Exploring Some Of The Most Common Personality Traits
Personality traits tend to be relatively defining characteristics. They can encompass qualities, temperament, emotions, competencies, talents, and habitual patterns of behavior. These encompass broad personality traits that help to describe personality traits in individuals. We each have many different character traits—some stronger than others. These traits form a broad range of personality types, each with its own unique features. While you can teach yourself new habits and behaviors, personality traits tend to be more stable. However, for those experiencing emotional instability, understanding and managing these traits becomes crucial. However, you may be able to improve some traits that present challenges.
Below, we’ll look at some common personality traits, some of the tests that are designed to measure these broad traits, and ways that you might use your strong traits to your advantage and improve on your other traits.
The big five personality traits classifications
Personality traits factor I: Surgency (extroversion)
Factor one of the Big Five personality traits has been labeled surgency or extroversion. This trait tends to relate to how you interact with others in social situations. It’s a key aspect of social interaction and plays a significant role in how individuals engage in social contexts. Your tendency within this factor may determine whether you draw your energy from being with people or from being alone. Those who prefer solitary activities might lean more towards the introversion side of this spectrum. If you’re on the extroversion side of the spectrum, you might be described in the following ways:
- Friendly
- Socially confident
- Sociable
- Assertive
- Outgoing
- Energetic
- Talkative
- Articulate
- Affectionate
- Fun-loving
- Prone to action
- Gregarious
If you’re on the introversion side, you might have the following characteristics:
- Quiet
- Introspective
- Reserved
- Thoughtful
- Silent
- Passive
Personality traits factor II: Agreeableness (pleasantness)
Agreeableness is a character trait that describes the way you get along with and interact with others in most situations. This trait is an important trait that influences a person’s ability to maintain harmonious relationships. An agreeable person tends to have few, if any, enemies. People with this character trait are typically well-respected, admired, and liked by most people. Their amiable nature is a common personality trait appreciated in various social settings. If you’re on the agreeable side of the spectrum, your character traits may include:
- Altruistic
- Trusting
- Humble
- Patient
- Tactful
- Polite
- Loyal
- Helpful
- Sensitive to the needs of others
- Amiable
- Cheerful
- Affectionate
- Sympathetic to others, including to strangers
- Traditional
- Conforming
- Grateful
- Forgiving
People on the disagreeable side of the spectrum may be hard to get along with in social situations. Their character traits may include the following:
- Blunt
- Rude
- Callous
- Sarcastic
- Antagonistic
- Cruel
- Abrasive
- Hostile
- Selfish
- Distrustful
Personality traits factor III: Conscientiousness (dependability)
Conscientiousness, as a category of character traits, tends to include abilities and behavior patterns related to controlling impulses, acting in socially appropriate and acceptable ways, and engaging in goal-seeking behaviors. This factor often involves the ability to complete tasks efficiently and effectively. If you have conscientious character traits, you may be excellent at delaying gratification, planning, organizing, and working within the rules. People who are conscientious tend to have the following character traits:
- Persistent
- Self-disciplined
- Reliable
- Resourceful
- Hard-working
- Energetic
- Persevering
- Predictable
- Thorough
- Ambitious
- Consistent
- Controlled
- Goal-oriented
- Determined
- Organized
Those who are near the other end of the conscientiousness continuum tend to have the following character traits and behaviors:
- Procrastination
- Impulsivity
- A tendency to be flighty
- Impetuousness
- Carelessness
- A tendency to be negligent or unreliable
Personality traits factor IV: Emotional stability (neuroticism)
Emotional stability is a personality trait that tends to represent how you function in life overall. People who have emotionally stable character traits tend to be comfortable with themselves. However, those with emotional instability may frequently experience negative emotions, making it essential for them to understand and manage these traits. They are often:
- Self-confident
- Self-assured
- Adventurous
The other side of this character trait spectrum is neuroticism. Neurotic people who are high in this category may be:
- Emotionally unstable
- Overly sensitive
- Self-conscious
- Low in self-esteem
- Insecure
- Self-critical
- Wary
- Timid
- Fearful
- Nervous
- Jealous
- Moody
- Anxious
- Pessimistic
- Temperamental
Such individuals often experience a broad range of negative emotions, indicating a need for understanding and managing these traits.
