OBPI: Orpheus Business Personality Inventory

The OBPI (Orpheus Business Personality Inventory) is a work-based psychometric assessment of personality and integrity. It includes the big-five OCEAN dimensions and seven integrity scales assessing Proficiency, Work Orientation, Patience, Fair-mindedness, Loyalty, Initiative and Disclosure. It also has 4 audit or 'lie' scales that identify problematic response patterns. The OBPI is available for online administration in several languages at a price of £25 GBP per administration. A minimum order of 10 tokens applies. Please contact usfor further information.

The OBPI was originally developed as 'Orpheus' in 1996 for Pearson Assessment's talent assessment division - Talent Lens - then called The Psychological Corporation. In 2017 Pearson returned the rights to John Rust, the author. The OBPI is available from The Psychometrics Centre at the University of Cambridge and is delivered on the Concerto platform.

Key Benefits

  • Based on the 'Big Five' model of personality within a work context - Fellowship, Authority, Conformity, Emotion, Detail.
  • Seven additional integrity scales - Proficiency, Work-orientation, Patience, Fair-mindedness, Loyalty, Disclosure, Initiative.
  • Developed in collaboration with several UK blue chip companies.
  • Monitors for response biases - dishonesty, social desirability, acquiescence, contradiction.
  • The OBPI is available in several languages other than English, Including French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Turkish, Bahasa Indonesian and Simplified Mandarin. 
  • Standardized in the UK on a representative sample of employees from a broad range of organisations, occupations, educational levels and ethnic groups.
  • Its 190 items are quick to administer and score in either paper and pencil form, by computer or over the internet.
  • Incorporates state-of-the-art psychometric procedures in scoring.

Publications

Rust, J.  (1998) The validation of the Orpheus minor scales in a working population. Social Behaviour and Personality, 26(4), 399-406.

Rust, J. (1999)  The discriminant validity of the 'big five' personality traits in employment settings.Social Behaviour and Personality, 27(1), 99-108


Training in OBPI use

The Centre provides a five-day course leading to the British Psychological Society's Certificates of Test Use (formerly the Certificates of Competence in Occupational Testing (Intermediate Level B). Click here for details.