The
Big Five Personality Traits
The Big Five personality traits, also known as the five-factor model is a statistical
analysis applied to personality
survey data through language where aspects
of personality become apparent. For example, someone described as conscientious is more likely to be described as "always
prepared" rather than "messy". This theory uses descriptors of
common language and suggests five broad dimensions commonly used to
describe the human personality
and psyche.
The five factors are:
- Openness to experience (inventive/curious vs. consistent/cautious)
- Conscientiousness (efficient/organized vs. easy-going/careless)
- Extraversion (outgoing/energetic vs. solitary/reserved)
- Agreeableness (friendly/compassionate vs. challenging/detached)
- Neuroticism (sensitive/nervous vs. secure/confident)
- Honesty (sincere, honest, humble, faithful, loyal, modest/unassuming vs. sly, deceitful, greedy, pretentious, hypocritical, pompous) (Sixth Dimension of Hexaco Model)
There are a number of correlated
factors. For example, extraversion is said to include such related qualities as
gregariousness, assertiveness, excitement seeking, warmth, activity, and
positive emotions .
Family life and the way someone was
raised will also affect these traits. Studies and research have shown that
about half of the variation between individuals results from their genetics and
half from their environments. Researchers have found conscientiousness,
extraversion, openness to experience, and neuroticism to be relatively stable
from childhood through adulthood.
Another study explored by Gerard
Saucier and Fritz Ostendorf explored each
domain's facet structure through word studies. Each facet is a specific
and unique aspect of a broader personality trait. They found a total of 18 facets, or "subcomponents,"
of the Big Five. These
are:
- Neuroticism: Irritability, Insecurity, Emotionality
- Extraversion: Sociability, Unrestraint, Assertiveness, Activity-Adventurousness
- Openness to Experience: Intellect, Imagination-Creativity, Perceptiveness
- Agreeableness: Warmth-Affection, Gentleness, Generosity, Modesty-Humility
- Conscientiousness: Orderliness, Decisiveness-Consistency, Reliability, Industriousness
