Evaluation of the applicability of the NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI German version) to adolescents aged 14 to 16

The following study investigates the applicability of the NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) to adolescents. The German version of the NEO-FFI by Borkenau & Ostendorf (1993) was given to 1236 pupils aged 14 to 16 and tested with respect to reliability, factorial validity, and several item and scale parameters. In all scales we found good to satisfactory internal consistencies (alpha = .79-.82) except for scale "agreeableness" (alpha = .67). The intercorrelations of the scales were low (r less than or equal to \.32\). The factorial validity of the questionnaire could only be supported partially: in particular the factor "agreeableness" did not show the expected item composition, because only half of the items showed substantial loadings. This result as well as further item analyses give evidence that a modification of the NEO-FFI is necessary for adequately measuring the dimensions of the five-factormodels in adolescents.