Exploratory item level factor analysis of the Eysenck Personality Profiler (Short form).

SUMMARY. Introduction: The structure of the Eysenck Personality Profiler Short-Form (EPP-S) has been studied in several countries. However, no item level factor analysis has yet been reported, therefore this paper reports such an analysis for the Italian version of the EPP. Of particular interest was the question of whether the three superfactors and nine subscales would emerge. Methods: Subjects were 562 Italians (mostly students), 251 males and 311 females. The 200 EPP-S items were subjected to an item factor analysis using the whole sample (males and females). This analysis revealed the “giant 3” (E, N and P) but the three purported facets of these superfactors were not identified from the 200 item base. Therefore, separate factor analyses of the items comprising each of the superfactors (E, N and P) were performed. Results: They revealed facets similar to those used in the standard scoring of the EPP-S. Although the Lie scale appears as reasonably coherent in the EPQ, where it comprises almost a quarter of the items, its integrity is questionable in the EPP-S, where it makes up only 10% of items. Here it seems inseparable from P, forming part of a facet of that might be called “anti-social behaviour versus conscientiousness” (low P, high L). Conclusions: From the reported analyses it appears that the Italian edition of the EPP-S could be shortened to 100 items plus the lie scale.