Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHistoryThe Big 5How to UseUniversalityInfluential FactorsFrequently Asked Questions
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Table of Contents
History
The Big 5
How to Use
Universality
Influential Factors
Frequently Asked Questions
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Many contemporary personality psychologists believe that there are five basic dimensions of personality, often referred to as the “Big 5” personality traits. The Big 5 personality traits areextraversion(also often spelled extroversion),agreeableness,openness,conscientiousness, andneuroticism.
Extraversion is sociability, agreeableness is kindness, openness is creativity and intrigue, conscientiousness is thoughtfulness, and neuroticism often involves sadness or emotional instability.
Understanding what each personality trait is and what it means to score high or low in that trait can give you insight intoyour own personality—without taking apersonality traits test. It can also help you better understand others, based on where they fall on the continuum for each of the personality traits listed.
An Easy Way to Remember the Big 5Some use the acronym OCEAN (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) to remember the Big 5 personality traits. CANOE (for conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness, and extraversion) is another option.
An Easy Way to Remember the Big 5
Some use the acronym OCEAN (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) to remember the Big 5 personality traits. CANOE (for conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness, and extraversion) is another option.
History of the Big 5 Personality Theory
Trait theories of personalityhave long attempted to pin down exactly how many traits exist. Earlier theories have suggested various numbers. For instance, Gordon Allport’s list contained 4,000 personality traits, Raymond Cattell had 16 personality factors, and Hans Eysenck offered a three-factor theory.
Many researchers felt that Cattell’s theory was too complicated and Eysenck’s was too limited in scope. As a result, the Big 5 personality traits emerged and are used to describe the broad traits that serve as building blocks ofpersonality.
The Big 5 Personality Traits
Verywell / Joshua Seong
It is important to note that each of the five primary personality traits represents a range between two extremes. For example, extraversion represents a continuum between extreme extraversion and extreme introversion. In the real world, most people lie somewhere in between.
While there is a significant body of literature supporting these primary personality traits, researchers don’t always agree on the exact labels for each dimension. That said, these five traits are usually described as follows.
Openness
Openness (also referred to as openness to experience) emphasizes imagination and insight the most out of all five personality traits.People who are high in openness tend to have a broad range of interests. They are curious about the world and other people and are eager to learn new things and enjoy new experiences.
People who are high in this personality trait also tend to be more adventurous andcreative. Conversely, people low in this personality trait are often much more traditional and may struggle with abstract thinking.
HighVery creativeOpen to trying new thingsFocused on tackling new challengesHappy to think about abstract conceptsLowDislikes changeDoes not enjoy new thingsResists new ideasNot very imaginativeDislikes abstract or theoretical concepts
HighVery creativeOpen to trying new thingsFocused on tackling new challengesHappy to think about abstract concepts
Very creative
Open to trying new things
Focused on tackling new challenges
Happy to think about abstract concepts
LowDislikes changeDoes not enjoy new thingsResists new ideasNot very imaginativeDislikes abstract or theoretical concepts
Dislikes change
Does not enjoy new things
Resists new ideas
Not very imaginative
Dislikes abstract or theoretical concepts
Conscientiousness
Someone scoring lower in this primary personality trait is less structured and less organized. They may procrastinate to get things done, sometimes missing deadlines completely.
HighSpends time preparingFinishes important tasks right awayPays attention to detailEnjoys having a set scheduleLowDislikes structure and schedulesMakes messes and doesn’t take care of thingsFails to return things or put them back where they belongProcrastinatesimportant tasksFails to complete necessary or assigned tasks
HighSpends time preparingFinishes important tasks right awayPays attention to detailEnjoys having a set schedule
Spends time preparing
Finishes important tasks right away
Pays attention to detail
Enjoys having a set schedule
LowDislikes structure and schedulesMakes messes and doesn’t take care of thingsFails to return things or put them back where they belongProcrastinatesimportant tasksFails to complete necessary or assigned tasks
Dislikes structure and schedules
Makes messes and doesn’t take care of things
Fails to return things or put them back where they belong
Procrastinatesimportant tasks
Fails to complete necessary or assigned tasks
Extraversion
People who are low in this personality trait or introverted tend to be more reserved. They have less energy to expend in social settings and social events can feel draining. Introverts often require a period of solitude and quiet in order to “recharge.”
