Higher order factors of personality in Jamaican young adults

This study examined the tenability of a higher order factor structure of personality using the NEO-Five Factor Inventory, a popular measure of the Big Five personality traits. The sample (n = 1018) of Jamaican older adolescents and young adults is unique since they represent a culture where there is very little literature on the structure of personality. Moreover, previous studies of higher order personality factors have examined samples almost exclusively from Europe and North America. Through confirmatory factor analysis, we found that a model with five first order factors and one higher order factor fit the Jamaican data as well as, or better than other more complex models. We then discuss possible implications for this finding.