Personality traits assessment: NEO FFI-R

The NEO FFI-R questionnaire (Revised NEO Five-Factor Inventory) is a short self-report version of the NEO-PI-R (Revised NEO Personality Inventory) [22]. For this assessment, the Brazilian version [37], commercially available from Vetor (Vetor Editora Psico-Pedagógica Ltda, São Paulo, SP, Brazil) was used. It is a 60-item self-administered questionnaire that provides a brief and comprehensive measure of the five major domains (traits) of personality: neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness.

The domains have 12 items each, evaluated using a five-point Likert scale (strongly disagree [SD] = 1, disagree [D] = 2, neutral [N] = 3, agree [A] = 4 and strongly agree [SA] = 5). The examiner encouraged patients to respond to all the items. The conscientiousness domain describes a careful, detail-oriented nature. A high score implies keeping things in order, coming prepared to school or work, being goal-driven and being persistent. A low score on conscientiousness might mean being less organized, completing tasks in a less structured way, taking things as they come, finishing things at the last minute and being impulsive. Agreeableness refers to a desire to keep things running smoothly. A high score on agreeableness might mean always being ready to help out, being caring and honest, being interested in the people around you and believing the best about others. A low agreeableness score might mean being stubborn, finding it difficult to forgive mistakes, being self-centered and having less compassion for others. Neuroticism describes a tendency to have unsettling thoughts and feelings. A high score on neuroticism can mean often feeling vulnerable or insecure, getting stressed easily, struggling with difficult situations and having mood swings. A low score on neuroticism indicates being likely to remain calm in stressful situations, being more optimistic, worrying less and having a more stable mood. Openness, or openness to experience, refers to a sense of curiosity about others and the world. A high score on openness means one might enjoy trying new things, be more creative, have a good imagination and be willing to consider new ideas. A low openness score might mean preferring to do things in a familiar way, avoiding change and being more traditional in your thinking. Extraversion refers to energy being drawn from social interactions. A high extraversion score might mean seeking excitement or adventure, making friends easily, speaking without thinking and enjoying being active with others. A low extraversion score can mean having a hard time making small talk or introducing yourself, feeling worn out after socializing, avoiding large groups and being more reserved.

Each patient received the booklet of items, the answer sheet and a pen. Patients had to answer each question by checking one of the response options on a Likert scale. There was no time limit for this test. In the cases of not understanding or doubt between responses, the respondents were instructed to mark the option “neutral.” For the evaluation of the NEO FFI-R (Vetor Editora, São Paulo, SP, Brazil), each response received a numerical value previously indicated by a blind operator, and the Riddle Computerized Correction on the computer, which is part of the whole questionnaire, was used. Numerical data were transcribed, and then a report was generated for each patient. The scores for each dimension were classified according to the NEO FFI-R standardization table. For the missing items, the mean of the other items of the same domain of each test was imputed [38, 39]; this simple imputation was standardized for all questionnaires applied.