What's The Personality Of A Blank? An Examination Of The Personality Differences Between Reporters And Nonreporters Of Demographics

Abstract

The current study examined the measurement equivalence of personality measures between those who report demographic variables (i.e., age, race, and gender) and those who do not report these variables. Measurement equivalence was not established between the two groups, so subsequent analyses of personality differences were interpreted with caution and efforts were made to restore equivalence between the two groups. The Dynamic Factors Survey and the Guilford-Zimmerman Temperament Survey (which were the personality inventories used in the analyses) were mapped onto the Big Five personality dimensions in an effort to generalize findings beyond these specific scales. Once measurement equivalence was restored, no significant mean differences were detected. Practical and theoretical implications will be discussed.