SIGMA Personality FAQ
SIGMA is thrilled to announce the release of our new personality assessment: SIGMA Personality
Based on revisions made to two of SIGMA’s foundational personality tests, the Personality Research Form (PRF) and the Jackson Personality Inventory – Revised (JPI-R), SIGMA Personality offers a new standard in personality assessment and development. The test is available in both English and French, and can be administered online in just 20 minutes. Learn more about SIGMA Personality, explore opportunities for researchers, and get answers to frequently asked questions below.
SIGMA Personality
Learn more about SIGMA Personality, order online, or speak with a test development expert.
Research Opportunities
Discover the benefits of collaborating with SIGMA for research, and apply for a research discount.
What Does SIGMA Personality Measure?
The tendency to get along easily with others and to be willing to help those in need, likely due to their forgiving, non-judgmental, and trusting nature.
Facets: Cooperativeness, Empathy, Forgiveness, Non-Judgmental, Nurturance, Trust
The tendency to remain calm and composed when faced with uncertain or stressful situations, and to display confidence in themselves.
Facets: Accepts Criticism, Carefree, Even-Tempered, Handling Stress, Optimism, Self-Esteem
The tendency to enjoy, feel comfortable, and demonstrate confidence in group settings, including persuading others, assuming the role of leader, and regulating their behavior to accommodate the situation.
Facets: Affiliation, Desire to Lead, Enjoys Attention, Persuasiveness, Social Adaptability, Social Confidence
The tendency to be truthful, humble, and straightforward with others, to avoid taking risks, and to carefully follow established rules.
Facets: Modesty, Risk Avoidance, Rule Compliance, Sincerity, Truthful, Unentitled
The tendency to tirelessly strive for excellence by working hard, setting challenging goals, and deriving meaning from work.
Facets: Achievement, Competitiveness, Energy Level, Engagement, Hard-Working, Persistence
The tendency to act in a deliberate and planful manner, such that they can be counted on to meet commitments and deadlines.
Facets: Impulse Control, Organization, Planning, Punctuality, Reliability, Self-Discipline
The tendency to enjoy creative pursuits and original thinking, particularly when there is an opportunity to learn, discuss differences of opinions, or try something new.
Facets: Abstract Thinking, Aesthetic Appreciation, Breadth of Interest, Embraces Change, Embraces Differences, Innovation
Who is SIGMA Personality For?
Researchers
looking for a comprehensive, valid, and reliable personality assessment.
Counselors and psychologists
assessing normative personality in their clients.
Professors
teaching students how to administer and interpret scientifically validated personality assessments.
Other Frequently Asked Questions
- Better Coverage. SIGMA Personality measures 42 traits—almost twice as many as the PRF.
- Shorter Administration Time. Although SIGMA Personality measures more traits, the administration time has been reduced from approximately 45 minutes to 20-25 minutes because of optimizations made to scale length.
- Modernized Content. The items on SIGMA Personality are shorter and simpler, reflecting up-to-date language and specifically chosen to minimize differences in gender, age, ethnicity, language, and culture.
- New Response Scale. Items on SIGMA Personality are now rated on a 5-point scale (Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree), rather than a dichotomous True/False scale.
- Updated Reports. Compared to the PRF report, the SIGMA Personality report has a fresh look and feel and is easier to navigate.
SIGMA Personality assesses both broad personality factors, which are overarching dimensions of personality, and narrow personality traits, which are specific characteristics under each broad factor. Specifically, SIGMA Personality covers seven factors and 42 trait scales. Each factor is measured by six personality traits (“facets”), which are representative of the content domain covered by the broad factor. For example, the Industriousness factor on SIGMA Personality is measured using the following six facets: Achievement, Competitiveness, Energy Level, Engagement, Hard-Working, and Persistence. In contrast, the PRF only has 20 trait scales and does not assess any broad personality factors.
