The big five

The Big Five Model

A five-factor model that outlines five major traits: extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience.

Extraversion

A personality trait characterized by being gregarious, assertive, warm, positive, and active, often seeking excitement.

Neuroticism

A personality trait associated with anxiety, depression, hostility, self-consciousness, impulsivity, and a sense of vulnerability.

Agreeableness

A personality trait involving trust in others, altruism, honesty, cooperation, and modesty.

Conscientiousness

A personality trait involving being competent, methodical, disciplined, motivated to achieve goals, and preferring order.

Openness to Experience

A personality trait characterized by being open to new ideas, experiences, and imaginative thinking.

Phrenology

A theory that suggests the bumps on a person's skull can indicate their personality traits and mental abilities.

Type A Personality

A personality type characterized by ambition, aggression, impatience, and being tightly wound.

Type B Personality

A personality type characterized by being easygoing, laid-back, and patient.

Lexical Hypothesis

The idea that important individual differences become encoded as single terms in a language.

The Dark Triad

A group of personality traits that includes Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy.

Costa & McCrae

Researchers who developed the Five Factor Model, identifying five major traits of personality.

Personality Types vs. Traits

Personality types refer to psychological classifications of different types of people while traits refer to different levels or degrees of personality characteristics.

Trait Stability

The assumption that personality characteristics are relatively stable over time and across different situations.

Mischel's Critique

Walter Mischel argued that personality traits are not stable across situations and that behavior is situation-dependent.

HEXACO Model

An extension of the Big Five model that adds another dimension of honesty-humility to the original five traits.

Social Correlates of Personality

The association between personality traits and behavior in social contexts.

Psychopathic Traits

Dimensions of personality relating to psychopathy that have both genetic and environmental influences.

Cattell's 16PF

A personality assessment tool developed by Raymond Cattell, comprising 16 primary factors derived from Allport's lexical list.

Predictive Validity of Big Five

The ability of the Big Five personality traits to predict outcomes in various real-world scenarios.

Impulsivity

A personality trait marked by the tendency to act quickly without careful thought or consideration of consequences.

Social Anxiety

A personality characteristic involving fear or apprehension in social situations, often leading to avoidance behaviors.

Emotional Intelligence

The ability to recognize, understand, and manage one's own emotions and the emotions of others.

Authenticity

The degree to which an individual's self-representation reflects their true self and values.

Motivation

The intrinsic and extrinsic factors that drive individuals to pursue goals and engage in certain behaviors.

Life Satisfaction

A subjective assessment of one's overall contentment and happiness with life.

Dominance

A personality trait associated with assertiveness and control in social situations.

Agreeableness vs. Antagonism

A spectrum in personality traits where agreeableness indicates cooperativeness and kindness, while antagonism implies competitiveness and skepticism.

Cognitive Complexity

The extent to which a person can think about and understand nuanced concepts and perspectives.

Self-Efficacy

The belief in one's ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task.

Behaviorism

A psychological approach that focuses on observable behaviors and the ways they are learned through interaction with the environment.

Cognitive Dissonance

A psychological phenomenon that occurs when a person experiences conflicting attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors, leading to discomfort.

Intrinsic Motivation

The motivation to engage in a behavior arises from within the individual, driven by personal satisfaction or enjoyment.

Extrinsic Motivation

The motivation to engage in a behavior is driven by external factors, such as rewards or avoidance of negative outcomes.

Trait Theory

A theoretical approach to understanding personality that categorizes personality characteristics into specific traits.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs.

Self-Actualization

The process of realizing one's full potential and capabilities, often considered the ultimate goal in personal development.

Resilience

The ability to bounce back from stress, adversity, or failure and maintain psychological well-being.