An analysis of the stages underlying the process of responding to personality items

Three experiments were done to determine the additivity of pairwise comparisons of three personality item characteristics: (1) Length, (2) Ambiguity and (3) Controversiality, using Sternberg's (1969) method. Each of these item attributes was chosen as an experimental factor to represent a stage in a postulated model of responding to personality items. Results indicated non-additivity of the experimental factors which was interpreted as supporting the postulated model.