Short Forms of the Cross-Cultural (Chinese) Personality Assessment Inventory: Reliability, Validity, and Measurement Invariance Across Gender

Filling out long questionnaires can be frustrating, unpleasant, and discouraging for respondents to continue. This is why shorter forms of long instruments are preferred, especially when they have comparable reliability and validity. In present study, two short forms of the Cross-cultural (Chinese) Personality Assessment Inventory (CPAI-2) were developed and validated. The items of the short forms were all selected from the 28 personality scales of the CPAI-2 based on the norm sample. Based on some priori criteria, we obtained the appropriate items and constructed the 56-item Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory (CPAI) and the 28-item CPAI. Then, we examined the factor structure of both short forms with Exploratory SEM (ESEM) and replicated the four-factor structure of the original CPAI-2, reflecting the four personality domains of Chinese people, namely, Social Potency, Dependability, Accommodation, and Interpersonal Relatedness. Further analyses with ESEM models demonstrate full measurement invariance across gender for both short forms. The results show that females score lower than males on Social Potency. In addition, these four factors of both short forms have adequate internal consistency, and the correlation patterns of the four factors, the big five personality traits, and several health-related variables are extremely similar across the two short forms, reflecting adequate and comparable criterion validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. Overall, the short versions of CPAI-2 are psychometrically acceptable and have practically implications for measuring Chinese personality and cross-cultural research.

Development of a Short Form of the CPAI-A (Form B) with Rasch Analyses

The present study developed and validated a short form of the Cross-Cultural (Chinese) Personality Assessment Inventory for adolescents (CPAI-A; Form B) focusing on the personality scales by unidimensional and multidimensional Rasch models. Multiple evidence from unidimensional Rasch models (item fit, DIF statistics, dimensionality, reliability indices, construct coverage) were evaluated in order to create a short scale with optimal psychometric properties. Further, multidimensional Rasch model, canonical analysis, and predictive validity were performed and evaluated to validate the CPAI-A-SF further. As a result, 65 of 277 items were selected in the short measure with a four-dimensional structure. The infit and outfit mean-squares (MNSQ) of the personality scale items ranged between .81 and 1.25. Good construct coverage was displayed on the item-person map, and all four dimensions demonstrate reasonable EAP/PV reliability ranging from .81 to .87. The personality scores of CPAI-A-SF predicted life satisfaction as well as the scores from the original inventory.

Reciprocal Associations Between Career Self-Efficacy and Vocational Identity: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study

We examined the changes in career decision-making self-efficacy (CDSE) and vocational identity (VI) and their reciprocal associations among 1,026 senior high school students, comprising 493 from Hong Kong (age in 10th grade: M = 16.31, SD = 0.65; 238 girls) and 533 from Shanghai (age in 10th grade: M = 16.50, SD = 0.56; 237 girls). They completed measures for assessing their CDSE and VI annually from 10th to 12th grades. Latent growth curve analyses indicated that both CDSE and VI significantly increased over time in the Hong Kong sample. Cross-lagged path analyses indicated that the reciprocal positive effects between CDSE and VI over time were supported in both samples. These findings indicated that CDSE and VI are generally dynamic and interrelated dimensions for Chinese adolescents’ career development with some regional differences.

A Cross-Diagnostic Investigation of the Differential Impact of Discrimination on Clinical and Personal Recovery

OBJECTIVE

Although the negative association between discrimination and recovery has been established, only a few studies have attempted to investigate the underlying mechanism of how perceived discrimination dampens both clinical and personal recovery among people with psychiatric disorders. This study aimed to examine the mediating roles of self-stigma and mental health service engagement in the relationship between perceived discrimination and recovery.

METHODS

A total of 374 people (half men and half women; mean±SD age=43.47±12.76) living in Hong Kong and in recovery with a primary diagnosis of a psychotic disorder, mood disorder, or substance use disorder responded to a cross-sectional questionnaire on discrimination, self-stigma, mental health service adherence, recovery orientation of services, clinical recovery, and personal recovery. Multisample structural equation modeling was conducted to examine whether the hypothesized model for perceived discrimination and recovery produced results that could be generalized across people with various psychiatric diagnoses.

RESULTS

Findings indicated that respondents perceived discrimination from the general public and from health care professionals, which was positively associated with self-stigmatization and service disengagement and was negatively associated with clinical and personal recovery across three different types of psychiatric disorder.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that the influence of perceived discrimination on recovery was universal and could be generalized across people with different psychiatric diagnoses. Multipronged stigma reduction interventions targeting the general public, health care professionals, and people in recovery, along with policies that avert discrimination and uphold human rights in health care settings and beyond, should be implemented.

