Do early life experiences predict variation in the general factor of personality (GFP)?

Evolutionary approaches to examine human personality variation have used
the Big Five as given, tested higher order latent structures like the Big
Two or the General Factor of Personality (GFP), or applied domain-specific
psychological adaptations. Yet, debates regarding the adaptive
significance of personality variation are ongoing. We focus on latent
factor models and test adaptationist hypotheses linking facultative
responses of the GFP, its subparts (i.e., metatrait alpha), and
extraversion to early life experiences in 366 U.S. undergraduates. To
address the problem of shared method variance, we assessed Big Five
personality traits using both self-report and stranger-rating from brief
videotaped interviews. Structural equation modeling, from the
self-reported Big Five dimensions only, revealed a well-fitting GFP, which
was related to father-closeness. A GFP comprised of the other-rated Big
Five dimensions could not be extracted. Results from metatrait alpha were
also unsupported. Lastly, we found some support for an alternative
hypothesis that extraversion (men only) is ontogenetically calibrated to
physical phenotypic traits that affect individuals’ bargaining power. Our
findings cast doubt on the value of the GFP as a valid construct. We
discuss how the field of personality science may benefit from adopting a
bottom-up as opposed to a top-down approach.