HighEnjoys being the center of attentionLikes to start conversationsEnjoys meeting new peopleHas a wide social circle of friends and acquaintancesFinds it easy to make new friendsFeels energized when around other peopleSay things before thinking about themLowPrefers solitudeFeels exhausted when having to socialize a lotFinds it difficult to start conversationsDislikes making small talkCarefully thinks things through before speakingDislikes being the center of attention
HighEnjoys being the center of attentionLikes to start conversationsEnjoys meeting new peopleHas a wide social circle of friends and acquaintancesFinds it easy to make new friendsFeels energized when around other peopleSay things before thinking about them
Enjoys being the center of attention
Likes to start conversations
Enjoys meeting new people
Has a wide social circle of friends and acquaintances
Finds it easy to make new friends
Feels energized when around other people
Say things before thinking about them
LowPrefers solitudeFeels exhausted when having to socialize a lotFinds it difficult to start conversationsDislikes making small talkCarefully thinks things through before speakingDislikes being the center of attention
Prefers solitude
Feels exhausted when having to socialize a lot
Finds it difficult to start conversations
Dislikes making small talk
Carefully thinks things through before speaking
Dislikes being the center of attention
Agreeableness
This personality trait includes attributes such as trust,altruism, kindness, affection, and otherprosocial behaviors.People who are high in agreeableness tend to be more cooperative while those low in this personality trait tend to be more competitive and sometimes even manipulative.
HighHas a great deal of interest in other peopleCares about othersFeelsempathyand concern for other peopleEnjoys helping and contributing to the happiness of other peopleAssists others who are in need of helpLowTakes little interest in othersDoesn’t care about how other people feelHas little interest in other people’s problemsInsults and belittles othersManipulates others to get what they want
HighHas a great deal of interest in other peopleCares about othersFeelsempathyand concern for other peopleEnjoys helping and contributing to the happiness of other peopleAssists others who are in need of help
Has a great deal of interest in other people
Cares about others
Feelsempathyand concern for other people
Enjoys helping and contributing to the happiness of other people
Assists others who are in need of help
LowTakes little interest in othersDoesn’t care about how other people feelHas little interest in other people’s problemsInsults and belittles othersManipulates others to get what they want
Takes little interest in others
Doesn’t care about how other people feel
Has little interest in other people’s problems
Insults and belittles others
Manipulates others to get what they want
Neuroticism
HighExperiences a lot of stressWorries about many different thingsGets upset easilyExperiences dramatic shifts in moodFeels anxiousStruggles to bounce back after stressful eventsLowEmotionally stableDeals well with stressRarely feels sad or depressedDoesn’t worry muchIs very relaxed
HighExperiences a lot of stressWorries about many different thingsGets upset easilyExperiences dramatic shifts in moodFeels anxiousStruggles to bounce back after stressful events
Experiences a lot of stress
Worries about many different things
Gets upset easily
Experiences dramatic shifts in mood
Feels anxious
Struggles to bounce back after stressful events
LowEmotionally stableDeals well with stressRarely feels sad or depressedDoesn’t worry muchIs very relaxed
Emotionally stable
Deals well with stress
Rarely feels sad or depressed
Doesn’t worry much
Is very relaxed
Temperaments: Which of the 4 Types Are You?
How to Use the Big 5 Personality Traits
Where you fall on the continuum for each of these five primary traits can be used to help identify whether you are more or less likely to have other more secondary personality traits. These other traits are often split into two categories: positive personality traits and negative personality traits.
Try our fast and freebig 5 personality testto find out your most dominant traits:
Positive Personality Traits
Positive personality traits are traits that can be beneficial to have. These traits may help you be a better person or make it easier to cope with challenges you may face in life. Personality traits that are considered positive include:
Likeable Person Test: Am I a Likeable Person?
