The Big Five Inventory-2: Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Latent Profiles in a Mexican Sample

Abstract

Introduction: The Big-Five Inventory-2 is a recently developed instrument for the measurement of personality factors and facets, with good psychometric properties cross-culturally. We examined the validity of this test, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency in a Mexican sample. We also aimed to extract latent profiles in order to identify subgroups of individuals based on personality traits. Method: We recruited a two-wave non-probabilistic sample by way of chain referral through social networks. The BFI-2 (60-items version) was administered in the first wave, and the BFI-2-XS (15-items version) in the second wave. The Quality-of-Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire-Short Form was also administered. The baseline sample included 2,025 participants and the follow-up included 610. Results: Factor models of the BFI-2 and the BFI-2-XS evidenced satisfactory goodness-of-fit, reliability and nomological validity with demographics (e.g., higher negative emotionality in women) and with quality of life. We extracted five latent profiles from the BFI-2; those characterised by High Agreeableness/Low Open-mindedness, High Stability/Low Plasticity, and Average Stability/Plasticity, showed better quality of life. Conclusion: We recommend the use of facets, aiming to reduce measurement error. Further studies with more demographically balanced samples should be performed in order to test the replication of the latent profiles.