The Big Five Personality Traits
The Big Five Personality Traits
There are five basic dimensions of personality according to psychologists known as the Big Five Personality Traits (or Five Factor Model). Note that each trait represents a spectrum, while a person’s unique personality depends on their relative position on each of these dimensions. The acronym for these five personality is: OCEAN.
Image 1: The Image Below Shows The OCEAN Big Five Personality Traits
I) Extraversion – measures how outgoing, sociable and assertive an individual is. Extraverts are energised in the company of others, while introverts (low in extraversion) prefer small or intimate groups
- High Extraversion: talkative, sociable, energetic, assertive
- Low Extraversion: Quiet, reserved, reflective and prefers solitude
II) Openness – reflects a person’s level of creativity, imagination and curiosity. Includes insight, willingness to learn, ability to learn or explore new experiences. People low in openness prefer familiarity or routine
- High Openness: imaginative, open to new ideas, unconventional
- Low Openness: practical, traditional, conservative in thinking
III) Conscientiousness – reflects how dependable, organised and disciplined one is. Goal driven with good impulse control, regularly plans ahead, consider how their behaviour affects others
- High Conscientiousness: hard working, reliable, organised
- Low Conscientiousness: careless, spontaneous, less goal driven
IV) Neuroticism – associated with emotional instability and negative emotions e.g sadness, irritability, reacts to stress or perceived threats
- High Neuroticism: moody, anxious, sensitive to stress
- Low Neuroticism: calm, resilient, emotionally stable
V) Agreeableness – reflects a person’s inclination to be altruistic, compassionate, trusting and cooperative. Highly agreeable people prioritise helping and getting along with others. Low agreeableness may be more competitive or manipulative in interactions
- High Agreeableness: compassionate, kind, altruistic
- Low Agreeableness: critical, suspicious, more self-focused
Table 1: Big Five Personality Traits