Negative Personality Traits
Negative personality traits are those that may be more harmful than helpful. These are traits that may hold you back in your life or hurt your relationships with others. (They’re also good traits to focus on for personal growth.) Personality traits that fall in the negative category include:
For example, if you score high in openness, you are more likely to have the positive personality trait of creativity. If you score low in openness, you may be more likely to have the negative personality trait of being unimaginative.
Universality of Primary Personality Traits
McCrae and his colleagues found that the Big 5 personality traits are remarkably universal. One study that looked at people from more than 50 different cultures found that the five dimensions could be accurately used to describe personality.
Based on this research, many psychologists now believe that the five personality dimensions are not only universal but that they also have biological origins. Psychologist David Buss has proposed an evolutionary explanation for these five core personality traits, suggesting that they represent the most important qualities that shape our social landscape.
Factors Influencing Personality Traits
Research suggests that both biological and environmental influences play a role in shaping our personalities. Twin studies suggest that bothnature and nurtureplay a role in the development of each of the five personality traits.
One study of the genetic and environmental underpinnings of the five traits looked at 123 pairs of identical twins and 127 pairs of fraternal twins. The findings suggested that the heritability of each personality trait was 53% for extraversion, 41% for agreeableness, 44% for conscientiousness, 41% for neuroticism, and 61% for openness.
Longitudinal studies also suggest that these big five personality traits tend to be relatively stable over the course of adulthood. One four-year study of working-age adults found that personality changed little as a result ofadverse life events.
Studies show that maturation may have an impact on the five personality traits. As people age, they tend to become less extraverted, less neurotic, and less open to an experience. Agreeableness and conscientiousness, on the other hand, tend to increase as people grow older.
A Word From Verywell
Always remember that behavior involves an interaction between a person’s underlying personality and situational variables. The situation that someone finds themselves in plays a role inhow they might react. However, in most cases, people offer responses that are consistent with their underlying personality traits.
These dimensions represent broad areas of personality. But personality is also complex and varied. So, a person may display behaviors across several of these personality traits.
The big 5 personality theory is widely accepted today because this model presents a blueprint for understanding the main dimensions of personality. Experts have found that these traits are universal and provide an accurate portrait of human personality.
The big 5 personality model is not a typology system, so there are no specific “types” identified. Instead, these dimensions represent qualities that all people possess in varying amounts. One study found that most people do tend to fall into one of four main types based on the Big 5 traits:
Exploring the Enneagram of Personality
3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Power RA, Pluess M.Heritability estimates of the Big Five personality traits based on common genetic variants.Translation Psychiatry. 2015;5:e604. doi:10.1038/tp.2015.96Jang KL, Livesley WJ, Vernon PA.Heritability of the big five personality dimensions and their facets: a twin study.J Pers. 1996;64(3):577-91. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.1996.tb00522.xGerlach M, Farb B, Revelle W, Nunes Amaral LA.A robust data-driven approach identifies four personality types across four large data sets.Nat Hum Behav. 2018;2(10):735-742.doi:10.1038/s41562-018-0419-zAdditional ReadingCobb-Clark DA, Schurer S.The stability of big-five personality traits.Econ Letters. 2012;115(2):11–15. doi:10.1016/j.econlet.2011.11.015Lang KL, Livesley WJ, Vemon PA.Heritability of the big five personality dimensions and their facets: A twin study.J Personal. 1996;64(3):577–591. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.1996.tb00522.xMarsh HW, Nagengast B, Morin AJS.Measurement invariance of big-five factors over the lifespan: ESEM tests of gender, age, plasticity, maturity, and la dolce vita effects.Develop Psychol. 2013;49(6):1194-1218. doi:10.1037/a0026913McCrae RR, Terracciano A, Personality Profiles of Cultures Project.Universal features of personality traits from the observer’s perspective: Data from 50 different cultures.J Personal Soc Psychol.2005;88:547-561. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.88.3.547
