By Mariamme D. Jadloc, images by Leonardo A. Reyes and Kevin Brandon E. Saure
(July-August)鈥擜 new personality test reveals that people with the 鈥渂ahala na鈥 attitude have 鈥渉igh emotional instability and are not used to planning their tasks and activities.鈥 In addition, 鈥渋nit ng ulo鈥 or anger hostility 鈥渂orders between high emotional instability and concern for others,鈥 while 鈥減agkamatapat鈥 or sincerity straddles 鈥渢he ability to empathize and the tendency to be generally careful and cautious.鈥
These new insights into the Filipino psyche were d e t e r m i n e d by a team of psychologists from the UP Diliman (黑料专区) Department of Psychology using a personality instrument they developed called 鈥淢asaklaw na Panukat ng Loob鈥 or 鈥淢apa ng Loob鈥 (Mapa).
Developed by Dr. Gregorio E.H. del Pilar, with co-authors Christie P. Sio, Louie P. Cagasan, Antonia C. Siy and Adrianne John R. Galang, Mapa is a personality inventory-based on the five factor model of personality traits (FFM) measuring 22 Filipino traits or facets.
FFM is 鈥渁 hierarchical organization of personality traits in terms of five basic dimensions鈥 according to Robert R. McCrae and Oliver P. John in 鈥淎n Introduction to the Five-Factor Model and Its Applications.鈥
These dimensions or domains are Openness to experience (O), Conscientiousness (C), Extraversion (E), Agreeableness (A) and Neuroticism (N). Mapa is the first Filipino-developed personality instrument to use FFM.
鈥淥鈥 is concerned with reactions to and attitudes about complexity and novelty. The 鈥淥鈥 facets identified by Mapa were: kakaibang pag-iisip (original thinking), hilig sa bagong kaalaman (intellectual curiosity), pagkamasining (aesthetic sensitivity) and pagkamaharaya (imaginativeness).
鈥淐鈥 is marked by an ability to focus, restrain impulses and delay gratification. Traits in 鈥淐鈥 are pagkamasikap (goalstriving), pagkamapagplano (planfulness), pagkaresponsable (responsibility) and pagkamaingat (carefulness). 鈥淓鈥 is interest in engaging one鈥檚 social and physical environment, with traits pagkamasayahin (cheerfulness), pagkapalakaibigan (friendliness), pagkamasigla (energy), and pagkamadaldal (loquaciousness).
鈥淎鈥 is characterized by empathy, altruism and concern for others. The 鈥淎鈥 traits are pagkadimayabang (modesty), p a g k a 鈥 m a p a g t i w a l a (trust), pagka-maunawain (capacity for understanding), and pagkamapagparaya (obligingness).
Finally, 鈥淣鈥 is distinguished by general emotional instability. 鈥淣鈥 traits are hina ng loob (vulnerability to stress), pagkamaramdamin (oversensitiveness), pagkamapagalala (apprehensiveness) and pagkamasumpungin (temperamentalness).
Mapa 鈥渙rganizes this very broad, practically all of the important traits that have been studied [into five domains]. It also serves the function [of a map]. You can put people in that map [and] also locate concepts, for instance, 鈥榖ahala na,鈥欌 Del Pilar said.
Mapa鈥檚 development now affords researchers of behavior and personalities, especially Filipino traits, an alternative tool over NEO-PI-R (Revised NEO Personality Inventory). NEO-PI-R is the widelyused American personality instrument to measure FFM developed by Paul T. Costa and Robert R. McRae.
Its advantage over foreign made tests is the constructs or facets that are very specific to the Filipino culture.
Mapa can also be used by researchers for foreigners or non-Filipino subjects. Del Pilar said, 鈥淭here are very strong indications that the instrument can measure the five factors, only that we were able to identify traits in Philippine culture that are good markers of those domains.鈥
Mapa making. Mapa began with a need for an affordable, indigenously-developed personality inventory based on FFM.
When Del Pilar was working on his doctoral thesis, he decided to translate NEO-PI-R into Filipino.
