreted as measuring social desirability responding rather than measuring content. A follow-up questionnaire indicated greater subject acceptance of the six-choice version. Most structured personality inventories employ a two-choice response format. The selection of this response format seems to have been dictated pri-marly by practical considerations, such as ease of scoring. However, the current widespread use of computerized scoring services reduces the impor-tance of this factor. Several recent instruments, such as the Comrey Personality Scales (Comrey, 1970) and the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (Fitts, 1965), have employed five- or seven-choice Likert-type response formats. The potential advantages of the multiple-response format include (1) improved reliability, (2) improved validity, (3) greater sub-ject acceptance, and (4) more clearly defined struc-ture. Of all these issues, the reliability issue has been the most widely researched. The findings, how-ever, are inconsistent. Jahoda, Deutsch, and Coo