Mapping personality markers in a Portuguese sample: The factor structure, reliability and incremental validity of the Big Five Mini-Markers

Abstract

This study reports the psychometric characteristics of a Portuguese form of the 40-item Big Five Mini-Markers, relying upon a cross-sectional design with a sample of 673 Portuguese undergraduates from a Portuguese public university. Results supported the five-factor structure of the translated version and the internal consistency levels of the sub-scales were equivalent to the original version. However, nine items were identified as problematic and dropped from the analysis, due to low component loadings or relatively high cross-loadings. Further evidence from the remaining 31 items supported this instrument’s incremental validity for predicting students’ self-handicapping behaviours over previous academic achievement. Key implications for further research with the Portuguese version of this instrument are briefly presented and discussed.