Indigenous Personality Measures

This article reviews the Chinese historical context of personality testing. Issues of interpretation and methodology related to initial adaptations of English-language personality tests are discussed. The deficiencies of the imposed-etic approach are addressed by the recent development of indigenous personality measures. Three large-scale indigenous personality inventories developed for the Chinese people are introduced and evaluated: Ko's Mental Health Questionnaire, Multi-Trait Personality Inventory, and Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory (CPAI). Research with indigenous Chinese instruments has provided relevant personality measures for use in local cultures. In addition, it has offered a means to examine the broader theoretical question of the universality and relevance of current Western personality theories, as illustrated by research with the CPAI.

Indigenous Chinese Personality Constructs

The universality and sufficiency of the five-factor model in the Chinese context were investigated. In Study 1, analysis of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R) and the Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory (CPAI) taken by Chinese students showed four joint factors similar to the domains of the NEO-PI-R. Two unique factors were obtained. The Interpersonal Relatedness factor was defined only by CPAI scales. The Openness domain, however, was not represented in the CPAI scales. In Study 2, involving Chinese managers, the robustness of the Interpersonal Relatedness factor was demonstrated. In Study 3, the six-factor model was confirmed with Hawaiian students. Further analyses showed that the six-factor models were superior to the five-factor models and that the Interpersonal Relatedness scales could not be consistently explained by a combination of the Big Five factors. Implications for the universality of the five-factor model and the cross-cultural relevance of the CPAI Interpersonal Relatedness factor are discussed.

Development of the Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory

A combined "emic-etic" approach was adopted to develop an indigenous omnibus personality inventory for the Chinese people. The Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory (CPAI) consists of constructs selected specifically in consideration of the Chinese culture as well as scales covering personality constructs commonly found in English-language psychological tests. Preliminary results confirmed the robust structure of the scales related to Chinese tradition among random samples of subjects in the People's Republic of China and in Hong Kong. This article reports the psychometric properties of the CPAI. It also outlines the steps in the construction of the CPAI, which adapted personality assessment methods used in Western countries for developing a culturally relevant instrument in a non-Western culture. The methodology provides an example for the development of indigenous personality inventories in other non-Western cultures.

The English Version of the Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory

The article examines the structure of the Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory (CPAI), an indigenous Chinese assessment instrument, in two English-speaking samples. In Study 1, the English version of the CPAI was developed and administered to a sample of 675 Singaporean Chinese. Factor analysis showed that the factor structure of the English version CPAI was similar to the structure of the original Chinese version in the normative sample. Joint factor analysis of the English version CPAI and the NEO-FFI showed that the Interpersonal Relatedness factor of the CPAI was not covered by the NEO-FFI, whereas the Openness domain of the NEO-FFI was not covered by the CPAI. In Study 2, the English version CPAI was administered to a Caucasian American sample. The factor structure was similar to those of the Singaporean sample and Chinese normative sample. The implications of administering the CPAI in non-Chinese cultures are discussed.

The Moderating Role of Empathy in the Work–Family Crossover Process Between Chinese Dual-Earner Couples

Crossover refers to the interpersonal process that occurs when stress or strain experienced by one person affects the level of strain of another person in the same social environment. This study examined the moderating role of empathy (empathic concern and perspective taking) in the relationship between one partner’s work–family interface (work–family conflict [WFC] and work–family enrichment [WFE]) and the other partner’s outcome variables (psychological strain and marital satisfaction) in a sample of 361 Chinese dual-earner couples. Moderated actor-partner interdependence model analyses showed that wives’ perspective taking buffered the impact of husbands’ WFC on wives’ psychological strain, as well as strengthened the relationship between husbands’ WFE and wives’ marital satisfaction. Wives’ empathic concern reinforced the relationship between husbands’ WFE and wives’ marital satisfaction. The findings add to the literature by providing insight into the mechanisms responsible for the direct crossover of work–family experiences.

The CPAI-2 as a Culturally Relevant Personality Measure in Differentiating Among Academic Major Groups

We examined whether the Cross-Cultural (Chinese) Personality Assessment Inventory-2 (CPAI-2), developed by the combined emic–etic approach, could provide useful information for us to understand the relations between personality and the key academic major groups in the Chinese context. Participants in this study included 989 university students from 9 universities in Hong Kong. Discriminant analysis showed that the personality traits measured by the CPAI-2 could significantly differentiate among six academic major groups, confirming the utility of personality variables as predictors of career-relevant choice in non-Western cultures. Among the 28 CPAI-2 personality scales, 7 significantly differentiated the 6 major groups in our multivariate analysis of variance. Two of these scales reflect universal intellectual styles while the other five were relational in natural. Among these five relationship-oriented scales, Extraversion versus Introversion and Leadership correspond to similar etic constructs in Western measures while the other three (i.e., Renqing, Social Sensitivity, and Face) are emic constructs. The information provided by these emic constructs can assist career counselors to be more sensitive to the cultural context of career choice of Chinese young people.

