Table 2 Psychometric properties of the personality constructs based on figures of Luteijn et al. [13] and Hermans [14]

DPI ^a

Chronbachs alpha ^b

Correlations with school/parent report

Inadequacy

(e.g. having vague physical complaints)

28

Example question: I do not

make friends easily

.85; .87

-.20 (cognitive functioning)

-.25 (concentration, ability to work

 on and work independently)

Social inadequacy

(e.g. avoiding social contacts)

13

Scale: true (scored 2), not

true (scored 0), ? (scored 1)

for all questions

.75; .82

.26 (behavioural assessment)

Rigidity

(e.g. the need for regularity)

25

Sum score: the higher the

more

.76; .83

.26 (cognitive functioning)

.22 (achievement motivation)

Self-sufficiency/recalcitrance

(e.g. mistrust of others)

24

.74; .75

-.23 (cognitive functioning)

-.27 (social-motivational functioning)

Dominance

(e.g. trying to be the boss)

15

.59; .70

.19 (parental perception of child)

AMT ^c

Test-retest correlations ^d

Correlations with grades ^e

Achievement motivation

(e.g. the need to achieve)

39

Example question: I feel

sometimes/seldom/never

bored

.48; .74

.18; .35

Facilitating anxiety

(fear of failure, leading to higher

achievements)

17

Scale: all questions have

different answering options

on a three or four point scale

.46; .68

.05; .17

Debilitating anxiety

(fear of failure, leading to lower

achievements)

15

Sum score: the higher the

more

.47; .72

-.17; -.25

Social desirability

(e.g. the tendency to give the most

socially acceptable answers)

23

.40; .81

.01; .07