In sum, the variation in results across instruments for the schizotypal, histrionic, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders begs the question of which finding is providing the correct or most valid results. Even findings that appear to be predominant, such as the correlation of conscientiousness with OCPD or the absence of a correlation between agreeableness and dependency, can and perhaps should be questioned. Rather than argue for the validity of one particular finding relative to another, we would argue for more research on FFM and PD instrumentation. No single measure should be understood as providing an operational definition of an FFM or PD construct (Meehl, 1978) and a clear implication of the current meta-analysis is the need for further research on the effect of instrumentation on our understanding of the relationship of the FFM to DSM PD symptomatology.
