The Big Five Personality Traits
The Big Five is a theory of personality that describes the differences between people in terms of five main factors: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. These five traits reflect broad patterns in how people think, feel, and behave.
What is the Big Five?
The Big Five is a theory of personality that describes the differences between people in terms of five main factors: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism, often abbreviated with the acronym OCEAN. These five traits reflect broad patterns in how people think, feel, and behave. Together, they offer a comprehensive framework for understanding individual differences.
The Big Five is the most widely used and accepted theory of personality in psychology, and the basis of most academic research that aims to measure or quantify how people are different. Researchers developed the Big Five by studying the words people use to describe each other and finding patterns that appeared again and again, no matter the language or culture.
Each trait in the Big Five captures a different aspect of personality.
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Openness describes a person’s interest in new and unfamiliar ideas and experiences.
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Conscientiousness describes how organized, reliable, and goal-oriented a person is.
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Extraversion describes a person’s tendency to be outgoing, energetic, and sociable.
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Agreeableness reflects how altruistic, cooperative, and trusting a person is.
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Neuroticism describes a person’s sensitivity to stress and emotional triggers.
These five traits are measured on a scale, meaning everyone shows some degree of each one. An individual’s score on each trait is independent of their score on the other four traits. For example, a person might be very high in extraversion but low in conscientiousness.
Psychologists often use the Big Five to help people better understand themselves and others, and it’s widely used in research, career counseling, and organizational development because it’s been proven to be stable, useful, and relevant across many areas of life.
What are the Big Five Personality Traits?
There are five broad personality factors in the Big Five system: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. Each trait in the Big Five captures a distinct and meaningful aspect of personality that influences how people think, feel, and behave in daily life.
Openness refers to a person’s tendency to display intellectual curiosity, creativity, and preference for novelty.
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People high in openness are typically imaginative, eager to explore new ideas, and comfortable with ambiguity and change. They tend to enjoy artistic pursuits, abstract thinking, and varied experiences.
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People low in openness often prefer familiarity, practical tasks, and established routines, and may be more skeptical of unconventional ideas.
Conscientiousness describes a person’s tendency to be organized, responsible, and goal-driven.
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People high in conscientiousness are typically reliable, careful, and persistent in their efforts. They plan ahead, meet deadlines, and tend to avoid impulsive behavior.
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People low in conscientiousness may be more spontaneous or flexible but can struggle with follow-through, time management, or attention to detail.
Extraversion captures the level of energy, sociability, and expressiveness a person typically displays.
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People high in extraversion are outgoing, talkative, and energized by social interaction. They often seek excitement and enjoy being the center of attention.
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People low in extraversion (also called introverts) tend to be more reserved, prefer quieter settings, and may feel drained by too much social stimulation, though they are not necessarily shy or unfriendly.
Agreeableness reflects a person’s orientation toward others and their tendency to be compassionate, cooperative, and trusting.
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People high in agreeableness are empathetic, generous, and inclined to seek harmony in relationships. They are often seen as warm and considerate.
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People low in agreeableness may come across as more competitive, skeptical, or blunt, and they may prioritize honesty or self-interest over social harmony.
Neuroticism measures emotional stability and vulnerability to negative emotions.
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People high in neuroticism tend to experience mood swings, anxiety, and feelings of vulnerability more frequently. They may be more reactive to stress and worry about potential threats or problems.
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People low in neuroticism are typically calm, resilient, and less emotionally reactive, maintaining a more even mood even under pressure.
What is the Big Five Test?
The Big Five Test measures the five broad personality traits described in the Big Five personality model: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. When you take a Big Five test, you will typically receive scores for each of the five factors, which will help you understand whether you are high, moderate, or low in each trait.
There are multiple versions of the Big Five test, developed by various researchers and companies. Some Big Five tests are freely available for people to take for their own self-improvement, including Truity’s Big Five Personality Test and the open source IPIP test. Others are specifically designed for different applications, including research, counseling, and organizational development, and are typically only available to professionals.
How is the Big Five Test Used?
