Within-Trait Heterogeneity in Age Group Differences in Personality Domains and Facets: Implications for the Development and Coherence of Personality Traits

The study investigated differences in the Five-Factor Model (FFM) domains and facets across adulthood. The main questions were whether personality scales reflected coherent units of trait development and thereby coherent personality traits more generally. These questions were addressed by testing if the components of the trait scales (items for facet scales and facets for domain scales) showed consistent age group differences. For this, measurement invariance (MI) framework was used. In a sample of 2,711 Estonians who had completed the NEO Personality Inventory 3 (NEO PI-3), more than half of the facet scales and one domain scale did not meet the criterion for weak MI (factor loading equality) across 12 age groups spanning ages from 18 to 91 years. Furthermore, none of the facet and domain scales met the criterion for strong MI (intercept equality), suggesting that items of the same facets and facets of the same domains varied in age group differences. When items were residualized for their respective facets, 46% of them had significant (p < 0.0002) residual age-correlations. When facets were residualized for their domain scores, a majority had significant (p < 0.002) residual age-correlations. For each domain, a series of latent factors were specified using random quarters of their items: scores of such latent factors varied notably (within domains) in correlations with age. We argue that manifestations of aetiologically coherent traits should show similar age group differences. Given this, the FFM domains and facets as embodied in the NEO PI-3 do not reflect aetiologically coherent traits.

本研究考察了成年群体在五因素模型（Five-Factor Model, FFM）各维度与侧面层面的差异，核心研究问题为：人格量表能否反映特质发展的连贯单元，进而更广泛地体现连贯的人格特质？为解答该问题，本研究通过检验特质量表的组成部分（侧面量表对应题项、维度量表对应侧面）是否呈现一致的年龄组差异，对上述假设进行验证，研究采用了测量恒定性（measurement invariance, MI）分析框架。本次研究的样本包含2711名完成NEO人格问卷第三版（NEO PI-3）的爱沙尼亚受试者，结果显示，覆盖18至91岁的12个年龄组中，超半数侧面量表与1个维度量表未满足弱测量恒定性（即因素载荷等值）的判定标准；进一步分析表明，所有侧面量表与维度量表均未达到强测量恒定性（即截距等值）的要求，这意味着同一侧面的题项、同一维度的侧面在年龄组差异上存在异质性。当对题项进行其所属侧面的残差化处理后，46%的题项呈现出显著的年龄残差相关（p < 0.0002）；当对侧面进行其所属维度得分的残差化处理后，绝大多数侧面呈现出显著的年龄残差相关（p < 0.002）。针对每个维度，研究利用其题项的随机四等分样本构建了一系列潜变量，结果发现，同一维度内此类潜变量与年龄的相关程度存在显著差异。本研究认为，病因学上连贯的特质，其表现应呈现相似的年龄组差异，基于此，NEO PI-3所涵盖的五因素模型维度与侧面，并未反映出病因学上连贯的人格特质。