RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To assess the factorial structure, reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), a 240-item, self-report, paper-and-pencil test, and true-false format inventory based on Cloninger's psychobiological model of personality. It measures the four higher-order temperament dimensions and three character dimensions. METHOD: Using samples consisting of 470 healthy volunteers and 544 psychiatric patients, psychometric features were explored. RESULTS: The internal consistency of the scales was good (Cronbach alpha coefficients between 0.68 and 0.84), but weak for Reward dependence (0.55) and Persistence (0.56). The factor structures of the temperament and character dimensions, explored separately, were in agreement with the hypothesized constructs, except for the scales NS1 (Novelty Seeking 1 = exploratory excitability) and SD4 (Self-directedness 4 -- self-acceptance). The present study also confirmed that the TCI scales were weakly related among themselves. On the whole, psychiatric patients had higher harm avoidance and lower self-directedness, persistence, cooperativeness, and self-transcendence scores than the normal subjects. Gender differences were also found for different dimensions. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that the TCI can be applied in the investigation of psychiatric and normal populations.