3 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Power RA, Pluess M.Heritability estimates of the Big Five personality traits based on common genetic variants.Translation Psychiatry. 2015;5:e604. doi:10.1038/tp.2015.96Jang KL, Livesley WJ, Vernon PA.Heritability of the big five personality dimensions and their facets: a twin study.J Pers. 1996;64(3):577-91. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.1996.tb00522.xGerlach M, Farb B, Revelle W, Nunes Amaral LA.A robust data-driven approach identifies four personality types across four large data sets.Nat Hum Behav. 2018;2(10):735-742.doi:10.1038/s41562-018-0419-zAdditional ReadingCobb-Clark DA, Schurer S.The stability of big-five personality traits.Econ Letters. 2012;115(2):11–15. doi:10.1016/j.econlet.2011.11.015Lang KL, Livesley WJ, Vemon PA.Heritability of the big five personality dimensions and their facets: A twin study.J Personal. 1996;64(3):577–591. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.1996.tb00522.xMarsh HW, Nagengast B, Morin AJS.Measurement invariance of big-five factors over the lifespan: ESEM tests of gender, age, plasticity, maturity, and la dolce vita effects.Develop Psychol. 2013;49(6):1194-1218. doi:10.1037/a0026913McCrae RR, Terracciano A, Personality Profiles of Cultures Project.Universal features of personality traits from the observer’s perspective: Data from 50 different cultures.J Personal Soc Psychol.2005;88:547-561. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.88.3.547
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Power RA, Pluess M.Heritability estimates of the Big Five personality traits based on common genetic variants.Translation Psychiatry. 2015;5:e604. doi:10.1038/tp.2015.96Jang KL, Livesley WJ, Vernon PA.Heritability of the big five personality dimensions and their facets: a twin study.J Pers. 1996;64(3):577-91. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.1996.tb00522.xGerlach M, Farb B, Revelle W, Nunes Amaral LA.A robust data-driven approach identifies four personality types across four large data sets.Nat Hum Behav. 2018;2(10):735-742.doi:10.1038/s41562-018-0419-z
Power RA, Pluess M.Heritability estimates of the Big Five personality traits based on common genetic variants.Translation Psychiatry. 2015;5:e604. doi:10.1038/tp.2015.96
Jang KL, Livesley WJ, Vernon PA.Heritability of the big five personality dimensions and their facets: a twin study.J Pers. 1996;64(3):577-91. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.1996.tb00522.x
Gerlach M, Farb B, Revelle W, Nunes Amaral LA.A robust data-driven approach identifies four personality types across four large data sets.Nat Hum Behav. 2018;2(10):735-742.
doi:10.1038/s41562-018-0419-z
Cobb-Clark DA, Schurer S.The stability of big-five personality traits.Econ Letters. 2012;115(2):11–15. doi:10.1016/j.econlet.2011.11.015Lang KL, Livesley WJ, Vemon PA.Heritability of the big five personality dimensions and their facets: A twin study.J Personal. 1996;64(3):577–591. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.1996.tb00522.xMarsh HW, Nagengast B, Morin AJS.Measurement invariance of big-five factors over the lifespan: ESEM tests of gender, age, plasticity, maturity, and la dolce vita effects.Develop Psychol. 2013;49(6):1194-1218. doi:10.1037/a0026913McCrae RR, Terracciano A, Personality Profiles of Cultures Project.Universal features of personality traits from the observer’s perspective: Data from 50 different cultures.J Personal Soc Psychol.2005;88:547-561. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.88.3.547
Cobb-Clark DA, Schurer S.The stability of big-five personality traits.Econ Letters. 2012;115(2):11–15. doi:10.1016/j.econlet.2011.11.015
Lang KL, Livesley WJ, Vemon PA.Heritability of the big five personality dimensions and their facets: A twin study.J Personal. 1996;64(3):577–591. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.1996.tb00522.x
Marsh HW, Nagengast B, Morin AJS.Measurement invariance of big-five factors over the lifespan: ESEM tests of gender, age, plasticity, maturity, and la dolce vita effects.Develop Psychol. 2013;49(6):1194-1218. doi:10.1037/a0026913
McCrae RR, Terracciano A, Personality Profiles of Cultures Project.Universal features of personality traits from the observer’s perspective: Data from 50 different cultures.J Personal Soc Psychol.2005;88:547-561. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.88.3.547
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