The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire: an examination of the factorial similarity of P, E, N, and L across 34 countries

Summary & key facts

The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) is a self-report test made by Hans J. Eysenck and Sybil B. G. Eysenck to measure four personality scales: Extraversion (E), Neuroticism (N), Psychoticism (P), and a Lie or social-desirability scale (L). It is based on Eysenck's theory that temperament has biological and genetic roots, and the questionnaire has been revised and used in many languages and countries. A study looked at whether the four scales work similarly across 34 countries, and a revised EPQ (EPQ-R) published in 1985 uses yes/no items in 100-item (full) and 48-item (short) forms.

Key facts:

• The EPQ was created by Hans Jürgen Eysenck and Sybil B. G. Eysenck as a way to measure personality traits.
• The questionnaire measures four scales: Extraversion (E), Neuroticism (N), Psychoticism (P), and a Lie/Social Desirability scale (L).
• Eysenck’s theory behind the EPQ emphasizes biological and genetic influences on temperament, while not excluding learned factors.
• According to the EPQ description, about 16% of people are at the extraverted extreme, about 16% at the introverted extreme, and about 68% are in the middle (ambiverts).
• Extraversion in Eysenck’s model is linked to differences in cortical arousal, which can be measured by things like skin conductance or brain waves, and affects how much external stimulation people prefer.
• Neuroticism is described as a tendency toward negative emotions (for example, anxiety or depression) and is related in the theory to activation in the sympathetic nervous system (measured by heart rate, blood pressure, sweating, etc.).
• Psychoticism is described as a trait linked to aggressiveness, tough-mindedness, and nonconformity; Eysenck suggested it may relate to higher testosterone levels.
• The L scale (Lie/Social Desirability) was not as strongly tied to Eysenck’s biological theory, but it was included because researchers expected it to measure similarly across cultures.
• A 1985 revision called the EPQ-R was published; its full version has 100 yes/no questions and a short form has 48 yes/no questions.
• Researchers published a paper examining whether the four EPQ scales show similar factor structure across 34 countries (the study’s title notes those 34 countries).

Topics

Cognitive Abilities and Testing Mental Health Research Topics Personality Traits and Psychology

Categories

Experimental and Cognitive Psychology Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Artificial intelligence Big Five personality traits Computer science Congruence (geometry) Developmental psychology Econometrics Extraversion and introversion Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Factorial Image (mathematics) Mathematical analysis Mathematics Neuroticism Personality Psychology Psychoticism Similarity (geometry) Social psychology Statistics