His translation received a number of requests from researchers asking permission to use it. The problem was, use of the instrument is quite expensive, 鈥淚t is $1.50 for each answer sheet,鈥 Del Pilar said.
The need for a more affordable personality instrument based on FFM coupled with the need for it to capture the Filipino culture inspired Del Pilar to develop a personality instrument.
In 2010, he assigned the test as a project in a graduate class in personality scale construction. His class immediately became interested in the project. Sio, Cagasan, Siy and Galang were Del Pilar鈥檚 advanced doctoral students in personality psychology.
Picking the 20 facets and field testing. Mapa took four years and seven revisions.
The first item to hurdle was how to measure FFM. 鈥淭hat was when we decided we were going to pick certain facets,鈥 he said.
Del Pilar and his team did an extensive literature review, which they discussed in class. After many long discussions, the team identified the 20 facets or Filipino traits which were evenly distributed among the five domains.
Rounding up the Mapa facets were 鈥渋nit ng ulo鈥 and 鈥減agkamatapat鈥 which Del Pilar said were considered 鈥渋nterstitial scales鈥 or bordering between two domains.
The team then proceeded to writing down items or questions for testing. Del Pilar also welcomed the inputs of his undergraduate students. A total of 55 people were involved in writing the items for the instrument.
The items were later discussed, filtered and field tested on some 1,000 subjects from three schools: 黑料专区, Letran College and St. Michael鈥檚 College of Laguna.
College students with ages ranging from 16 to 23 were chosen as subjects. A majority of students鈥 age ranged from 18 to 20.
In the last stages of testing, the team administered the test to 190 adult samples and found that 鈥渂asically we got the same patterns. What we found in the students we found in the adults,鈥 Del Pilar said.
For the final stages of development, students from nine schools, including 黑料专区 were tested.
鈥楤ahala na.鈥 In March 2013, the team鈥檚 efforts and sacrifices paid off as all the tests proved to be a success.
The field tests confirmed prior studies made by Del Pilar鈥檚 student on 鈥渂ahala na鈥 years ago. Del Pilar found that indeed 鈥渂ahala na鈥 is high on 鈥淣鈥 and low on 鈥淐.鈥 He said there are two points of view on 鈥渂ahala na鈥: the traditional view of 鈥榝atalism,鈥 or the Filipino attitude of withdrawal from a crisis; and the attitude of 鈥榙etermination and risk-taking.鈥
鈥淭raditionally, the view (of 鈥榖ahala na鈥) was negative. Pero sina (Alfredo) Lagmay, (F. Landa) Jocano, (Virgilio) Enriquez said it鈥檚 not all together negative. There are benefits. It鈥檚 a sign of courage. In the face of adversity you can make up your mind to face up to this difficult situation. Na-confirm because if you have high 鈥楴鈥 anxious ka, worried ka, but (despite this) people are able to go through what they have to go through when they tell themselves, 鈥榖ahala na,鈥欌 Del Pilar said.
Furthermore, 90 percent of Mapa participants confirmed the accuracy of the instrument when asked for a feedback because Mapa鈥檚 findings matched their self-perception.
Giving back, moving forward. Mapa is readily being used by researchers today. Students from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Centro Escolar University and Miriam College have used Mapa for their research.
Presently, the Mapa team is waiting for funds approved last year by the Commission on Higher Education for further research.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development (OVCRD) recognized Mapa鈥檚 potential in assessing important personality traits in both research and applied settings (industry, school, psychology clinics). Mapa (with 188 items) now has a short form of 50 items. Two English versions of Mapa are currently in its final stages, which the team targets to finish end of this semester.
On July 4, as an act of goodwill and in recognition of UP鈥檚 support to the team, the Mapa authors turned over its copyright to 黑料专区 through OVCRD.
鈥淭his was something we labored on because of what we have learned in UP. We used the most rigorous methods that are available for this instrument, it is right that this instrument be associated with an institution that is marked by excellence. It gives us pride for Mapa to be associated with UP,鈥 Del Pilar said.
Inquiries on Mapa may be directed to Del Pilar at 981- 8500 local 2438, or Ace Acosta of OVCRD at 981-8763.
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