Personality Traits, Vocational Interests, and Career Exploration: A Cross-Cultural Comparison Between American and Hong Kong Students

This study compared the pattern of relationships among personality, vocational interests, and career exploration within an integrated framework between 369 American and 392 Hong Kong university students. The first hypothesis predicted differential contributions of the universal and indigenous personality dimensions based on the Cross-cultural (Chinese) Personality Assessment Inventory-2 (CPAI-2) to career exploration of the American and Hong Kong students. The second hypothesis predicted that vocational interests mediated the association between personality and career exploration of the students. Cultural differences were found between the personality predictors for Hong Kong and American students, supporting the first hypothesis. The CPAI-2 indigenous personality dimensions derived in the Chinese cultural context predicted career exploration of Hong Kong students only. The second hypothesis was partially supported: Enterprise interest type mediated the association between Social Potency and career exploration in the Hong Kong sample; Artistic interest type was the mediator in the American sample. The contributions of personality and vocational interests to students’ career exploration, and the implications to cross-cultural career counseling were discussed.

From proactive personality to organizational citizenship behavior: mediating role of harmony

The objective of the present study was to examine the moderating role of interpersonal harmony in the relation of proactive personality with organizational citizenship behavior. 158 employees in Chinese state-owned companies completed the Proactive Personality Scale (Bateman & Crant, 1993), Harmony scale, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior Questionnaire. Proactive personality had insignificant correlation with job dedication. The correlation between interpersonal facilitation and proactive personality was significant but quite low. Results of the hierarchical regression analyses indicated that when demographic variables were controlled, Harmony had significant moderating effects on the relations of proactive behavior and job dedication/interpersonal facilitation. In the high Harmony group, the correlation between proactive personality and organizational citizenship behavior was significant; whereas in the low Harmony group, this correlation was not significant.

The differential effects of forms and settings of exposure to violence on adolescents' adjustment

This study investigated the link between exposure to violence and psychosocial adjustment for 442 Chinese secondary school students in Form 1-3. The students completed an inventory assessing exposure to violence through witnessing and through direct victimization in different settings (community, school, and home). Multiple measures and informants (i.e., self-report, teacher report, and school report) were used to assess emotional, behavioral, and cognitive functioning in adolescents. The results of this study showed that overall exposure to violence was related to emotional and behavior problems. High rates of exposure to violence across multiple contexts were found in this sample. After controlling for the co-occurrence of risk factors (e.g., exposure to violence in other settings), both witnessing school violence and being victimized by domestic violence were associated with emotional problems, whereas being victimized by community violence was related to behavior problems. These results suggest that there are differential effects of risks associated with different forms and settings of exposure.

Women at the top: powerful leaders define success as work + family in a culture of gender

How do women rise to the top of their professions when they also have significant family care responsibilities? This critical question has not been addressed by existing models of leadership. In a review of recent research, we explore an alternative model to the usual notion of a Western male as the prototypical leader. The model includes (a) relationship-oriented leadership traits, (b) the importance of teamwork and consensus building, and (c) an effective work-family interface that women with family care responsibilities create and use to break through the glass ceiling. We adopted a cross-cultural perspective to highlight the importance of relational orientation and work-family integration in collectivistic cultures, which supplements models of leadership based on Western men. Our expanded model of leadership operates in the context of a "culture of gender" that defines expectations for women and men as leaders. This complex model includes women in diverse global contexts and enriches our understanding of the interplay among personal attributes, processes, and environments in leadership.

Clinical utility of the Cross-Cultural (Chinese) Personality Assessment Inventory (CPAI-2) in the assessment of substance use disorders among Chinese men

This study examined the clinical utility of the Cross-Cultural (Chinese) Personality Inventory (CPAI-2) in differentiating the personality characteristics of Chinese men with substance use disorders from other psychiatric patients and normal control participants. The CPAI-2 profile of 121 Chinese men with substance use disorders was contrasted with that of a matched psychiatric comparison group (n = 172) and a normal comparison group (n = 187). Multivariate analyses of variance and logistic regression results supported the utility of the CPAI-2 clinical scales, especially Pathological Dependence, Antisocial Behavior, and Depression, for assessing substance use disorders. The Pathological Dependence scale (cutoff T score of 64) achieved good sensitivity and specificity. Apart from the universal personality traits related to neuroticism, conscientiousness, and agreeableness found in Western studies, the indigenously derived CPAI-2 personality scales, including Family Orientation and Harmony, highlighted deficits in social adjustment and interpersonal relationship as important cultural features in the personality characteristics of these participants. The study provided a cross-cultural extension to research on the relationship between personality and substance use disorders and could assist clinicians in considering culturally relevant treatment approaches.

