Psychometric properties of the two scales for assessing individual differences in preference for solitude

Individuals differ in the extent to which they seek out situations in which they are alone and in the extent to which they enjoy such situations. We present two scales to measure individual differences in this preference for solitude: a German version of the Preference for Solitude Scale (Burger, 1995; PfS-dt) and a newly developed inventory to assess the preference for solitude (IPA). In a large sample (N = 1122), we explored the psychometric properties of the two instruments. The results showed that the PfS-dt and the IPA were internally consistent and factorially valid; both scales also showed good test-retest correlations (N = 80). Additionally, convergent and discriminant relations to other personality traits were demonstrated. Finally, both inventories were able to predict self-reported behavior beyond that predicted by the Big Five.