NEO PI-R

(NEO Personality Inventory-Revised)

Orden, Mary Grace R.
 Outline
• The Test
• The Five-Factor Model (FFM)
• Administration
• Scoring
• Interpretation
The Test

• NEO PI-R provides a comprehensive

and detailed assessment of adult
personality based on the Five-Factor
Model (FFM) of personality.

• It was developed by Paul T. Costa

Jr. and Robert R. McCrae for use with
adult (17+) men and women without
overt psychopathology.
Paul T. Costa, Jr. Robert R. McCrae
• The first design of the test
- neuroticism, extraversion, and
openness to experience
- agreeableness and conscientiousness

• The inventory is composed of 240

items.
- Five (5) major scales, called domain
scales
- 30 subscales, called facet scales.

• Two versions of NEO PI-R

- Form S
- Form R
The Five-Factor Model (FFM)

A mnemonic device for the five primary

factors is the acronym "OCEAN," or
alternatively "CANOE".

• Neuroticism (N): refers to the chronic

level of emotional adjustment and
instability.

• Extraversion (E): refers to the quantity

and intensity of preferred interpersonal
interactions, activity level, need for
stimulation, and capacity for joy.
• Openness to experience (O):
refers to the active seeking and
appreciation of experiences for
their own sake.

• Agreeableness (A): refers to the

kinds of interactions an individual
prefers along a continuum from
compassion to antagonism.

• Conscientiousness (C): assesses

the degree of organization,
persistence, control, motivation in
goal-directed behavior.
Administration of NEO PI-R
• Uses a reusable test booklet, and separate
answer sheet

• Easy to administer, has no time limit, and can

be administered to one person or to many.

• 5-point Likert Scale

- Circle “SD” for strongly disagree
- Circle “D” for disagree
- Circle “N” for neutral
- Circle “A” for agree
- Circle “SA” for strongly agree
Scoring NEO PI-R

• Keep in mind the following:

- Missing responses
- Validity checks
- Acquiescence
- Nay-saying
- Random Responding
• Tear-off the top stub and remove
the top page.

• The examinee must locate the first

row of items and sum the values of
the circled responses to these eight
items. The sum will be written in
the space labeled “N1” located to
the right of the row. An analogous
procedure will be used to calculate
the remaining facet raw scores.
• After all the facet scores have been
calculated, the scores for facets N1
to N6 will be added. The sum will
be written in the box labeled “N” in
the “DOMAIN RAW SCORES”
located at the bottom of the answer
sheet. An analogous procedure will
be used to calculate the remaining
domain raw scores.
Interpreting NEO PI-R

❖ Neuroticism: identifies individuals

who are prone to psychological
distress
High: may be at risk for some
kinds of psychiatric problems
Low: emotionally stable
• Anxiety: level of free floating anxiety
High: The scale does not measure specific fears or
phobias, but high scorers are more likely to have
such fears, as well as free floating anxiety.
Low: do not dwell on things that might go wrong.

• Angry Hostility: tendency to experience anger

and related states such as frustration and
bitterness
High: Disagreeable person
Low: easygoing and slow to anger
• Depression: tendency to experience feelings of guilt,
sadness, despondency and loneliness
High: prone to feelings of guilt, sadness, hopelessness, and
loneliness
Low: rarely experience such emotions, but they are not
necessarily cheerful and lighthearted

• Self Consciousness: shyness or social anxiety

High: uncomfortable around others, sensitive to ridicule, and
prone to feelings of inferiority
Low: do not necessarily have poise or good social skills, but
are simply less disturbed by awkward social situations
• Impulsiveness: tendency to act on cravings and urges
rather than reining them in and delaying gratification
High: inability to control cravings and urges
Low: find it easier to resist such temptations, having a
high tolerance for frustration

• Vulnerability: general susceptibility to stress

High: feel unable to cope with stress, becoming
dependent, hopeless, or panicked when facing
emergency situations
Low: perceive themselves as capable of handling
themselves in difficult situations
❖ Extraversion: quantity and intensity
of energy directed outwards into the
social world
High: assertive, active, and talkative.
They like excitement and stimulation
and tend to be cheerful in disposition
Low: reserved rather than unfriendly,
independent rather than followers,
even-paced rather than sluggish
• Warmth: interest in and friendliness towards others
High: like people and easily form close attachments
to others
Low: neither hostile nor necessarily lacking in compassion,
but are more formal, reserved & distant in manner
than high scorers

• Gregariousness: preference for the company of others

High: enjoy the company of others, and the more the
merrier
Low: tend to be loners who do not seek- or who even
actively avoid-social stimulation
• Assertiveness: social ascendancy and forcefulness of
expression
High: speak without hesitation and often become group
leaders
Low: prefer to keep in the background & let others
do the talking

• Activity: pace of living

High: people are in a need to keep themselves busy and
lead fast- paced lives
Low: more leisurely and relaxed in tempo, although they
are not necessarily sluggish or lazy
• Excitement seeking: need for environmental
stimulation
High: like bright colors and noisy
environments
Low: feel little need for thrills & prefer a life that
high scorers might find boring

• Positive Emotion: tendency to experience positive

emotions
High: laugh easily and often
Low: exuberant & high spirited
❖ Openness to Experience: the
active seeking and appreciation of
experiences for their own sake
High: curious about both inner
and outer worlds, and their
lives are experientially richer
Low: tend to be conventional in
behavior and conservative in
outlook
• Fantasy: receptivity to the inner world of imagination
High: open to fantasy, have a vivid imagination & an
active fantasy life. They daydream not simply as an
escape but as a way of creating for themselves an
interesting inner world
Low: more prosaic and prefer to keep their minds
on the task at hand

