Cross-Cultural Generalizability of the Five-Factor Model of Personality

Abstract

Increasing interest is being directed toward demonstrating the cross-cultural generalizability of the five-factor model of personality. This report outlines the development and initial validation of a Korean version of the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO PI-R), a commercially available instrument designed to capture these five major dimensions. Study 1 involved Korean nationals (320 men and 334 women) and documented the reliability and structural validity of the new translation. Correlations with the Korean version of the MBTI and Impostor Phenomenon Scale provided preliminary validity evidence. Study 2 included 57 men and 59 women who were bilingual Korean expatriates living in the United States. These individuals took both the Korean and English versions of the NEO PI-R. Results indicated that the Korean version can be considered a parallel form to its English counterpart. The etic and emic implications of these results are discussed.