Self-report questionnaires to measure Big Five personality traits in children and adolescents: A systematic review

Personality can be described by referring to the so-called Big Five traits, that is, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness. These dimensions contribute to explaining individual differences not only in adults but also in children and adolescents. Although many authors used adult or other-report instruments to assess the Big Five in young people, others developed or adapted specific self-report measures for them. A systematic overview of research articles developing or validating self-report questionnaires to measure the Big Five traits in children and/or adolescents is currently absent. Accordingly, a review of the literature seems necessary to better guide practitioners and researchers interested in this assessment. We consulted PsycINFO, PubMed, and Scopus. We extracted 20 articles from the initial 1449 records and another 4 articles by consulting their references. They described 10 questionnaires developed for 7–18-year-olds (with one exception). We provided detailed summaries of their language, trait labels, facets, length, item types, response scale, and item development or selection procedure. The structural validity and internal consistency of the selected questionnaires were evaluated by adapting the COSMIN guideline. All the questionnaires reflect an attempt to consider the cognitive skills and individual experiences that characterize children and/or adolescents. However, our findings highlighted some limitations in the validity or reliability of some of them. These results can provide guidance for selecting the most appropriate instrument depending on the contextual needs and for developing or adapting new questionnaires for this age group.