A factor analysis of the most frequently used Korean personality trait adjectives

We tested the cross‐cultural generalizability of personality structure by factor‐analysing self‐ratings of 435 Korean university students on the 406 most frequently used Korean personality trait adjectives. A plot of eigenvalues and a test of factor replicability both suggested a four‐factor solution. The four varimax‐rotated factors showed strong correlations with the first four factors of the Big Five (Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Emotional Stability), as measured by markers selected a priori from the pool of 406 adjectives. We also investigated a five‐factor solution, in an attempt to recover an Intellect factor. The five varimax‐rotated factors corresponded closely to the classic Big Five, but with a minor difference in the rotation of the Conscientiousness and Intellect factors. Solutions involving six and seven factors were also investigated, and these solutions produced a Truthfulness factor similar to some previously discovered lexical factors. The results of the study were discussed in relation to the lexical hypothesis and to previous studies of personality structure in East Asian languages. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.