Relevance of Openness as a Personality Dimension in Chinese Culture

The Openness factor was missing from the original Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory (CPAI). We used a combined emic—etic approach to generate six culturally relevant Openness scales. In Study 1, the Openness scales were added to the revised CPAI and standardized using a representative sample of 1,911 adults in China and Hong Kong. Factor analysis showed that the Openness scales merged with the original factors of the CPAI. In Study 2, 1,094 Chinese college students took the CPAI-2 and NEO-FFI. Joint factor analyses showed that four of the CPAI-2 Openness scales loaded with the Openness factor of the NEO-FFI. Implications on the meaning of Openness as a personality factor in Chinese culture were discussed.

Comparative stigma of HIV/AIDS, SARS, and tuberculosis in Hong Kong

This study compares public stigma towards three types of infectious diseases— human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and tuberculosis (TB)—tests an attribution model of stigma, and explores the relationships between stigma and public attitudes towards government policies in Hong Kong. Using a population-based telephone survey, 3011 Hong Kong Chinese adults were randomly assigned to one of the three disease conditions and were interviewed about their attitudes and beliefs towards the assigned disease. Findings showed that public stigma was the highest towards HIV/AIDS, followed by TB and SARS. Using multi-sample model structural equation modeling, we found that the attributions of controllability, personal responsibility, and blame were applicable in explaining stigma across three disease types. Knowledge about the disease had no significant effect on stigma. Participants with less stigmatizing views had significantly more favorable attitudes towards government policies related to the diseases. The study is an important attempt in understanding the attributional mechanisms of stigma towards infectious diseases. Implications for stigma reduction and promotion of public awareness and disease prevention are discussed.

An environmental health survey of residents in Boston Chinatown

The Asian/Pacific Islander (API) population in the United States is majority immigrant, diverse ethnically, and resides predominately in urban settings. It is possible that urban APIs face health-threatening environmental hazards that differ in form or magnitude from environmental concerns of other definable subpopulations or the overall population in the United States. To date, little or nothing is known about this topic. Spurred by the complaints of one such community, in Boston Chinatown, which is also of low socioeconomic status, we conducted a first-stage survey of randomly chosen residents about environmental health concerns. Despite a small sample size, we were able to document several environmental factors of potential concern that were worthy of further study. These included exhaust and noise from motor vehicle traffic and dust from construction projects, and factors originating inside the home. Pedestrian safety and lack of open/green space emerged as primary community concerns, while residents' knowledge of environmental hazards, such as lead paint, was found to be weak. We conclude that standard surveys of "environmental justice" in communities such as this one require tailoring of methods to specific conditions in order to be effective. For example, our survey preferentially missed working-age men, and about half of all randomly selected persons were not interviewed despite bilingual/bicultural interviewers, support letters from the local health clinic, and in-person attempts at residences.

Review of Chinese sex attitudes and applicability of sex therapy for chinese couples with sexual dysfunction

Although sex therapy techniques have widely been used to help Western couples with sexual dysfunction, there has been little research on the applicability of these techniques among Chinese couples. This article discusses the Chinese views and concepts of sex and sexual dysfunction in the past and present, culturally bound sexual problems, and gender role stereotypes. We suggest that with careful integration of the therapeutic techniques with Chinese sex concepts, sex therapy can be applied to Chinese Couples experiencing problems in sexual functioning.

Use of the MMPI-2 with Asian populations

Psychological tests developed in the United States are being widely adapted into other languages and cultures around the world. This article examines the generalizability and utility of personality assessment instruments across cultures and addresses methodological issues related to using personality questionnaires in countries different from the one in which they were developed. This article specifically highlights the application of objective psychological tests in Asia with special emphasis on the most widely used and internationally adapted personality instrument, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory--2 (MMPI-2). Effective strategies for translating, adapting, and standardizing questionnaires in languages and cultures different from their country of origin are reviewed. The history of several successful adaptations of the original MMPI and MMPI-2 is surveyed to illustrate the extensive research base for the test in Asia. Current research is summarized, and recommendations for future research are provided.

