The personality trait structure in Hindi replicated

Abstract

We replicated an earlier psycho-lexical study of personality traits in Hindi. The previous study gave results that deviated from the mainstream of lexical studies. This time an extended list of 357 trait descriptors was administered to 1,250 participants. Half of them provided self-ratings and the other half provided peer-ratings on these same participants. Principal Components Analyses were performed on the combined self- and peer-ratings, both with raw data and with ipsatized data. The resulting trait-structure was strongly evaluative in character, with the ancient personality system, the so-called triguna, seemingly largely determining its content. That structure, built on the three concepts rajasic, representing  ambition and friendliness, tamasic, representing  egoism and concealment, and sattvic, representing competence and harmony, was identified using triguna marker scales. It is unclear, however, whether it is the triguna that defines the structure, or whether it is mainly information of moral and evaluative character. Although the factors explained the variance in Big Five markers pretty well, the Big Five did not emerge as distinct factors.