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Research Instrument
Personality // IPIP-TCI Open Access

IPIP-TCI Temperament and Character Inventory

A public-domain 227-item measure of 30 temperament and character facets from Cloninger's TCI model.

Estimated Time
~30 mins
Instrument Scale
Standardized Items
Administration
Self-Administered
Scoring Engine
Automated Real-Time

Scale Overview & Construct

A public-domain 227-item measure of 30 temperament and character facets from Cloninger's TCI model.

Psychometric Instrument Likert Self-Report Dimensional Breakdown Server-Side Validated

Purpose & Measurement Objectives

The IPIP-TCI is a public-domain representation of Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), a framework built around 4 temperament dimensions (Harm-Avoidance, Novelty-Seeking, Reward-Dependence, Persistence) and 3 character dimensions (Self-Directedness, Cooperativeness, Self-Transcendence), each broken into narrower facets. It measures 30 facets in total, from Harm-Avoidance and Recklessness to Self-Acceptance and Romanticism, giving you a psychobiologically-oriented personality profile distinct from the Big Five or CPI-style traits. Taking it gives you insight into your temperament (largely stable, biologically-influenced tendencies) alongside your character (values and self-concept shaped by experience).

Instrument Specifications

Target Population
Adults
Administration Format
Self-Administered
Intended Domain / Purpose
Research & Empirical Study
Recommended Age Bracket
18+
Duration & Pacing
30 Minutes (Self-Paced)
Access License
Open Creative Commons

Academic Citation & Instrument Provenance

When referencing this instrument in research, academic theses, or clinical institutional audits, please cite the original author publication:

License: Public Domain (International Personality Item Pool, ipip.ori.org), representing constructs from Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory. Citation: Cloninger, C. R., Przybeck, T. R., Svrakic, D. M., & Wetzel, R. D. (1994). The Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI): A guide to its development and use. Center for Psychobiology of Personality, Washington University. This is not a diagnostic tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher of the original TCI instrument. Facet scores reflect this test's own item pool only — they are not compared against a published clinical or population norm; no such norm has been entered for this instrument.

Governance, Boundaries & Ethical Use

Construct Boundaries & Interpretive Limitations

This is a 227-item self-report inventory covering 30 separate facets; individual facet scores are based on as few as 1 and as many as 10 items each, so shorter facets (some with only 2-4 items) are far less precise than longer ones and should be read with that in mind. One item from the source instrument's Satisfaction facet was excluded from this build because its own source text was truncated and could not be verified — that facet has 9 items instead of the source's 10. Results reflect how you currently see yourself, not an objective or clinical evaluation of personality.

License: Public Domain (International Personality Item Pool, ipip.ori.org), representing constructs from Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory. Citation: Cloninger, C. R., Przybeck, T. R., Svrakic, D. M., & Wetzel, R. D. (1994). The Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI): A guide to its development and use. Center for Psychobiology of Personality, Washington University. This is not a diagnostic tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher of the original TCI instrument. Facet scores reflect this test's own item pool only — they are not compared against a published clinical or population norm; no such norm has been entered for this instrument.

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Identifier IPIP-TCI
Category Personality
Scale Standard Standardized
License Status CC BY 4.0 Open Scale
PsiQ Psychometric ID #244
IPIP-TCI Temperament and Character Inventory
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