Structural equivalence and the Neo-Pi-R: Implications for the applicability of the five-factor model of personality in an African context

The NEO-PI-R is one of the most widely used and researched operationalisations of the Five Factor Model (FFM) of personality (McCrae & Allik, 2002, McCrae & Terraccianno, 2005). Considerable evidence exists in terms of its replicability across cultures leading researchers to conclude that the NEO-PI-R and by extension the FFM are universally applicable. This paper, by virtue of reviewing appropriate literature, argues that evidence for the structural equivalence of the NEO-PI-R, while appropriate in Western cultures, is lacking in non-Western, and specifically African cultures. This is discussed with particular reference to the existence of other factors which are not tapped by this model and which would merit further research.

Abstract licence: CC BY

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