P~ychologicalReportr, 1977,41, 1231-1234. @ Psychological Reports 1977
EYSENCK'S EXTRAVERSION, NEUROTICISM, AND PSYCHOTICISM INVENTORY I N TURKEY SUROOSH IRFANI
Pddavi University, Shiraz, Iran Summary.-128 Turkish university students were given the English version of Eysenck's Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Psychoticism (PEN) Inventory. Results showed the Turkish students scored higher on the Lie and Psychoticism scales than comparable subjects in other national groups. The cross-culrural relevance of these findings was discussed.
0
'
Recent years have seen a growing number of cross-cultural studies making use of the various personality inventories developed by Eysenck, e.g., Eysenck Personality Inventory and Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Psychoticism Inventory (Kline, 1967; Mehryar, 1970; Orpen, 1972; Hosseini, et al., 1973; S. Irfani2). These studies have shown that adaptation of Eysenck's inventories to local vernaculars yields fairly reliable and valid instruments for personality assessment. Although these personality inventories have not been too frequently used in their original English version in cross-cultural research, Honess and Kline (1974) have found satisfactory results with the English versions of Eysenck Junior Personality Inventory and Eysenck Personality Inventory for different age groups of English-speaking African students in Uganda The present study reports the normative data obtained by administering the original English version of Eysenck's Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Psychoticism Inventory, the PEN (Eysenck & E~senck,1968), incorporating an 18-item Lie Scale, to a group of Turkish university students at Middle East Technical University, Ankara. Considering the fact that the medium of instruction in that university is English and students admitted to the university have a certain minimum lwel of proficiency in written and spoken English, a Turkish adaptation of the test was not prepared.
METHOD Subjects Turkish students (78 males, 50 females, average 23 yr.) taken from - age the faculties of science and social sciences of the university were administered the questionnaire. T o ensure the test items would be comprehensible to the students tested, the sample was limited only to those undergraduate students 'This study was carried out under the RCD Fellowship granted by the governments of Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey to the author. The author wishes to thank Dr. A. H. Mehryar, Director, Pahlavi Popularion Centre, Shiraz, for the facilities provided by him in processing these data and Dr. Hasan Tan. Chairman, Faculty of Social Sciences, Middle East Technical University. Ankara, Turkey, for his generous cooperation. 'S. Irfani, The PEN in Iran. (Unpublished manuscript, Department of Psychology, Pahlavi University, Shiraz, Iran, 1977)
who had been exposed to the English instructionaI programs of the university for a minimum period of 3 yr. The pretest given to a small group ( N = 16) of students showed that 12 test items were ambiguous or incomprehensible to the students. A brief set of verbal explanations had therefore to be worked out for these 'difficult' items in consultation with the students. The questionnaire was administered during class hours, each session lasting about 30 min. during which the students were briefly appraised of the cross-cultural relevance of the study as well as given explanations for the 'difficult' items. Furthermore students were encouraged to seek elaborations for any items or terms which they found ambiguous. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The means and standard deviations on .Extraversion, Neuroticism, Psy- .; choticism, and the Lie scales as well as the Pearson product-moment correlations between pairs of scales are given in Table 1. TABLE 1 CORRBLATIONS, MEANSAND STANDARD DBVIAT~ONS FOR EXTRAVERSION, NEUROTICISM, PSYCHOTICISM,AND LIE SCALES FOR MALES, FEMALES, AND TOTAL GROUP
PRODUCT-MOMENT
Scale
1
1. Extraversion 2. Neuroticism 3. Psychoticism 4. Lie M
SD M SD
M SD
2
Total Group, N = 128 .17*
12.57 3.33
8.44 3.47 Males, N = 78 11.95 8.90 3.42 3.64 Females, N = 50 13.54 8.90 2.95 3.18
3 .02 .40t
4
4.65 2.33
.04 .31t -07 7.12 2.82
4.87 2.30
7.40 2.85
4.30 2.36
6.70 2.75
*P < .05, tP < .01. As can be seen, these Turkish university students (males, females, and total group) score higher on the Lie and Psychoticism scales than any of the student groups studied so far with this test. Moreover, the Turkish university females appear to be more extraverted than Turkish males, a pattern which does nor seem to correspond to sex differences on Extraversion reported in earlier studies in this part of the world (Mehryar, 1970; Hosseini, et al., 1973). However, the lower scores of Turkish females on Psychoticism and their somewhat higher
EXTRAVERSION, NEUROTICISM, PSYCHOTICISM IN TURKEY
1233
scores on Neuroticism are in line with the traditions of sex differences as indicated by a higher Psychocicism score for males and a higher Neuroticism score for females (Eysenck & Eysenck, 1969; Mehryar, 1970; Mehryar, et al., 1975). The intercorrelations calculated between pairs of scales on the Psychoticism, Extraversion, Neuroticism scale give significant results for Neuroticism and Psychoticism ( s = .40, fl < .001), Neuroticism and Extraversion ( I = .17,9 < .05), and Neuroticism and Lie scale (7. = .31, p < .001). These values are more or less similar to those obtained with the scale in Iran by Hosseini, et at. ( 1973) and S. Irfani2 but somewhat stronger than the values reported by Eysenck and Eysenck (1969). The rather high scores obtained by our Turkish students on the Psychoticism and Lie scales seem to question the cross-cultural relevance of these scales as undersrood in their Western context. Earlier work on the cross-cultural applicability of the Psychoticism scale (Hosseini, et al., 1973), although supportive of its conceptual validity, suggests that factors such as national history and disguised modes of indirect expressions of hostility operating in a culture were likely to be responsible for the higher Psychoticism score of the subjects. Also the scores of the Turkish students on the Lie scale are higher than the hitherto highest score of their Iranian counterparts on this scale ( p < .05). This tends to strengthen the notion regarding the redundancy of the Lie scale as an indicator of deliberate faking of the test items under normal conditions of instructions in cross-cultural investigations. S. Irfani and A. Mehryar3 reported that Iranian students who scored very high (9+ ) on the Lie scale under standard instructions are not attempting deliberate falsification of test scores. In another cross-cultural study Sohlberg (1976) has suggested that emphasis on specific psychological or socio-cultural factors such as conformity or independence in different societies could account for the differences in social desirability scores of subjects brought up in different cultures. It seems that h t h e r work of a socio-historical nature is warranted before a more authentic picture of the Lie and Psychoticism scales in their cross-cultural milieu will be possible. REFERENCES EYSENCK, H. J., & EYSENCK,S. B. G. The measurement of psychoticism: a study of factor
stability and reliability. British Journal of Sociaj and Clinical Psychology, 1968, 7 , 286-294. EYSENCK, H. J., & EYSENCK, S. B. G. Scores on three personality variables as a function of age, sex and social class. British Journal of SocMl and Clinical Psychology, 1969,
86, 69-76.
.
HONESs, T., & KLINB,P. The use of EPI and JEPI with a student po ulation in Uganda. British Journd of SocMl and Clinical Psychology, 1974, 13, 9&8. & RAZAVIEH, A. Extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoti-
HOSSEINI, A., MEHRYAR, A,,
3. Irfani & A. Mehryar, The Lie scale in cross-cultural research. (Unpublished manuscript, Department of Psychology, Pahlavi University. Shim, Iran, 1977)
1234
S. IRFANI
cism as measured by Eysenck's inventories in Iran. Journd of Genetic Psychology, 1973, 122, 197-205. KLINE, P. Extraversion, neuroticism, and academic performance among Ghanian university students. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 1967, 36, 93-94. MEHRYAR, A. Some data on a Persian translation of EPI. British Journal o f Socirrl and Clinical Psychology, 1970, 87, 257-263. MEHRYAR, A., HBKMAT. H., & KHAJAVI,F. Comparison of Eysendc's PEN and Lanyon's Psychological Screening Inventory in a group of American studens. Jorrmal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1975, 43, 9-12. ORPEN,C. The cross-cultural validity of Eysenck Personality Inventory: a test in Afrikaans speakin South Africa. British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 1972, 11, 24l248. SOHLBERG, S. Social desirability response in Jewish and Arab children in Israel. lournal o f Cross-Cukural Psychology, 1975, 7, 301-314. Accepted November 7 , 1977.
