CONSTRUCT-VALIDITY OF THE DIMENSIONS OF CLONINGER TRIDIMENSIONAL PERSONALITY QUESTIONNAIRE

Cloninger (1986, 1987) has recently proposed a theory purporting that personality is made up of three dimensions termed Novelty Seeking, Harm Avoidance, and Reward Dependence. The Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) is a self-report inventory designed to assess these three dimensions. The present study tested the construct validity of the dimensions of the TPQ by assessing their relationships with a series of established personality questionnaires in a sample of 807 university students. Correlational and principal-component analyses indicated that the Novelty Seeking and Harm Avoidance scales possess a good degree of construct validity, however, findings regarding the Reward Dependence scale were inconclusive. Although the Reward Dependence scale may require revision, the TPQ demonstrates promising applicability for both research and clinical purposes.