The original PRF scales have been updated for inclusion in SIGMA Personality, either as a core trait scale or as one of 19 optional “add-on” scales. Some scales have been renamed for ease of interpretation. For more information on the development and organization of the scales on SIGMA Personality, please contact us.
SIGMA Personality is a comprehensive measure of personality that builds on the Five-Factor Model and the six-factor HEXACO model. Because of its relevance to a variety of domains, including the workplace, SIGMA Personality assesses Conscientiousness using two factors: Industriousness and Methodicalness.
Five-Factor Model | HEXACO | SIGMA Personality |
Openness to Experience | Openness to Experience | Openness to Experience |
Conscientiousness | Conscientiousness | Industriousness, Methodicalness |
Extraversion | Extraversion | Extraversion |
Agreeableness | Agreeableness | Agreeableness |
Neuroticism | Emotionality | Emotional Stability (low Neuroticism) |
— | Honesty/Humility | Honesty/Humility |
SIGMA Personality contains 238 items and takes approximately 20-25 minutes to complete. In contrast, the original PRF measure contains 352 items and takes approximately 45 minutes to complete. Even though SIGMA Personality contains more trait scales, each scale has been optimized to balance administration length and measurement precision. Most scales on SIGMA Personality contain only 5 items, in contrast to the 16-item trait scales on the original PRF.
The interim norm sample for SIGMA Personality consists of 801 adults recruited via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk). The norm sample was representative of the general U.S. population. Once enough individuals have completed SIGMA Personality, these norms will be updated. For additional information on the interim norm group, please contact us.
Yes. In a future release, you will be able to customize SIGMA Personality to suit different assessment needs. For example, administrators will have the ability to select the trait subscales that they want. For more information on the customization process, please contact SIGMA directly.
SIGMA Personality is geared towards researchers, professors, and counselors.
If you are a researcher interested in using SIGMA Personality in your studies, please learn more about collaborating with SIGMA for research and apply for a research discount.
SIGMA Personality is well-suited for application in a post-secondary educational context. Use the assessment to provide your students with an example of how personality can be measured, and how assessment reports can be interpreted. This may be beneficial for students of personality psychology and the study of individual differences, clinical/counseling psychology, test construction, and more.
SIGMA Personality is also well-suited for counselors and clinical psychologists.
If you are unsure whether SIGMA Personality is the right fit for you, please contact us. SIGMA provides a range of personality assessments and reports, and our test experts would be happy to help you find the solution that best meets your needs.
Upon release, SIGMA Personality will be available in both English and French. If you are interested in having a specific language made available, please contact SIGMA.
Upon release, only a web version of SIGMA Personality will be available, which will be administered on our next-generation assessment platform, SigmaAssessments.com. There are no plans to release SIGMA Personality on SigmaSoft.
No, there are currently no plans to retire the PRF. Current users of the PRF will continue to be able to administer the assessment online, through SigmaSoft, or as a pen-and-paper measure.
No. SIGMA Personality offers a more granular reporting of personality than type-based assessments. This format is more effective in selection, prediction of employee behavior, administrative decisions about employees, and identifying strengths and areas for improvement. For more details, please see our blog, MBTI or SIGMA Personality? A Comparison of Personality Assessments.
SIGMA Personality is priced at $30 USD (or $36 CAD). To request a complimentary trial, qualified users can contact our team at support@sigmaassessments.com. Please note that SIGMA Personality is a B-level assessment, and complimentary trials are offered only to eligible individuals.
Ready to Get Started?
Are you ready to leverage a powerful personality assessment to enhance your research, clinical, or educational practice? Follow the steps below to order SIGMA Personality, or fill out the form to speak with an expert. Our team would be happy to answer any questions you have about how to implement SIGMA Personality for impact in your work.
How to Order SIGMA Personality
Step 1: Complete the Test User Qualifications Form
Step 2: Download the Assessment Order Form
Step 3: Submit Your Assessment Order Form
Speak With an Expert
Are you interested in using SIGMA Personality? Submit the form to learn more. Our team will be in touch with you shortly.