EYSENCK'S EXTRAVERSION, NEUROTICISM, AND PSYCHOTICISM INVENTORY I N TURKEY SUROOSH IRFANI
Pddavi University, Shiraz, Iran Summary.-128 Turkish university students were given the English version of Eysenck's Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Psychoticism (PEN) Inventory. Results showed the Turkish students scored higher on the Lie and Psychoticism scales than comparable subjects in other national groups. The cross-culrural relevance of these findings was discussed.
0
'
Recent years have seen a growing number of cross-cultural studies making use of the various personality inventories developed by Eysenck, e.g., Eysenck Personality Inventory and Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Psychoticism Inventory (Kline, 1967; Mehryar, 1970; Orpen, 1972; Hosseini, et al., 1973; S. Irfani2). These studies have shown that adaptation of Eysenck's inventories to local vernaculars yields fairly reliable and valid instruments for personality assessment. Although these personality inventories have not been too frequently used in their original English version in cross-cultural research, Honess and Kline (1974) have found satisfactory results with the English versions of Eysenck Junior Personality Inventory and Eysenck Personality Inventory for different age groups of English-speaking African students in Uganda The present study reports the normative data obtained by administering the original English version of Eysenck's Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Psychoticism Inventory, the PEN (Eysenck & E~senck,1968), incorporating an 18-item Lie Scale, to a group of Turkish university students at Middle East Technical University, Ankara. Considering the fact that the medium of instruction in that university is English and students admitted to the university have a certain minimum lwel of proficiency in written and spoken English, a Turkish adaptation of the test was not prepared.
METHOD Subjects Turkish students (78 males, 50 females, average 23 yr.) taken from - age the faculties of science and social sciences of the university were administered the questionnaire. T o ensure the test items would be comprehensible to the students tested, the sample was limited only to those undergraduate students 'This study was carried out under the RCD Fellowship granted by the governments of Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey to the author. The author wishes to thank Dr. A. H. Mehryar, Director, Pahlavi Popularion Centre, Shiraz, for the facilities provided by him in processing these data and Dr. Hasan Tan. Chairman, Faculty of Social Sciences, Middle East Technical University. Ankara, Turkey, for his generous cooperation. 'S. Irfani, The PEN in Iran. (Unpublished manuscript, Department of Psychology, Pahlavi University, Shiraz, Iran, 1977)
who had been exposed to the English instructionaI programs of the university for a minimum period of 3 yr. The pretest given to a small group ( N = 16) of students showed that 12 test items were ambiguous or incomprehensible to the students. A brief set of verbal explanations had therefore to be worked out for these 'difficult' items in consultation with the students. The questionnaire was administered during class hours, each session lasting about 30 min. during which the students were briefly appraised of the cross-cultural relevance of the study as well as given explanations for the 'difficult' items. Furthermore students were encouraged to seek elaborations for any items or terms which they found ambiguous. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The means and standard deviations on .Extraversion, Neuroticism, Psy- .; choticism, and the Lie scales as well as the Pearson product-moment correlations between pairs of scales are given in Table 1. TABLE 1 CORRBLATIONS, MEANSAND STANDARD DBVIAT~ONS FOR EXTRAVERSION, NEUROTICISM, PSYCHOTICISM,AND LIE SCALES FOR MALES, FEMALES, AND TOTAL GROUP
PRODUCT-MOMENT
Scale
1
1. Extraversion 2. Neuroticism 3. Psychoticism 4. Lie M
SD M SD
M SD
2
Total Group, N = 128 .17*
12.57 3.33
8.44 3.47 Males, N = 78 11.95 8.90 3.42 3.64 Females, N = 50 13.54 8.90 2.95 3.18
3 .02 .40t
4
4.65 2.33
.04 .31t -07 7.12 2.82
4.87 2.30
7.40 2.85
4.30 2.36
6.70 2.75
