Introduction

Established personality tests are originally developed in English (e.g., Big Five Inventory), have been translated or adapted to other languages (e.g., Arabic) with varying psychometric properties. Moreover, the adoption/ adaptation of tests to another language/culture may preclude the identification of culture-specific factors.

Objectives

This project aimed at constructing an Arabic personality test using multiple methods. Design/Methodology: First we culled personality descriptors of written Arabic, obtained ratings, and analyzed their factor structure (n = 803). Second, we gathered and qualitatively analyzed free descriptors of personality from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and the West Bank (n = 504). Finally, we analyzed the factor structure of an Arabic version of the IPIP.

Results

Results indicate that the Arab-Levant personality shares similarities with “Western†models of personality, but also has culture-specific dimensions that are not measured by popular personality tests.

Conclusion

Implications for test and item construction in Arabic and for Arabic-speaking populations are discussed.