Convergent Validity of the Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2: Preliminary Findings With a Normative Sample

We examined the convergent validity of the Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory (CPAI; Cheung, Leung, et al., 1996), an indigenously constructed measure, by comparing its patterns of correlations with the MMPI-2 (Butcher et al., 2001). A valid sample of 147 Chinese students took both the CPAI and the MMPI-2. Results provide preliminary support for the convergence between most of the CPAI clinical scales and the relevant MMPI-2 scales. The CPAI personality scales further illustrated the patterns of personality features associated with the MMPI-2 scales in a Chinese cultural context. We discuss discrepancies in the correspondence between a number of CPAI and MMPI-2 clinical scales.

Psychological Assessment in Asia: Introduction to the Special Section

Psychological assessment with Asians is an important topic not only for psychologists from Asian countries but also for psychologists in multicultural societies with large populations of ethnic Asians. There is a dearth of information in the English language literature on psychological assessment for Asians. This special section is organized to review various forms of psychological assessment in Asia. The objectives of the special section are to inform test users and researchers of the issues related to cross-cultural validity of psychological assessment in Asia and to introduce examples of adapted and indigenously developed instruments that are culturally appropriate.

Clinical validation of the Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory

The clinical validity of the Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory (CPAI; F. M. Cheung, K. Leung, et al., 1996) was examined in 2 studies involving a group of 167 male prisoners in Hong Kong and a group of 339 psychiatric patients in China. Elevated scores on the clinical scales were obtained for the clinical samples. Logistic regression analyses confirmed that the CPAI scales were useful in differentiating between male prisoner and the Hong Kong male normative sample and between psychiatric patients and a random sample of normal adults in China. Multivariate analyses of variance results showed significant differences on the CPAI clinical scales and personality scales among subgroups of psychiatric patients with diagnoses of bipolar, schizophrenic, and neurotic disorders. The usefulness of an indigenous personality inventory is discussed.

Role occupancy, role quality, and psychological distress in Chinese women

This study explored the associations between role occupancy, role quality, and psychological distress in 897 Chinese women in Hong Kong. Results showed that employed as compared to nonemployed women reported a lower level of psychological distress. Never married as compared to married women, and mothers as compared to childless women, did not differ in their levels of psychological symptoms. Correlation results indicated that a net gain of rewards over concerns about social roles was negatively related to psychological distress. The number of social roles was related to the balance between rewards and concerns between social roles, but had no significant association with mental health status of women. Results of the hierarchical regression analyses showed that good mother role quality and the occupancy of the paid worker role were significant predictors of a low level of psychological distress. Findings based on a subsample of employed mothers failed to support the compensatory and spillover hypotheses. Limitations and implications for future studies were discussed.

Indigenous Measures of Personality Assessment in Asian Countries: A Review

This article reviews attempts to develop multidimensional personality measures in Asia and their applications in clinical assessment. Indigenous personality assessment measures in India, Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and Taiwan are examined. These early attempts have not yielded a comprehensive personality measure that integrates a theoretical framework and an empirical program of validation. The Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory (CPAI) is cited as an example to illustrate the process of developing an indigenous measure that meets the testing standards of established assessment instruments. On the basis of the research findings from the CPAI, the authors discuss the relevance of indigenous measures in clinical assessment in native cultures as well as in informing mainstream personality assessment.

Gastroesophageal reflux, motility disorders, and psychological profiles in the etiology of globus pharyngis

The aim of this study was to investigate the origin of globus pharyngis with particular reference to esophageal disorders such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), motility disorders, structural abnormalities, other gastrointestinal tract diseases, and psychological profile. Previous studies on this subject using 24-hour pH monitoring give conflicting results and are hampered by the high background prevalence of asymptomatic GERD in the normal Western population. The local Chinese population is known to have a very low background level of GERD and therefore is an ideal study population. Twenty-six patients with globus pharyngis underwent 24-hour ambulatory pH monitoring, esophageal manometry, and esophagogastroduodenoscopy with lower esophageal biopsy. A control group of 20 patients presenting with non-ulcer dyspepsia was similarly investigated. Personality profiles of the globus pharyngis subjects and an appropriate control group were assessed. Eight of the globus pharyngis group (30.7%) had evidence of GERD, whereas only one of the controls (5%) demonstrated GERD on 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring (P < 0.05). The manometric and personality profile studies did not show significant differences between study and control groups. We concluded that the finding of GERD in patients with globus pharyngis is not a coincidental finding but that there is a true association between GERD and globus pharyngis.