UNVEILING THE LATENT HIERARCHY OF PERSONALITY: A HIGHER-ORDER GRADED RESPONSE MODEL APPROACH TO THE INDONESIAN BIG FIVE INVENTORY-2

Abstract

Personality traits influence how well university students adjust academically, how motivated they are to learn, and their overall well-being. To assess these traits in Indonesia, a valid and culturally sensitive instrument is required. This study evaluated the Indonesian Big Five Inventory-2 (BFI-2-BI) using the Higher-Order Graded Response Model (HO-GRM) with data from 710 undergraduate students. The HO-GRM successfully captured the hierarchical structure of personality at the domain and facet levels, outperforming a unidimensional model. The items performed well, the facets reflected meaningful cultural patterns, and the parameters showed strong measurement precision. The findings support the use of the BFI-2-BI as a reliable and culturally appropriate tool for assessing personality in higher education, with implications for research and counseling. The study also demonstrates the theoretical value of the HO-GRM in clarifying the latent hierarchy of personality.