Personality traits factor V: Openness
This character trait factor has been called culture, openness to experience, intellect, and imagination. This category involves a tendency to be imaginative and a willingness to try new things. People who are open to experience tend to have the following character traits:
- Creative
- Imaginative
- Insightful
- Interested in a wide variety of subjects
- Original
- Clever
- Curious
- Perceptive
- Intellectual
- Deep
- Daring
These traits describe people who often possess strong abstract thinking skills and enjoy exploring complex concepts. People who have low levels of the openness character trait tend to:
- Stick to set routines
- Prefer what they already know to what they aren’t familiar with
- Enjoy arts and entertainment that are less abstract
Uses of the big five character traits for employment
Researchers have suggested practical ways to use the results of character studies. This is based on the lexical hypothesis, which posits that important traits in human personality are embedded in our language. For example, Lewis R. Goldberg, a psychologist widely known for his work in personality psychology, recommended that the Big Five character traits system be used to predict job performance. This approach considers various factors, including a person’s specific trait, to determine their suitability for certain roles. The idea is that if you know someone’s character traits, you may know more about how they’re likely to perform in their jobs.
Researchers Murray Barrick and Michael Mount found that conscientiousness was the Big Five character trait factor that was related to job success across all the types of jobs and career fields they studied. Others may see agreeableness as a better predictor of strong job performance, depending on the context. This understanding can lead to a better understanding of the role of personality traits in the workplace. While there is still disagreement among scientists about how the Big Five should be used, many employers are aware of primary personality traits and consider them when making hiring decisions.
Additional personality tests
The Big Five is not the only classification system of personality traits. There have been other systems with more or fewer recognized traits that have been devised over the years. These systems sometimes introduce a sixth dimension or other factors to describe personality traits. Some were used mostly in conducting research, while others had more practical applications. Some personality trait tests are the result of years of scientific research, while many of the personality tests you find free online may have little or no scientific basis. Words people use to describe personality can often be linked back to these scientific models. The following four personality trait tests tend to be more notable and well-respected.
Eysenck Personality Questionnaire
The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire is a short, 48-item character trait test that aims to measure your levels of extroversion and neuroticism. Several versions have been developed. Eysenck’s later version, the EPQ-BV (a 24-item test), has proven to be a highly consistent, valid, and reliable descriptor of character traits.
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is a character trait test that was developed in the 1940s and is still used around the world to measure character traits. Within the MMPI are several different scales that measure not only character traits, but also response attitudes, mental symptoms, and special problems a person might be experiencing.
The MMPI character trait test is often used for people who are admitted to an inpatient psychiatric facility. It is also sometimes used for people starting therapy or for graduate students pursuing a degree in clinical psychology. People who have brain injuries sometimes take the character trait test to determine the extent of their injuries.
NEO PI-R
The NEO Personality Inventory, or the NEO PI-R, is designed to measure the Big Five Factors. This test uses the five dimensions of emotional, interpersonal, experiential, attitudinal, and motivational styles. The test-taker answers 240 questions using a five-point scale. The test is then used by mental health professionals, doctors, and educators. The NEO PI-R is considered reliable and valid.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
One of the most well-known personality tests is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI is a test that gauges your character type based on four pairs of opposites:
- Introversion/Extroversion
- Intuitive/Sensing
- Thinking/Feeling
- Judging/Perceiving
Many people take the MBTI when preparing to start or change their career. The MBTI may help you determine your strengths and weaknesses to get an idea of the jobs you could do most successfully. You can take the test yourself through the Myers & Briggs Foundation.
What can you do about your personality traits?
Your personality traits tend to be relatively stable over the course of your lifetime, but this doesn’t mean that there’s nothing you can do about them. For those with neurotic personality types, understanding and managing traits becomes even more crucial. While you may not be able to completely change your personality traits, there are several steps you can take to make the most of your positive character traits and minimize the impact of other traits.
Leveraging your positive traits
When you understand your positive character traits, you may be able to choose a career where you can shine as an individual. This applies particularly to those who have broad personality traits that can be channeled into professional strengths. For example, if you’re high in the openness-to-experience traits, you might do well in a creative or intellectual career. If you’re high in conscientiousness character traits, you might make a great leader. By choosing a career compatible with your character traits, you may increase the likelihood that you will thrive throughout your career.
