Individual Differences Research

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Individual Differences Research > Volume 10, Issue 1 (2012) > 27-36

Correlating the BDI-II, CES-D, and the Five-Factor Model: A Pilot Study 

Adam D. Hicks, David M. McCord

Abstract

This pilot study, consisting of a sample of 33 college students, used similar methods to investigate the utility of public-domain instruments, designed to measure such constructs as depression and trait theory personality (CES-D and M5-N-100 respectively). It was hypothesized that the public-domain instruments, which had already been shown to have good reliability and validity, would provide similar results as the copyrighted, commercially available instruments. Results indicate that the CES-D was highly correlated to the BDI-II (r = .89, p < .001), and that both were highly correlated to the Neuroticism construct of the M5-N-100 (r = .82, p < .001 and r = .72, p < .001 respectively). As these results mimic those found by researchers using only commercial instruments, it suggests that well-constructed, public-domain instruments provide equivalent results.