Variable Details

Available Studies

ROS

Scaled? 

Not Scaled

Variable Type 

Cross-Sectional

Variable Name 

agreeableness

Categories

Affect and Personality

Agreeableness
Agreeableness from NEO Five-Factor Inventory - Sum of 12 items (ROS only)

This variable is only available in ROS.

Agreeableness refers to the tendency to be altruistic and helpful. The variable is measured using 12 items from the NEO Five-Factor Inventory. Participants rate agreement with each item on a 5-point Likert rating scale, where higher scores indicate greater agreeableness. Items for which higher valued responses are not demonstrative of agreeableness are flipped so that higher scores across all items indicate more agreeableness. The overall score ranges from 0 to 48 and is the sum of all individual item ratings, where higher scores indicate greater agreeableness.

Participants are presented the following items:

Item no.ItemFlipped (f)
1I try to be courteous to everyone I meet.
2I often get into arguments with my family and co-workers.(f)
3Some people think I'm selfish and egotistical.(f)
4I would rather cooperate with others than compete with them.
5I tend to be cynical and skeptical of others' intentions.(f)
6I believe that most people will take advantage of you if you let them.(f)
7Most people I know like me.
8Some people think of me as cold and calculating.(f)
9I am hard-headed and tough-minded in my attitudes.(f)
10I generally try to be thoughtful and considerate.
11If I don't like people, I let them know it.(f)
12If necessary, I am willing to manipulate people to get what I want.(f)

Response choices for each item:

ResponseResponse codeValueFlipped value
Strongly disagree104
Disagree213
Neutral322
Agree431
Strongly agree540

Notes: In preliminary analysis, the Cronbach coefficient alpha, an indicator of internal consistency reliability, was 0.66 for agreeableness. These values are comparable to those reported in the normative cohort and indicate adequate levels of internal consistency.

Original reference for NEO: Costa PF, McCrae RR. NEO Personality Inventory - Revised. Professional Manual, Lutz, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources, 1992.


Publications