Using a prison sample to assess the association between the general factor of personality and general intelligence

Abstract

To date, most research has indicated that there is a positive, yet small, association between the general factor of personality (GFP) and general intelligence (. g). The premise of the current study was that this relationship could be underestimated due to the measures used to compute a GFP and the failure to control for a social desirability response bias. These possible attenuating factors were examined through the analysis of an extensive data file of prisoners. The GFP was significantly correlated with g and this association was stronger with more extensive tests of g, with a California Personality Inventory based GFP in comparison to a Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory based GFP, and when socially desirable responding was included as a statistical control. Additional analyses also revealed that the GFP shows Jensen Effects, the stronger the g loaded the scale the stronger its correlation with the GFP. A similar trend was found when examining the strength of the correlations between g and the personality scales. The higher a personality scale loaded on the GFP, the stronger it tended to correlate with g. The results may be informative as to the underlying basis for the GFP.