What Do The Big Five Personality Traits Say About You?
Psychologists have long debated how best to categorize human personality traits. One reason is that learning more about who we are can help us better understand how to make ourselves happy and healthily relate to others and can also point us in the right direction for self-improvement and growth. Today, most agree that an overview of an individual’s basic personality can be described in reference to where they fall within five key categories called the five-factor model of personality. Getting to know these “big five personality traits” can help you understand more about yourself and your underlying factors that determine how you relate to the world.
The history of personality studies in psychology
The history of the study of personality traits is long and varied, beginning with ancient Greek and Chinese societies which both offered “physiological and psychological explanations for the variety of personality types.” When the field of psychiatry began in the 1700s, the theory that personality variance had to do with neuroanatomy was put forth—though it was later discredited.
By the 1930s, the focus of personality research had shifted to the idea that every individual is unique and that there are a variety of cognitive and motivational factors that may influence one’s personality and can lead to personality differences. This view was encapsulated in the work of Gordon Allport, who compiled a list of thousands of words that can apply to personality and sorted them into three key categories. Then in 1981, personality psychologist Lewis Goldberg put forth his theory that personalities can be best categorized according to five personality dimensions—which is where the nickname “big five” came from. Support grew for the Big Five model. It’s now widely accepted and referred to in the field of psychology and has been built upon since.
The big five personality traits
So what are the five key classifications and fundamental traits of human personalities as put forth by Goldberg? The acronym “OCEAN” is often used to list the five personality factors or five broad categories of personality: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism. Let’s take a look at these primary traits individually, each of which can be considered to be a spectrum where a person falls within a broad range rather than something a person completely does or does not have.
Openness to experience
This particular trait reflects an individual's willingness to venture outside of their comfort zone. Exploring the unknown, being vulnerable, being intellectually curious and open to new ideas, and thinking outside the box are all part of this trait. Someone who has a high level of openness is likely to enjoy the arts, engage in a creative career or hobby, seek out travel, and enjoy meeting new people. On the other hand, someone who is low in openness may prefer routines instead of variety, stick to what they know, and tend to enjoy less abstract arts and entertainment.
Conscientiousness
Conscientiousness describes the tendency to control one's impulses and follow social guidelines on acceptable behavior. Individuals who are conscientious excel in delaying their gratification, respecting the rules, and organizing. Those higher on this spectrum are often more likely to succeed in school and/or their career. According to this theory, they may persistently pursue their goals and excel in leadership positions. On the other hand, those who are low in conscientiousness may be seen as inconsistent and impulsive, but may be very good at going with the flow or following their own path.
Extroversion
This personality trait refers to how an individual receives energy and how they prefer to interact with others. According to this theory, extroverted people may draw energy from being around others, while introverts may regularly tire of interacting with people and need to recharge on their own. Those who are high on the extroversion spectrum may be more outgoing or sociable. People who are lower on the spectrum might be more reserved or quiet.
Agreeableness
This factor has to do with how well people might get along with others. Those who are ranked highly in agreeableness may be well-liked by many, but they may also tend to go along with what other people want rather than voicing their true opinions. People who are low on agreeableness may be considered more blunt or tough, but they may have fewer difficulties voicing how they truly feel. People who rank low on the agreeableness scale may even feel more comfortable doing activities like negotiating, competing, or overseeing others. For those who are high on the agreeableness scale, being liked may feel very important.
Neuroticism
This trait refers to the extent to which one is able to manage their emotions and anxiety. How to tell if you're neurotic? Generally speaking, people who are more neurotic experience emotional instability, whereas people who are not neurotic more emotional stability. A person who is considered neurotic may come across as more stressed out, but they also might be extremely conscientious about their surroundings and responsibilities. A person who is not neurotic might be more relaxed but may struggle to stay on top of responsibilities. A neurotic person also might be more risk-averse, while a non-neurotic person might be more open to risks and changes in plans. Neurotic people may have difficulties with their self-confidence. Non-neurotic people might be more adventurous or confident, but they also might be less aware of their surroundings or less detail-oriented.
How are personality traits formed, and can they change?
Research suggests that as much as 40–60% of personality traits have a heritable, genetic component, though the detailed mechanisms of how traits develop is not well understood. Some researchers have also studied whether certain traits change over time, like as a person ages and/or goes through stressful events or challenging life circumstances. The results are mixed. In one study, for instance, personality researchers found personality traits in adults to be relatively fixed over a four-year period despite situational variables. Another found that personality “changes at least as much as economic factors and relates much more strongly to changes in life satisfaction [...], therefore suggest[ing] that personality can change and that such change is important and meaningful.” This means that although you may be the same person, life circumstances bring different personality types forward.