The Big Five test can be used in any situation where it may be beneficial to understand individual differences in thought and behavior. Some of the most common uses of the Big Five test include:
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Psychological research. Researchers in all fields of social science use the Big Five to measure personality traits so they can observe interesting trends in how these traits correlate with attitudes, beliefs, and life outcomes.
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Workplace development. Managers and coaches use the Big Five in business settings to help employees understand different styles in productivity, communication, and conflict. Knowledge of the Big Five can help people work better with others who have different work styles, and can help managers better utilize their employees’ strengths.
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Individual counseling. Counselors and coaches may use the Big Five to help their clients become more self-aware and better able to make decisions that are congruent with their strengths and values.
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Self improvement. Individuals with an interest in psychology and self-development may take the Big Five to better understand their traits and explore their preferences, identity, and potential.
How Can I Measure My Big Five Traits?
The easiest way to explore your own Big Five traits is to take a validated Big Five test. A good test will give you an accurate score for all five factors and takes just a few minutes to complete.
If you do not want to take a test, you can explore your Big Five traits by considering some open ended questions. These questions will not provide a clear-cut score as a test would, but they will get you thinking about how the Big Five traits may show themselves in your thoughts and actions.
Openness
To explore how openness may manifest in your personality, consider:
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How interested am I in abstract ideas? Do I like thinking about complex topics, like philosophy, science, and culture?
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How much am I inclined to explore ideas and experiences that are new and unfamiliar to me?
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How much do I use my imagination? Do I consider myself creative or innovative?
Conscientiousness
To explore your own level of conscientiousness, think about these questions:
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Do I consider myself a goal-oriented person? Do I set big goals for myself and stick to them?
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How much do I like to plan ahead, versus taking things as they come?
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Am I more of a “work before play” kind of person, or a “play before work” person?
Extraversion
To consider how extraverted you may be, these questions can help you reflect:
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Am I more energized by being around other people, or by being alone?
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Am I motivated to take on tasks that will win me attention and acclaim?
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Do I tend to initiate social interactions, or wait for others to come to me?
Agreeableness
To explore your level of agreeableness, consider:
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Do I tend to agree with others or go along with what they want?
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How much do I prioritize helping and caring for other people, versus furthering my own goals?
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Do I feel better when I’m working cooperatively with other people, or competing against them?
Neuroticism
To examine how neuroticism may manifest for you, consider:
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When something stressful happens to me, how much of an impact does it have on my mood and functioning?
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How easy is it for me to recover from sad, angry, or worried moods?
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How confident do I feel about my ability to handle the everyday difficulties of life?
Are there Personality Types in Big Five?
The Big Five system does not use personality types. Rather, your Big Five results show your specific score on each of the five personality traits, typically as a numerical percentage. Many Big Five tests will also frame your personality trait scores in terms of being high, moderate, or low in a trait. However, because each trait is scored on a continuous scale, the Big Five does not lend itself to putting people into distinct categories or “types.”
Although the lack of easily defined types makes the Big Five more complex to understand, it also makes it more accurate. Most researchers prefer the Big Five over other systems because it is considered the most realistic representation of individual differences. Systems like Myers Briggs, which categorize people into types, may oversimplify the nuances of personality in order to fit people neatly into predefined boxes. Psychologists typically prefer to describe people in terms of their distinct levels of various traits, rather than in terms of personality types.
How Was the Big Five Created?
The Big Five model has its roots in a theory called the lexical hypothesis—the idea that we can create a sort of taxonomy of individual differences by examining the language we use to describe each other. Early researchers took an inventory of words that describe personality traits, such as "friendly," "helpful," "aggressive," and "creative." They then attempted to organize these words into related clusters. For instance, a person who's described as friendly is also likely to be described as gregarious, talkative, and outgoing. Researchers consistently found that trait-related adjectives tended to cluster into five groups, corresponding to the five traits in the Big Five. Further research confirmed the five factors through a variety of methods.
Today, the Big Five model is the basis of most modern personality research, and as such has been used to illuminate everything from how much of our personality is inherited to which personality factors correlate with income.