Freiburger Persönlichkeitsinventar
Encyclopedia
The Freiburger Persönlichkeitsinventar (FPI) is a psychological personality test
to assess personality
. The test is comparable in some aspects to MMPI
and more generally to EPI
or 16PF
and is mainly used in German speaking countries. The FPI is primarily used in the field of clinical psychology
and more generally in psychological research.
. The test was re-standardized in 2001 using a sample of 3740 subjects from across post-reunification
Germany; the re-standardized test controls for sex and age by placing an examinee in one of seven age- and sex-defined groups and scoring responses against sample members within the examinee's group. The test can be administered using pencil-and-paper worksheets or through a computer interface.
purposes. Furthermore the two basic secondary factors Extraversion and Emotionality
from Hans Jürgen Eysenck were included. The answers of the 138 items are compiled into 12 scales:
Background for the development of the FPI where the theoretical interests of the authors on special personality traits
. The first 10 scales are neither a consequence of a preconceived personality theory nor just a result of statistical data reduction (factor analysis
etc.) but based on theoretically founded personality traits. Statistitcal methods only have been used as tools to get more precise scales. The scales represent typical psychological
constructs often used in self descriptions which therefore pay a important role in the assessment of human beings.
The authors Jochen Fahrenberg
, Rainer Hampel and Herbert Selg have made an effort in their further work to apply evidence. The test manual contains their findings. In the course of the test construction, various quality criteria were determined, and the normalizations were repeatetd as quality control. The comparison of the two representative surveys of 1982 and 1999 showed that the structure of the FPI-R and test statistics, reliability coefficients, and even the standard values were highly reproducible.
The manual of the 8th Edition of the FPI-R answers the generalcriticism of personality test, mainly on response bias, social desirability, and the questionable psychometric assumptions. The authors emphasize: Personality tests require conscious application of methods and strategies of multimodal diagnostics, i.e., saveguards and critical interpretation.
, rehabilitation
, chronic diseases and health psychology
. Two areas have been expanded trough scale constructions and representative normalization: the "Freiburger Beschwerdenliste" (Freiburg Disorder List) and the "Fragebogen zur Lebenszufriedenheit" (questionnaire on life satisfaction).
There are FPI-R adaptations and licensing issues in other languages.
Personality test
-Overview:There are many different types of personality tests. The most common type, the self-report inventory, involves the administration of many questions, or "items", to test-takers who respond by rating the degree to which each item reflects their behavior...
to assess personality
Personality type
Personality type refers to the psychological classification of different types of individuals. Personality types are sometimes distinguished from personality traits, with the latter embodying a smaller grouping of behavioral tendencies. Types are sometimes said to involve qualitative differences...
. The test is comparable in some aspects to MMPI
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory is one of the most frequently used personality tests in mental health. The test is used by trained professionals to assist in identifying personality structure and psychopathology....
and more generally to EPI
Eysenck Personality Questionnaire
In psychology, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire is a questionnaire to assess the personality traits of a person.It was devised by the psychologists Hans Jürgen Eysenck and his wife Sybil B. G. Eysenck....
or 16PF
16PF Questionnaire
The Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire , is a multiple-choice personality questionnaire which was developed over several decades of research by Raymond B. Cattell and his colleagues...
and is mainly used in German speaking countries. The FPI is primarily used in the field of clinical psychology
Clinical psychology
Clinical psychology is an integration of science, theory and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically-based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well-being and personal development...
and more generally in psychological research.
History
The first version was published in 1970 and was composed of four parts: FPI-G (long version), FPI-A und FPI-B (parallel half-editions) and the short version FPI-K ). Initial validation of the test used a sample of 2300 subjects. In 1983, a revised version using an expanded long form containing 138 items (up from 114 in the original FPI-A) was published and validated with a representative sample drawn from western regions of GermanyWest Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. The test was re-standardized in 2001 using a sample of 3740 subjects from across post-reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
Germany; the re-standardized test controls for sex and age by placing an examinee in one of seven age- and sex-defined groups and scoring responses against sample members within the examinee's group. The test can be administered using pencil-and-paper worksheets or through a computer interface.