• Aesthetics: appreciation of art and beauty

High: moved by poetry, absorbed in music, and intrigued
by art
Low: insensitive to and uninterested in art & beauty
• Feelings: openness to inner feelings and emotions
High: experience deeper and more differentiated
emotional states and feel both happiness & unhappiness
more intensely than others
Low: have somewhat blunted affects and do not believe
that feeling states are of much importance

• Actions: openness to new experiences on a practical

level
High: prefer novelty and variety to familiarity and routine
Low: find change difficult and prefer to stick with the
tried-and-true
• Ideas: intellectual curiosity
High: enjoy both philosophical arguments and brain-
teasers
Low: have limited curiosity and, if highly intelligent,
narrowly focus their resources on limited topics

• Values: readiness to re-examine own values and those of

authority figures
High: have readiness to re-examine social, political, and
religious values
Low: tend to accept authority and honor tradition and as
a consequence are generally conservative, regardless
of political party affiliation
❖ Agreeableness: the kinds of interactions
an individual prefers from compassion to
tough mindedness
High: sympathetic to others and
eager to help them, and
believes that others will be
equally helpful in return
Low: egocentric, skeptical of
others’ intentions, and
competitive rather than
cooperative
• Trust: belief in the sincerity and good intentions of
others
High: have a disposition to believe that others are
honest and well- intentioned
Low: tend to be cynical and skeptical and to
assume that others may be dishonest or dangerous

• Straightforwardness: frankness in expression

High: frank, sincere, and ingenuous
Low: willing to manipulate others through flattery,
craftiness, or deception
• Altruism: active concern for the welfare of others
High: have active concern for others’ welfare as shown in
generosity, consideration of others, and a willingness
to assist others in need of help
Low: somewhat more self-centered and are reluctant to
get involved in the problem of others

• Compliance: response to interpersonal conflict

High: tend to defer to others, to inhibit aggression,
and to forgive and forget
Low: aggressive, prefers to compete than to cooperate,
and has no reluctance to express anger when necessary
• Modesty: tendency to play down own achievements and be
humble.
High: humble and self effacing although they are not
necessarily lacking in self- confidence or self-esteem
Low: believe they are superiors and may be considered
conceited or arrogant by others

• Tender mindedness: attitude of sympathy for others.

High: moved by others’ needs and emphasize the human
side of social policies
Low: more hardheaded and less moved by appeals to
pity
❖ Conscientiousness: degree of organization,
persistence, control and motivation in goal
directed behavior
High: associated with academic
and occupational achievement; on
the negative side, it may lead to
annoying fastidiousness,
compulsive neatness, or
workaholic behavior
Low: not necessarily lacking in
moral principles, but they are less exacting in
applying them, just as they are
more lackadaisical in working
toward their goals
• Competence: belief in own self efficacy
High: feel well-prepared to deal with life
Low: have a lower opinion of their abilities
and admit that they are often unprepared
and inept

• Order: personal organization

High: neat, tidy, and well-organized
Low: unable to get organized and describe
themselves as unmethodical
• Dutifulness: emphasis placed on importance of fulfilling moral obligations
High: strictly adhere to their ethical principles and scrupulously fulfill their
moral obligations
Low: more casual about such matters and may be somewhat undependable
or unreliable

• Achievement striving: need for personal achievement and sense of

direction
Very High: may invest too much in their careers and become
workaholics
High: work hard to achieve their goals, diligent, purposeful and
have a sense of direction in life
Low: lackadaisical and perhaps even lazy. They are not driven to
succeed but often perfectly content with their low levels of
achievement
• Self Discipline: capacity to begin tasks and follow through to
completion despite boredom or distractions.
High: have the ability to motivate themselves to get
the job done
Low: procrastinate in the beginning and are easily
discouraged, eager to quit and cannot force themselves to do what
they want themselves to do

• Deliberation: tendency to think things through before acting or

speaking.
High: cautious and think carefully before acting
Low: hasty and often speak or act without considering the
consequences, but are able to make snap decisions when
necessary
Bibliography
• Costa, P. & McCrae, R. (n.d.). NEO Personality Inventory- Revised
(NEO PI-R). Retrieved July 11, 2012, from http://
www.psychpress.com.au/psychometric/talent- psychometric-
testing.asp?NEO
• Costa, P. T. & McCrae, R. R. (1992b). Revised NEO Personality
Inventory (NEO PI-R) and NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-
FFI) Professional Manual. Odessa, FL: Psychological
Assessment Resources.
• Domino, G. & Domino, M. (2006). Psychological testing: an
introduction. NY: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved July 11,
2012, from http://books.google.com.ph/books?
id=OiKau0aqtsYC&printse c=frontcover#v=onepage&q=neo&f=false
• Hartman, P. (2006). The five-factor model: Psychometric, biological
and practical perspectives. Nordic Psychology, 58 (2), 157.
• NEO-PI-R - Manual. (n.d.) Retrieved July 11, 2012, from http://
www.unifr.ch/ztd/HTS/inftest/WEB- Informationssystem/en/4en001/
d590668ef5a34f17908121d3 edf2d1dc/hb.htm
• Revised NEO Personality Inventory. (n.d.) Retrieved July 11,
2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Revised_NEO_Personality_Inven tory
• The five domains. (n.d.) Retrieved July 20, 2012, from http://
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