Addressing traits that you’d like to improve
Some personality traits may be difficult to change, but recognizing them may help you make better decisions. For example, if you tend to be low on the extroversion scale, you may be setting yourself up for failure if you choose a job that requires lots of face-to-face communication with others. This is particularly true for those who prefer solitary activities and may feel overwhelmed in highly interactive roles.
You might also learn to minimize your challenging personality traits and maximize your positive character traits by learning different ways of thinking and behaving. One way to do this is through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). In CBT, a counselor can guide you as you examine your thoughts and behaviors. This can be especially beneficial for individuals who experience negative emotions and struggle with emotional instability. Together, you can decide if they’re helpful enough to hold onto or so unhelpful that you want to change them. Your overall character traits may not change, but the way you respond to the outside world can. Research has found that CBT, including internet-based cognitive behavior therapy (ICBT), can help improve certain personality traits.
If you feel hesitant about traditional in-office therapy, you might consider online therapy, which numerous peer-reviewed studies have found to be effective.
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A therapist might be able to help you learn to identify your prominent character traits and then change certain thought processes and behaviors. With BetterHelp, you can be matched with a licensed therapist who has experience helping people assess their personality traits and identify ways to make the most of them. Take the first step toward learning more about your unique personality traits and reach out to BetterHelp.
What are the most common personality traits?
Some of the most common personality traits are defined by the five-factor model of personality, also known as the Big Five. The Big Five personality traits have been used extensively in research and clinical settings to help people better understand their unique personality profiles.
The five personality traits defined by the five-factor model are:
- Openness to experience, or a willingness to try new things and explore the world.
- Conscientiousness, or a tendency to be self-disciplined and a drive to complete tasks.
- Extraversion, or a desire to interact with others.
- Agreeableness, or a desire for social harmony.
- Neuroticism, or a tendency to experience negative emotions and emotional instability.
Each of the five traits exists on a continuum. For example, when considering extraversion, a person might be high-extraversion, low-extraversion, or land anywhere in the middle. Low-extraversion people are often referred to by a more familiar label: introverts. In addition, the term “ambivert” has been coined to describe people who land directly in the middle of the extravert-introvert spectrum.
The five traits represented by the Big Five model were developed by applying the lexical hypothesis. The lexical hypothesis forms the foundation of many different personality theories. It is based on two assumptions: personality traits are encoded in language, and the more important a certain personality trait is, the more likely it is to be represented by a single word.
Over several decades, researchers studied thousands of adjectives that describe personality traits to find the words which best represented the most important features of a person’s personality. That research eventually led to the five-factor model of personality, as well as others. The Big Five model found that the words which describe personality fit into one of five categories, represented by the Big Five personality traits.
What are the 5 biggest personality traits?
The Big Five personality traits are broad and designed to capture many different descriptions of specific personality domains. The Big Five model of personality, and many other models of personality, are based on the lexical hypothesis. It proposes that important personality traits are encoded in language, and analyzing the words people use to describe different personality factors is likely to reveal trends pointing to which personality traits are most important.
Decades of research revealed five broad personality traits that each represent hundreds of words a person might use to describe features of that trait. The five traits represented by the Big Five model are:
- Openness to experience, or a tendency to be inquisitive and curious.
- Conscientiousness, or a drive to do a job well.
- Extraversion, or a desire for social interaction.
- Agreeableness, or a desire for peace and harmony.
- Neuroticism, or a tendency to feel and think negatively.
A more recent model of personality added a sixth feature of personality, honesty. The HEXACO model builds upon the Big Five by including an additional broad trait that describes personality features related to honesty and humility.
What are common and unique traits?
Common personality traits might describe people more broadly, allowing the trait to apply to more people. According to the lexical hypothesis, more common words may describe more common personality traits. Words like “curious” and “punctual” may describe more common traits, while words like “conciliatory” and “magnanimous” describe less common traits.
It is important to note that no matter how common a trait is, it can still be described along a continuum. For example, a person can be described as “low-curiosity” or “high-curiosity.” Curiosity is likely a common personality trait, but that doesn’t mean every person is equally curious. Rather, it likely means that most people’s thoughts and behaviors can be described along a continuum of curiosity. Conversely, fewer people can likely be described along a continuum of narrow traits like “magnanimousness.”
Which of the 16 personalities is most and least common?
