Development and preliminary evaluation of a brief five-factor personality instrument

Instruments to measure personality traits in the five-factor model of personality are typically lengthy, which can hamper their use in studies with multiple measures. In this study we developed a brief five-factor instrument based on a bipolar statement response format and validated the instrument for use in the Singapore education context. The 20-item Brief Five-Factor Instrument (BFFI) comprises four items to measure each personality factor in the five-factor model. To evaluate the internal structure of the BFFI, students at two polytechnics in Singapore responded to the scale (Polytechnic A, n = 421; Polytechnic B, n = 271). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to evaluate the factor structure of the measure. Results suggest that the BFFI has promise for use in the Singapore education context.