The Development of Conscientiousness scale: Measuring personality traits in children in middle childhood

Abstract

The goal of this study was to develop and validate an instrument for the measurement of the trait of Conscientiousness (C), as conceptualized through the HEXACO model, but in middle childhood, children using their parents’ ratings. Following a pilot study that singled out the items with the best psychometric characteristics, the main study was conducted using a final instrument on a sample of 264 children, who were rated by their mothers and/or fathers. Four facets were extracted in both mothers’ and fathers’ ratings, as well as a higher-order factor. Results suggest that obtained factor structures deviate to some extent from the one proposed by the HEXACO model, with certain discrepancies between factor structures extracted from mothers’ and fathers’ ratings. We discuss these discrepancies as well as conceptual and practical problems that might arise from attempting to measure children's personality traits.