Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (Brief Version): Analysis with Item Response Theory

Abstract

The aim of this work is to provide new evidence of psychometric quality for the Argentinean adaptation of the brief version of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-RS). 1136 people from the general population (52.5% female, mean age = 29.6 years, SD = 11.9) residing in Buenos Aires, Argentina participated. The Argentinean adaptation consists of 42 items with dichotomous response format. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed from the tetrachoric correlation matrix. This allowed replicating the structure proposed by Eysenck for the PEN model (Psychoticism - Extroversion - Neuroticism) and the Lie scale. Subsequently, the two-parameter logistic model was adjusted separately for the items of each scale. The items did not show differential functioning by gender. Items discrimination was moderate-high. Parameters b were located in narrow ranges of each one of the measured traits, which caused the precision of the scales to vary along the trait continuums. The Neuroticism scale provides more information at medium levels of the trait, Psychoticism in the medium-low and Extraversion in the medium-high. The Lie scale showed a relatively flat information function throughout the trait. Evidence of validity based on the relationship with other tests that measure facets of neuroticism and symptomatology is provided. The evidence of validity and reliability obtained offers sufficient quality guarantees for the application of this instrument in the local context and confirms topicality of the theoretical model that operationalizes the EPQ-RS.