An exploratory study on the development of an Enneagram personality type scale for fathers of children in their childhood The aim of this study is to develop an Enneagram personality type scale for fathers of children in their childhood. The scale was constructed on the basis of the Enneagram personality typology. It consists of nine factors: type I, type II, type III, type IV, type V, type VI, type VII, type VIII, and type IX.
The procedure for the selection of questionnaire items was composed of following three stages. In the first stage, literature review was undertaken, and an Enneagram workshop was administered. 38 fathers of childhood children who lives in Seoul participated in the workshop. Through the process, initial 90 items, of which content validity was tested by Enneagram experts, were drafted. In the second stage, exploratory scale items were drawn out from 18 fathers in the workshop. 117 items were selected and content validity was tested again by Enneagram experts. In the third stage, a questionaire survey was administered to 500 fathers of childhood children who lives in Seoul. Through analysis of correlation of all items, final 86 items were chosen. The reliability coefficient of the scale ranged from .75 to .87.
The result of this study has following significance. First, the importance of the role of fathers in parent-child relationship is increasingly emphasized recently. As research results show, fathers exercise significant influence on the development of their childhood children, and parenting characteristics of fathers are increasingly focused. The study offers basic data for developing a scale which makes an integrative view of characteristics of parenting behaviors of fathers available.
Second, domestic studies on Enneagram personality type scales have mostly adopted approaches that compose items on theoretical bases. In contrast, the study developed scale items based on the data of fathers\' personality characteristics collected from those who participated in an Enneagram workshop.
Third, the Enneagram personality type scale has been confirmed to be a relevant tool for diagnosis that indicates the personality types of fathers. Especially, the scale involved in the study is considered to be helpful in enhancing the understandings of fathers about their own characteristics, and thus providing fathers with practical tools which may be used in developing their children.