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EPQ and ECCOS Background

ECCOS is an adaptation for the workplace of the Eysenck Personality Scales, EPQ-R-IVE (Eysenck HJ and Eysenck SBG), which was originally published by Hodder and Stoughton in 1991. The precursors of these personality scales were the Maudsley Medical Questionnaire (1952), Eysenck Personality Inventory (1964) and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (1975).

The EPQ is probably the most widely researched of current personality instruments with evidence that strongly supports the psycho-physiological theoretical position of the Eysencks in defining personality. It relates three scales: Extravert-Introvert, Anxious-Stable and Tough-Tender Minded, directly to the Big Five personality constructs. The construction of EPQ is an exemplar regarding validity and reliability.

In the Review of Personality Assessment Instruments (Level B) for use Occupational Settings (2001), Lindley et al criticise the original EPQ as follows:

  • Product support, not applicable
  • No training courses are provided by the supplier
  • Bureau services not available
  • No information is provided on the validity of scales in occupational setting
  • No tables are provided for converting raw scores into stens, T- scores or percentiles The EPS lack documentation and support for the occupational user

However, the reviewers continue positively:

  • The technical design quality is very rigorous
  • The scoring keys have a simple design that should minimise scoring errors
  • Administration instructions are clear and concise
  • The greatest strength of the EPS lies in their theoretical basis
  • The scales are allied to a wealth of supportive experimental data
  • The scales possess sound psychometric properties
  • Research literature is immense and found in many countries
  • The manual could be improved in several ways

Dr Barry Cripps and Dr Mark Cook have addressed this critique and resolved all the shortcomings in the new Occupational Scales.In addition ECCOS serve to augment the three basic dimensions of human personality, described by Hans and Sybil Eysenck's theory of personality with four dimensions added later by them, applying their work into the occupational domain. The seven dimensions are:
Extraversion-Introversion • Tough-Mindedness • Anxiety • Impulsiveness • Venturesome • Empathy and Social Desirability. These have been applied into ECCOS and relate directly to assessment in the workplace.