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Is Small Beautiful? The Use of a Short Picture-Based Scale to Assess Childhood Personality
Pedro S R Martins1, Drielle Barbosa-Pereira2,3, Juliana Mendes Alves1
1Postgraduate Program in Psychology: Cognition and Behavior, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Journal of Personality Assessment
|November 12, 2025
Summary
Assessing personality in young children using the Pictorial Personality Traits Questionnaire for Children (PPTQ-C) showed weak evidence for its five-factor structure. Social desirability in responses also raises concerns for this age group.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Child Development
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Assessing personality traits in children under ten is gaining attention.
- The Big Five personality traits are linked to life outcomes.
- The Pictorial Personality Traits Questionnaire for Children (PPTQ-C) uses pictures and simple sentences to measure the Big Five in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the validity evidence of the Brazilian version of the Pictorial Personality Traits Questionnaire for Children (PPTQ-C).
Main Methods:
- The study assessed 533 children aged 8.32 years on average (53% girls).
- Multiple analytical techniques were employed to examine the questionnaire's structure and response patterns.
Main Results:
- Weak support was found for the five-factor structure of the PPTQ-C.
- Response patterns suggested social desirability among the child participants.
Conclusions:
- The findings raise concerns about the validity of the PPTQ-C for assessing personality traits in young Brazilian children.
- Implications for pictorial personality assessment in this age group need further consideration.
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