Still another found that adults tend to become less extroverted and open and more agreeable with age. Additionally, there is evidence that women may experience higher levels of agreeableness, extroversion, and neuroticism than men, indicating that gender differences may play a role in personality and personal relationships. That said, learning more about what your own key personality traits may be right now can give you useful insight into yourself at your current stage of life.
Identifying your own key personality traits
An online search will yield a variety of options for personality tests, including a free big 5 personality test that you can take to identify which end of the spectrum you gravitate toward for the Big Five traits. You may also be able to identify tendencies in yourself simply by reading the descriptions of each one. As you learn more about your own personality and how these broad factors may apply to you, remember that none of them is inherently positive or negative—and that human personalities are complex and simply can’t be entirely captured with any type of simple test or metric. All personality types have their unique strengths and weaknesses and learning more about your personality test results can simply be a way to appreciate yourself for where you excel and direct your attention toward potential areas where you could improve. While the big five personality traits are a good place to start there are also other traits such as integrity, creativity, abstract thinking, and punctuality to explore that may help you to better understand yourself.
How a therapist can help
They can provide a safe, nonjudgmental space where you can express your feelings and assess your experiences to learn more about who you are and how you might improve your well-being while managing negative emotions.
Each individual and circumstance is different and there are individual differences when it comes to managing mental health and mental illness, which is why there are all kinds of therapy methods and formats available. If you prefer to meet with a professional in person, you can search for a provider in your local area. If you prefer to meet with a professional from the comfort of your own home, a virtual therapy platform like BetterHelp may be an option to consider. You can get matched with a licensed therapist based on your needs and preferences as mentioned in a brief questionnaire, and you can meet with them via phone, video call, and/or online chat. Research suggests that both online and in-person therapy can offer similar benefits for a variety of situations, so you can generally choose the format that works best for you.
Takeaway
Does everyone have the Big 5 personality traits?
The five-factor model of personality, or “Big Five,” is a flexible personality categorization system designed to represent everyone. The personality traits of the Big Five encompass broad concepts that should, theoretically, apply to everyone. Consider the Big Five traits below:
Openness to experience, or a willingness to try new things.
Conscientiousness, or a rigid drive to complete tasks well.
Extraversion, or a desire to interact with other people.
Agreeableness, or a desire for social harmony.
Neuroticism, or the tendency to have negative emotions and emotional instability.
Because each trait exists on a spectrum, it’s difficult to imagine someone to whom the traits do not apply. Consider extroversion. The trait exists on a spectrum between introverted and extroverted. Those who score high in extraversion are usually outgoing, while an introverted person is reserved. Their individual personality trait may favor one or the other or land anywhere between the two, including directly in the middle. Although the trait may differ for each person, it is hard to picture someone who does not display any signs of introversion or extraversion.
Why do people use Big Five personality traits?
Like other valid measures of personality, the Big Five personality traits can offer insight into a person’s thoughts and behavior. Personality assessments like the Big Five can provide a large amount of information about a person in a relatively short amount of time. This makes it useful in clinical or research settings, where information about personality may take hours to obtain through interviews.
The Big Five have also been studied extensively to determine how the traits relate to mental health conditions. Evidence suggests that specific Big Five personality profiles are more likely to develop certain mental health or behavioral problems. For example, those overcoming opiate addiction are often high in neuroticism and openness to experience but low in agreeableness and conscientiousness.
Clinicians can use what is known about the Big Five to make broad predictions about a client’s behavior or other factors contributing to their mental health. The Big Five might also give insight into what risk factors are likely most relevant to an individual’s mental health. Evidence also suggests that changes in Big Five factors could indicate the onset of a mental disorder, such as the steep reduction in openness to experience typical of a person experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder.
What's the main purpose of a personality test?
The purpose of a personality test varies based on the setting in which it is used. The type of personality testing can vary as well. In most cases, personality testing is used to gather a large amount of information about a person’s personality factors quickly. Below are a few common uses of personality tests:
- Clinical Mental Health Settings. Personality assessments are often administered by qualified mental health professionals, such as licensed clinical psychologists, to aid in the diagnosis of mental health conditions or to discover unique personality traits that may be contributing to their client’s concerns. Personality tests administered in this setting are usually highly detailed and designed to be interpreted by trained professionals.
- Research Settings. Personality assessment is often useful for researchers who want to examine how personality impacts the behavior of a person or group. Researchers also compare newly-developed personality assessments with established measures that have proven validity.
- Pre-Employment Screening. It is increasingly common for employers to require that prospective employees complete some type of personality assessment. The assessments used by employers are typically much shorter and less robust than measures used in clinical or research settings.
