Cultural, Motivational and Temporal Problems with the 16 P.F. Test

In view of the queries raised about the validity of the 16 P.F. factors when applied to a large New Zealand sample (vide Adcock & Adcock 1977), it was decided to make a study of individual items which did not seem to be satisfactory in the light of three criteria: inadequate loadings on any of the factors found in the analysis; gross failure to yield any indication of face validity; and failure to gain appreciable loading on group factors as defined by group factor analysis of the correlational matrix sectioned in accord with the scoring material. Consideration of these items indicates that many are greatly affected by cultural and temporal differences and by test climate.