The 16Personalites personality assessment is a freely-available personality test that uses tools based on the five-factor model of personality to assign a test taker to one of 16 personality types. The five-factor model, also known as the Big Five, conceptualizes personality as five broad traits, each representing a personality domain.
The Big Five model is trait-based, meaning it does not assign a personality type. Rather, each trait is continuous, meaning it exists along a continuum of high to low. For example, consider extraversion, one of the Big Five’s traits. A person can be high-extraversion, meaning they tend to seek out and enjoy social contact. They can also be low-extraversion, meaning they tend to be more reserved and avoid social contact, or they can fall anywhere in between.
Because of the continuous traits used by the Big Five, there are theoretically infinitely many “profiles” that the Big Five can represent. Converting those into discrete personality types, such as the 16 personality types of the 16Personality assessment, requires assigning cutoff scores based on which trends are common in the Big Five traits. This is often accomplished by testing thousands of people to determine which profiles might be most common in the general population.
16Personalities determined that the most common personality type represented by their categorization system in the United States was Turbulent Mediator, representing 12% of the population, and the least common was Turbulent Entrepreneur, representing 0.83% of the population. 16Personalities defines mediators as people who tend to be kind and altruistic. Entrepreneurs are those who are likely to be energetic and perceptive of others.
In addition, each of the 16 personality types can be assertive or turbulent. Assertive people tend to be resilient and self-assured. Turbulent people tend to be reactive to stress and perfectionistic.
Is Talkative a personality trait?
A talkative person is likely to communicate using a high word count and rapid rate of speech. A person’s “talkativeness,” or the degree to which they are considered talkative, can be described within personality frameworks. It has been considered within personality models as a discrete trait in several research studies, but it also has some unique characteristics. A person’s personality likely influences talkativeness, but other factors may also play a role.
For example, speech ability, which is not closely related to personality, is required to be talkative. Imagine a person who speaks two languages but is much more fluent in their native language. When speaking their native language, they likely have a broader vocabulary, a better grasp of idioms, and a better understanding of what others are saying. This likely influences their ability to speak verbosely and quickly.
Is honesty a personality trait?
Honesty is considered a personality trait. It is strongly aligned with the “agreeableness” factor represented by the five-factor model of personality. However, contemporary research has suggested that honesty may better represent a facet of personality not adequately described by the five-factor model. Some researchers believe that honesty represents its own broad personality trait and is likely a “sixth factor” not adequately defined by the five-factor model.
A popular personality framework developed much more recently than the five-factor model is the HEXACO model of personality. The HEXACO model expands on the five-factor model to add a sixth dimension, “honesty-humility.” The model separates “honesty-humility” from the “agreeableness” factor and likely better predicts personality factors such as sincerity, greed, and modesty.
What are the 3 most important traits?
Hans Eysneck, an early researcher into personality theory, developed one of the first factor-based personality models. Known as the PEN model of personality, it was one of the first theories to define personality through broad, continuous traits. The PEN model would go on to contribute to contemporary models of personality, such as the five-factor and HEXACO models, although each model has considerable differences.
The PEN model has three factors, defined below:
- Psychoticism, or a tendency to engage in irresponsible behavior and defy social norms.
- Extraversion, or a desire to engage in social activities and a tendency to be outgoing.
- Neuroticism, or a tendency to be emotionally unstable.
Those familiar with personality theory will recognize that extraversion and neuroticism have survived to be incorporated into the five-factor model of personality, one of the most robust personality theories today. Psychoticism was found to be too broad of a factor and was subsequently better represented by other factors. According to the five-factor model, the behavioral traits of psychoticism are likely to be found in those who are low-agreeableness, low-conscientiousness, and high-neuroticism.
What are good examples of traits?
Personality traits can be defined in several ways. According to the lexical hypothesis, personality traits are encoded in language and can best be described through adjectives that relate to personality. Many modern personality models, like the five-factor model of personality, describe broad personality factors that constitute many personality facets.
Personality facets are narrower descriptions of personality traits than the main personality factors. For example, extraversion, one of the five factors in the five-factor model, might have facets like “sociability” or “social boldness.” Facets are defined by grouping similar adjectives, per the lexical hypothesis. Some adjectives that describe sociability and social boldness might include words like “outgoing,” “lively,” or “cheerful.”
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