Construct validity: person-orientation and value-orientation scales of the California Psychological Inventory.

Summary.-The study investigated the construct validity of the California Psychological lnventory person-orientation and value-orientation scales by examining their relationships to Eysenck's extraversion and neuroticism dimensions. Both inventories were administered to 21 1 undergraduate students. While there was obviously a moderate relationship of .51 to .54 between the Person Orientation scores and Eysenck's extraversion, only about 25% of the variance in each of rhe two scales was common. The magnitude of the relationship between the Value Orientation scale and neurotic-extravert/stable-introvert group membership was slightly greater. Nichols and Schnell (1963) found that most of the variance of scores on the California Psychological Inventory could be accounted for by two large factors which were relatively independent, correlating .27 with each other for a sample of 250 male freshman smdents. They suggested, from their correlations of the two factors with a variety of test and behavioral variables, that the factors are similar to the neuroticism and extraversion factors found in previous studies. Factor I, which Gough (1957) called "value orientation" (V), reportedly measured responsibility, self-control, and maturity, as well as a tendency to minimize complaints and a concern over the reactions of others. Nichols and Schnell (1963) believe that this scale measures general psychological maturity reflected in a concern for values and conformity to convenrional standards for behavior. Factor 11, which Gough (1957) called "person orientation" (P), reportedly measured sociability and favorable interaction with others. Nichols and Schnell (1963) suggest that this scale measures the familiar extraversion-introversion dimension as reflected in interpersonal interaction. The purpose of this study was to develop information relating to the construct validity of Gough's two scales by examining their relationships to Eysenck's extraversion and neuroticism dimensions. If, in fact, the factor, Person Orientation, measures the personality dimension of extraversion-introversion as Nichols and Schnell have suggested, those scores should correlate positively with the Eysenck Personality lnventory extraversion scores. Similarly, according to Eysenck's finding that neurotic-extraverts tend to be asocial, individuals in the neurotic-extravert quadrant on the Eysenck Personality Inventory should have lower scores ori Value Orientation than those in the stable-introvert quadrant (whom Eysenck describes as conforming to societal values). Both of the inventories were administered to 211 undergraduate students (68 male and 143 female). Gough's inventory was scored for two factors, Person and Value Orientation, and Eysenck's for Extraversion and Neuroticism. As the Eysenck dimensions are essentially orthogonal, all subjects were classified into one of four quadrants on the basis of these scores, using the American college student's norms provided in the manual. The two scores were correlated, by sex, for the total sample. Scores on Value Orientation were correlated with quadrant membership for those students who were classified as neurotic-extraverts or stable-introverts.