How do we measure personality traits?
Personality traits are typically measured through personality assessments consisting of a series of questions or rating scales. The specifics of how each personality factor is measured differ from assessment to assessment. Some assessments use long lists of questions, others ask the test taker to match words and themes, and some directly inquire about an individual's perception of their personality.
The theoretical models underpinning personality assessments also differ between measures. For example, the Big Five personality traits were derived from the lexical hypothesis, a theoretical framework upon which many personality assessments are built. The lexical hypothesis assumes that differences between individuals, including personality differences, are encoded in the language that they speak. For example, people high in openness tend to use words like “curious” or “intellectual” to describe themselves.
In addition, the hypothesis assumes that the most important personality traits will be encoded as a single word rather than a descriptive phrase. When developing the Big Five personality traits, researchers started with lists of thousands of words that describe personality. By studying how individuals responded to particular descriptors, researchers could determine the most significant ones. They eventually found that the most common words people used to describe personality traits were likely to fit into one of five categories, hence the Big Five.
Which personality traits measure your desire to interact with others?
The Big Five personality trait that measures a person’s desire and willingness to interact with others is extraversion. Like the other four Big Five factors, extraversion sits on a continuum from low to high. High-extraversion people tend to be outgoing, engaging, and enjoy social contact. Low-extraversion people tend to be quieter, more reserved, and may not desire social interaction. Low-extraversion is often referred to by its more common name, introversion.
The introversion-extraversion spectrum was one of the first personality dimensions to be empirically supported. It is one of Hans Eyesnck’s original personality dimensions and represents some of the earliest research into personality traits.
How are the Big 5 personality traits related to your self and social awareness?
Self and social awareness are two domains of emotional intelligence, the others being social skills and self-control. High emotional intelligence is associated with empathetic behavior, strong interpersonal relationships, and an ability to take the perspectives of others. Emotional intelligence is not entirely a factor of personality, but evidence suggests that they are closely related.
Evidence suggests that the Big Five character traits can significantly predict emotional intelligence. High openness, agreeableness, extraversion, and conscientiousness correlated with high emotional intelligence. Conversely, a high level of neuroticism predicted low emotional intelligence.
The negative correlation between neuroticism and emotional intelligence is so strong that some researchers believe high emotional intelligence can be defined as the absence of neurotic tendencies. Emotionally stable people tend to score low in neuroticism and rarely feel sad or angry beyond a level they can manage.
Which of the Big Five personality traits has the greatest effect on typical performance?
The Big Five factor that most closely relates to typical performance is likely conscientiousness. Conscientious people tend to be self-disciplined and strive for achievement. It requires good impulse control and self-control, the presence of which is likely to increase performance. Highly conscientious people are often highly focused and prefer following plans over spontaneous behavior. Conversely, low-conscientious people tend to dislike structure and be more flexible in their approach to important tasks.
Although things like impulse control and self-discipline may seem to always increase performance, that is not necessarily the case. High levels of conscientiousness describe traits that are often associated with high performance, like a high drive to complete tasks. However, in some cases, conscientiousness may lower performance through stubbornness, rigid thought, and inflexible behaviors.
Which of the Big Five personality traits is most stable?
The Big Five personality traits are relatively stable, but changes do occur. Personality traits tend to change slightly as people grow throughout their lives, and sudden, dramatic shifts can sometimes occur in response to mental illness. Not all Big Five traits have the same stability; some traits are more likely to change than others.
Personality factors tend to be less stable in adolescence and more stable as a person grows into adulthood. Evidence suggests that neuroticism tends to decrease as adults age, and extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness all tend to increase. However, the changes are relatively small. Out of all the Big Five traits, evidence indicates that openness to experience was most stable throughout the lifespan, and conscientiousness was the least stable.
What factors influence the Big Five traits?
The factors that determine a person’s Big Five personality trait profile are not entirely known. Many researchers agree that a person’s temperament plays a role. Temperament is commonly confused with personality, but it is not the same. Temperamental characteristics refer to innate, biological traits that influence a person’s cognition and behavior. On the other hand, personality is a sociocultural construct, meaning that a person’s personality is defined in the context of the culture in which they exist.
Temperament is thought to contribute to the specific traits a person develops, but researchers debate how much of a person’s personality can be attributed to their temperament. However, the evidence does suggest that personality is heritable, and some studies have found that genes account for 40% to 60% of a person’s personality traits. Studies involving identical twins also suggest that genetics significantly contribute to personality.
Evidence also suggests that personality traits are influenced by interacting with the environment. Neuroticism tends to reduce in adults as they age, and the other four factors tend to increase, likely due to the personal growth that occurs as a person matures emotionally and mentally.
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