A comprehensive item-level examination of Conscientiousness' underlying structure across three large samples

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Personality Science
• Individual Differences

Background:

• Conscientiousness is a key predictor of life outcomes.
• Existing models of Conscientiousness structure lack consensus.
• A clear structure is needed to accurately measure Conscientiousness's impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the hierarchical structure of Conscientiousness.
• To achieve a comprehensive and replicable conceptualization of Conscientiousness.
• To utilize item-level analyses for a detailed structural examination.

Main Methods:

• Employed item-level "bass-ackward" factor analyses across three large samples (Ns = 446, 406, 424).
• Evaluated the interpretability, parsimony, and replicability of identified structures.
• Collected self-report and informant data on Conscientiousness and related criteria.

Main Results:

• Identified five interpretable and replicable factors: deliberation, order, industriousness, self-discipline, and dependability.
• A six-factor solution emerged when including less common personality measures, adding 'traditionalism'.
• Factors demonstrated clear item composition and replicability across samples.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a refined, item-level structure for Conscientiousness.
• Discusses factor composition, relations to existing models, and criterion associations.
• Highlights implications for conceptualizing Conscientiousness through flexible factor analysis.