The Big Five Personality Traits

The Big Five personality test measures the five personality factors that psychologists have determined are core to our personality makeup. The Five Factors of personality are:

-Openness - How open a person is to new ideas and experiences

-Conscientiousness - How goal-directed, persistent, and organized a person is

-Extraversion - How much a person is energized by the outside world

-Agreeableness - How much a person puts others' interests and needs ahead of their own

-Neuroticism - How sensitive a person is to stress and negative emotional triggers

Facets of Openness to Experience

imagination, artistic interests, emotionality, adventurousness, intellect, liberalism

Facets of Conscientiousness

self-efficacy, orderliness, dutifulness, achievement-striving, self-discipline, cautiousness

Facets of Extraversion

friendliness, gregariousness, assertiveness, activity level, excitement seeking, cheerfulness

Facets of Agreeableness

trust, morality, altruism, cooperation, modesty, sympathy

Facets of Neuroticism

anxiety, anger, depression, self-consciousness, immoderation, vulnerability

What are the Big Five personality traits?

openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism (O.C.E.A.N.)

Peter is always on time for work and makes sure he does each task to the best of his ability. Peter is likely high in which of the Big Five traits?

conscientiousness

Ashley tends to get anxious when she goes through periods of change in her life. Ashley likely measures high on which Big Five trait?

neuroticism

Darla is known as one of the best workers in her office, and she also is very disciplined when it comes to exercising and diet. Darla is likely to measure high on which Big Five trait?

conscientiousness

Your friend Meghan decided to backpack across Europe so she could meet new people, try different foods, and experience a range of cultures and languages. Meghan likely scores high in which of the following Big Five traits?

openness to experience

Vickie and Isabelle love socializing at parties on the weekends and always appear to be happy and in good spirits. They would likely score high on which Big Five trait?

extraversion

Peter suffers from depression and was recently diagnosed with general anxiety disorder. It is not surprising that Peter also measures quite high on which Big Five personality trait?

neuroticism

Brady and Liam spend much of their spare time volunteering at local charities, and they also like helping their friends. Brady and Liam likely score high on which Big Five trait?

agreeableness

Rosario has just taken the Big Five (IPIP) personality questionnaire. What information is helpful for her to consider as she reviews her scores?

Scores are best viewed as a continuum between extremely low and high results.

Why is it more accurate to think of the Big Five traits as on a continuum rather than as distinct categories?

Most people measure somewhere in the middle for each trait, rather than entirely at one extreme or another.

What is a downside to extraversion?

risk taking

What is a downside to agreeableness?

People might take advantage of a person who is high in agreeableness.

Students often mistakenly think that conscientiousness means consideration for others, but instead it refers to someone who is __________.

organized

Which Big Five trait contains facets such as intellect, imagination, and adventurousness?

openness to experience

Which Big Five trait includes gregariousness and cheerfulness?

extraversion

Which Big Five trait includes anger and immoderation?

neuroticism

Which of the Big Five traits includes achievement-striving and self-discipline?

conscientiousness

Which of the Big Five traits includes morality and altruism?

agreeableness

People low in conscientiousness are more likely to __________.

abuse drugs and alcohol

People high in neuroticism are more likely to have __________.

both physical and mental health issues