Definition
The Basic Personality Inventory (BPI; Jackson 1996) is a 12-scale, 240-item, true/false self-report measure of the general domain of psychopathology.
Introduction
The BPI is a multiscale inventory that assesses psychological problems. The inventory is appropriate for adults and adolescents and for both nonclinical and clinical populations. The BPI requires a grade 5 reading level and can be completed in approximately 30–40 min. The BPI’s 20-item scales assess hypochondriasis, depression, denial, interpersonal problems, alienation, persecutory ideas, anxiety, thinking disorder, impulse expression, social introversion, self-depreciation, and deviation.
In developing the BPI, the independent psychopathology dimensions underlying the longer 566-item Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (Hathaway and McKinley 1967) were first ascertained. Based on these dimensions, ten conceptually relevant constructs were identified and defined. In addition, scales representing guarded...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
References
Austin, G. W., Leschied, A. W., Jaffe, P. G., & Sas, L. (1986). Factor structure and construct validity of the basic personality inventory with juvenile offenders. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 18, 238–247.
Hathaway, S. R., & McKinley, J. C. (1967). The Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory (Revised ed.). New York: Psychological Corporation.
Helmes, E., & Holden, R. R. (1986). Response styles and faking on the basic personality inventory. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 853–859.
Holden, R. R., Fekken, G. C., & Cotton, D. H. G. (1990). Clinical reliabilities and validities of the microcomputerized basic personality inventory. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 46, 845–849.
Holden, R. R., & Jackson, D. N. (1992). Assessing psychopathology using the basic personality inventory: Rationale and applications. In J. C. Rosen & P. McReynolds (Eds.), Advances in psychological assessment (Vol. 8, pp. 165–199). New York: Plenum.
Holden, R. R., Reddon, J. R., Jackson, D. N., & Helmes, E. (1983). The construct heuristic applied to the measurement of psychopathology. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 18, 37–46.
Holden, R. R., Fekken, G. C., Reddon, J. R., Helmes, E., & Jackson, D. N. (1988). Clinical reliabilities and validities of the basic personality inventory. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56, 766–768.
Jackson, D. N. (1996). Basic personality inventory technical manual (2nd ed.). Port Huron: SIGMA Assessment Systems, Inc.
Kroner, D. G., Holden, R. R., & Reddon, J. R. (1997). Validity of the basic personality inventory in a correctional setting. Assessment, 4, 141–153.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Holden, R.R., Fekken, G.C. (2017). Basic Personality Inventory. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_4-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_4-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-28099-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-28099-8
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences