C.1.1.1 Personality

What is personality?

Personality is the relatively stable and enduring aspects of individuals that distinguish them from other people, making them unique, but at the same time permit a comparison between individuals. (Gross, 1992)

1. How can we measure it?

• Questionnaires

• Interviews

• CSAI-2

• Self-report assessments

2. What influences a person’s personality?

• Environmental factors

• Genetic factors

The big five personality traits

In this model, there are five major dimensions of personality:

1. Opennes to experience

   • Someone with a high level of openness to experience likes trying new things.

   • Someone with a low level of openness to experience prefers doing the same things over and over again

2. Conscientiousness

   • Someone with high levels is responsible, organised, and hard-working, whereas someone with low levels is the opposite

3. Extraversion

   • Describes how outgoing and social a person is

   • Someone with high levels of extraversion loves being around other people

   • The opposite would be introversion - spending time alone and doing activities on their own

4. Agreeableness

   • Describes how friendly and cooperative a person is. Someone with a high level will be kind, considerate and likes to help others

5. Neuroticsm

   • Describes how someone experiences and handles their emotions

   • Someone with a high level of neuroticism tends to worry a lot, gets easily upset or anxious, and feels stressed in different situations

   • The opposite would be emotional stability