Thirty years of using a series of personality questionnaires constructed by computer

The series of personality questionnaires constructed using a computer was created on the basis of cybernetic theories of personality, which presupposes the existence of six conative control systems: a system for the regulation of defense responses, a system for the regulation of attack responses, a system for controlling physiological functions, a system for coordination of regulatory functions, system for integration of regulatory functions and system for regulation of activity. Six personality questionnaires measure the intensity of the following pathological personality tendencies: 1. neurasthenia and anxiety, 2. aggressiveness and impulsiveness, 3. conversive neurotic disorders, 4. psychotic dissociation, 5. psychotic regression and 6. extroversion-introversion.

The sample consisted of 4368 persons: 3496 subjects without a diagnosis, and 872 patients with a psychiatric diagnosis. Participants had to fill in the six personality questionnaire. Data were collected anonymously, during psychological treatment at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital "Dr. Ivan Barbot" in Popovača, at the Department of Occupational Medicine and Transport and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Prevention at Dr. Andrija Štampar Institute of Public Health and for the purpose of selection of candidates for employment in the period from 1984 until today. Basic metric characteristics were determined for all scales. Factor structure of the scales was determined using principal component analysis; as canonical discriminant analysis, polar taxons analysis and canonical correlation analysis are special cases of factor analysis, results of factor analysis were used for further processing.

Results from earlier studies are replicated on much larger sample: metric characteristics of scales are very good, as in previous studies, similar structure of polar taxons was found and discrimination between healthy subjects ad those with psychiatric diagnoses was successful. Canonical correlation analysis showed interconnection of reactions on certain scales and extremely complex relationship between them which indirectly confirms the theoretical model on the basis of which the scales are formed.

The usefulness of this scales is confirmed in clinical setting and in selection of candidates for employment.