Scales
The authors selected 10 traits which are most important in psychological research and for diagnosticPsychological evaluation
A psychological evaluation or mental examination is an examination into a person's mental health by a mental health professional such as a psychologist. A psychological evaluation may result in a diagnosis of a mental illness...
purposes. Furthermore the two basic secondary factors Extraversion and Emotionality
Emotionality
Emotionality is the observable behavioral and physiological component of emotion, and is a measure of a person's emotional reactivity to a stimulus. It is often used by psychology researchers to operationalize emotion in research studies...
from Hans Jürgen Eysenck were included. The answers of the 138 items are compiled into 12 scales:
- Lebenszufriedenheit (satisfaction with oneself)
- Soziale Orientierung (social orientation)
- Leistungsorientierung (need for achievement)
- Gehemmtheit (shyness)
- Erregbarkeit (irritability)
- Aggressivität (aggressiveness)
- Beanspruchung (demandedness)
- Körperliche Beschwerden (physical troubles)
- Gesundheitssorgen (health sorrows)
- Offenheit (openness)
- Extraversion (extraversion)
- Emotionalität (emotionality)
Background for the development of the FPI where the theoretical interests of the authors on special personality traits
Trait theory
In psychology, Trait theory is a major approach to the study of human personality. Trait theorists are primarily interested in the measurement of traits, which can be defined as habitual patterns of behavior, thought, and emotion. According to this perspective, traits are relatively stable over...
. The first 10 scales are neither a consequence of a preconceived personality theory nor just a result of statistical data reduction (factor analysis
Factor analysis
Factor analysis is a statistical method used to describe variability among observed, correlated variables in terms of a potentially lower number of unobserved, uncorrelated variables called factors. In other words, it is possible, for example, that variations in three or four observed variables...
etc.) but based on theoretically founded personality traits. Statistitcal methods only have been used as tools to get more precise scales. The scales represent typical psychological
constructs often used in self descriptions which therefore pay a important role in the assessment of human beings.
Validity
There are many correlations between test scores and objectively observable measures like behaviour or socio-demographic, professional and clinical properties. On the other hand should not be overlooked that self-descriptions and self-appraisals are open to expectations, Social desirability bias, stereotypes and other influences..The authors Jochen Fahrenberg
Jochen Fahrenberg
Jochen Fahrenberg is a German psychologist in the fields of personality and psychophysiology-Education and career:...
, Rainer Hampel and Herbert Selg have made an effort in their further work to apply evidence. The test manual contains their findings. In the course of the test construction, various quality criteria were determined, and the normalizations were repeatetd as quality control. The comparison of the two representative surveys of 1982 and 1999 showed that the structure of the FPI-R and test statistics, reliability coefficients, and even the standard values were highly reproducible.
The manual of the 8th Edition of the FPI-R answers the generalcriticism of personality test, mainly on response bias, social desirability, and the questionable psychometric assumptions. The authors emphasize: Personality tests require conscious application of methods and strategies of multimodal diagnostics, i.e., saveguards and critical interpretation.
Applications and further developments
The FPI-R was developed as a personality test with a mean bandwidth for various tasks of psychological diagnosis, but has an application focus in the areas of psychosomatic, psychotherapyPsychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a general term referring to any form of therapeutic interaction or treatment contracted between a trained professional and a client or patient; family, couple or group...
, rehabilitation
Psychiatric rehabilitation
Psychiatric rehabilitation, also known as psychosocial rehabilitation, and usually simplified to psych rehab, is the process of restoration of community functioning and well-being of an individual who has a psychiatric disability...
, chronic diseases and health psychology
Health psychology
Health psychology is concerned with understanding how biological, psychological, environmental, and cultural factors are involved in physical health and illness. Health psychologists work alongside other medical professionals in clinical settings, work on behavior change in public health promotion,...
. Two areas have been expanded trough scale constructions and representative normalization: the "Freiburger Beschwerdenliste" (Freiburg Disorder List) and the "Fragebogen zur Lebenszufriedenheit" (questionnaire on life satisfaction).
There are FPI-R adaptations and licensing issues in other languages.