The Validity of the Eysenck Personality Inventory Studied by a Technique of Peer‐rating Item by Item, and by Sociometric Comparisons

The validity of the scales of the Eysenck Personality Inventory was assessed by administering it to an undergraduate population (i) in the usual manner, and (ii) as though it were a rating instrument, with each student rating a classmate. The results showed significant correlations between self‐rating on the N and E scales and ratings given by another. This was not so for the L scale; students tended to ‘project’ their own level of L on to the classmate they rated. Sociometric data were also obtained, and sociometric status was found to relate significantly to E but not to N. The personality characteristics of choosers in relation to those they chose were investigated.