6. Five into One doesn't go

A Critique of the General Factor of Personality

  1. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic3,
  2. Sophie von Stumm4 and
  3. Adrian Furnham5
  1. Eamonn Ferguson1,
  2. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic3,
  3. Alan Pickering3 and
  4. Alexander Weiss2

Published Online: 12 MAR 2013

DOI: 10.1002/9781444343120.ch6

Book Title

The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Individual Differences

The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Individual Differences

Additional Information

How to Cite

Ferguson, E., Chamorro-Premuzic, T., Pickering, A. and Weiss, A. (2011) Five into One doesn't go, in The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Individual Differences (eds T. Chamorro-Premuzic, S. von Stumm and A. Furnham), Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, UK. doi: 10.1002/9781444343120.ch6

Editor Information

  1. 3

    Goldsmiths, University of London, UK

  2. 4

    University of Chichester, UK

  3. 5

    University College London, UK

Author Information

  1. 1

    University of Nottingham, UK

  2. 2

    University of Edinburgh, UK

  3. 3

    Goldsmiths, University of London, UK

Publication History

  1. Published Online: 12 MAR 2013
  2. Published Print: 1 APR 2011

ISBN Information

Print ISBN: 9781444334388

Online ISBN: 9781444343120

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Keywords:

  • Five Into One Doesn't Go - a critique of general factor of personality;
  • Theory of the General Factor of Personality (GFP) - domains of five-factor model (FFM) 1—neuroticism (N), extraversion (E), openness (O), agreeableness (A), and conscientiousness (C)—empirically intercorrelated;
  • GFP proponents, covariation among FFM domains - substantive, theoretical basis in life history theory;
  • evidence for GFP - from Rushton and colleagues, psychometric and behavioral genetic studies;
  • evaluation of psychometric evidence - presented for GFP;
  • mixed EFA–CFA approach - measures known to conform to structures used;
  • Anusic, Schimmack, Pinkus, and Lockwood (2009) - halo factor evidence in personality measurement;
  • personality disorder, psychopathology and the GFP;
  • GFP linked to fitness-longevity, general index of fitness - evidence that C is related to longevity;
  • other challenges to GFP - predictive validity over and above FFM domains

Summary

This chapter contains sections titled:

  • The Theory of the General Factor of Personality

  • Evidence for the GFP

  • Evaluating the Psychometric Evidence

  • Artifact or Substance?

  • Good Guys and Bad Guys

  • Evolutionary Perspectives on the GFP

  • Additional Challenges

  • Conclusions

  • Future Research Directions

  • References

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