A large sample cross-check on 16 P.F. primary structure by parcelled factoring
Raymond B. Cattell · The Journal of multivariate experimental personality and clinical psychology. · 1964
Some disputes about primary personality structure on Q-data suggested the need for an entirely fresh analysis unbiased by existing scales. Both to achieve this and to check some superiorities claimed for radial parcel over items factoring, 184 16 P.F. items were given to 780 adults. Reduced by radial parceling to 46 variables, they factored to 20 factors (19 having been found in item and scale factoring) which rotated to a statistically significant simple structure. Despite slight alterations by approximation which followed in projecting these factors on the items the item patterns significantly matched, by two indices: (a) the original "ideal" 16 P.F. keys for the primaries, and (b) an independent factoring of the same items as items. It is concluded that the 16 P.F. primaries are well confirmed ans that parceled factoring can in some respects exceed the precision of item factoring.