*P < .05, tP < .01. As can be seen, these Turkish university students (males, females, and total group) score higher on the Lie and Psychoticism scales than any of the student groups studied so far with this test. Moreover, the Turkish university females appear to be more extraverted than Turkish males, a pattern which does nor seem to correspond to sex differences on Extraversion reported in earlier studies in this part of the world (Mehryar, 1970; Hosseini, et al., 1973). However, the lower scores of Turkish females on Psychoticism and their somewhat higher
EXTRAVERSION, NEUROTICISM, PSYCHOTICISM IN TURKEY
1233
scores on Neuroticism are in line with the traditions of sex differences as indicated by a higher Psychocicism score for males and a higher Neuroticism score for females (Eysenck & Eysenck, 1969; Mehryar, 1970; Mehryar, et al., 1975). The intercorrelations calculated between pairs of scales on the Psychoticism, Extraversion, Neuroticism scale give significant results for Neuroticism and Psychoticism ( s = .40, fl < .001), Neuroticism and Extraversion ( I = .17,9 < .05), and Neuroticism and Lie scale (7. = .31, p < .001). These values are more or less similar to those obtained with the scale in Iran by Hosseini, et at. ( 1973) and S. Irfani2 but somewhat stronger than the values reported by Eysenck and Eysenck (1969). The rather high scores obtained by our Turkish students on the Psychoticism and Lie scales seem to question the cross-cultural relevance of these scales as undersrood in their Western context. Earlier work on the cross-cultural applicability of the Psychoticism scale (Hosseini, et al., 1973), although supportive of its conceptual validity, suggests that factors such as national history and disguised modes of indirect expressions of hostility operating in a culture were likely to be responsible for the higher Psychoticism score of the subjects. Also the scores of the Turkish students on the Lie scale are higher than the hitherto highest score of their Iranian counterparts on this scale ( p < .05). This tends to strengthen the notion regarding the redundancy of the Lie scale as an indicator of deliberate faking of the test items under normal conditions of instructions in cross-cultural investigations. S. Irfani and A. Mehryar3 reported that Iranian students who scored very high (9+ ) on the Lie scale under standard instructions are not attempting deliberate falsification of test scores. In another cross-cultural study Sohlberg (1976) has suggested that emphasis on specific psychological or socio-cultural factors such as conformity or independence in different societies could account for the differences in social desirability scores of subjects brought up in different cultures. It seems that h t h e r work of a socio-historical nature is warranted before a more authentic picture of the Lie and Psychoticism scales in their cross-cultural milieu will be possible. REFERENCES EYSENCK, H. J., & EYSENCK,S. B. G. The measurement of psychoticism: a study of factor
stability and reliability. British Journal of Sociaj and Clinical Psychology, 1968, 7 , 286-294. EYSENCK, H. J., & EYSENCK, S. B. G. Scores on three personality variables as a function of age, sex and social class. British Journal of SocMl and Clinical Psychology, 1969,
86, 69-76.
.
HONESs, T., & KLINB,P. The use of EPI and JEPI with a student po ulation in Uganda. British Journd of SocMl and Clinical Psychology, 1974, 13, 9&8. & RAZAVIEH, A. Extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoti-
HOSSEINI, A., MEHRYAR, A,,
3. Irfani & A. Mehryar, The Lie scale in cross-cultural research. (Unpublished manuscript, Department of Psychology, Pahlavi University. Shim, Iran, 1977)
1234
S. IRFANI
cism as measured by Eysenck's inventories in Iran. Journd of Genetic Psychology, 1973, 122, 197-205. KLINE, P. Extraversion, neuroticism, and academic performance among Ghanian university students. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 1967, 36, 93-94. MEHRYAR, A. Some data on a Persian translation of EPI. British Journal o f Socirrl and Clinical Psychology, 1970, 87, 257-263. MEHRYAR, A., HBKMAT. H., & KHAJAVI,F. Comparison of Eysendc's PEN and Lanyon's Psychological Screening Inventory in a group of American studens. Jorrmal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1975, 43, 9-12. ORPEN,C. The cross-cultural validity of Eysenck Personality Inventory: a test in Afrikaans speakin South Africa. British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 1972, 11, 24l248. SOHLBERG, S. Social desirability response in Jewish and Arab children in Israel. lournal o f Cross-Cukural Psychology, 1975, 7, 301-314. Accepted November 7 , 1977.
