Dimensionality of the conscientiousness scale of the basic traits inventory

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the dimensionality of the Conscientiousness scale of the Basic Traits Inventory in order to ascertain the readiness of the scale for computeradaptive testing applications (Gershon, 2004; Weiss & Gibbons, 2007). This contributes to the overall understanding of the application of the Five Factor Model of personality (Costa Jr & McCrae, 1992a) in the South African context. The Conscientiousness scale comprises the general factor Conscientiousness and five group factors or facets, namely, Effort, Order, Dutifulness, Prudence, and Self-Discipline (Taylor & De Bruin, 2006). The complexity of measuring personality through scales presents a challenge to researchers as personality scales are typically comprised of many heterogeneous items in order to improve the reliability and validity of the scale (Reise, Morizot, & Hays, 2007). While researchers may strive to develop scales of items that contain only a single dimension, typically, many dimensions appear during the study of a construct due to the construct’s complexity. Scales that contain a single dimension, a property known as unidimensionality, have thus been sought after for their effectiveness in research as they allow for unambiguous interpretation of a single score, enhance reliability and validity of the scale, and are generally easier to apply in other contexts, such as computerised testing (Gershon, 2004; Weiss & Gibbons, 2007)...M.Com. (Industrial Psychology