8/1/23, 12:16 AM Big 5 Personality Traits: The 5-Factor Model of Personality

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THEORIES PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY

What Are the Big 5 Personality Traits?

Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion,
Agreeableness, and Neuroticism
By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Updated on March 11, 2023

Reviewed by David Susman, PhD

Verywell / Catherine Song

Table of Contents

History

The Big 5

How to Use

Universality

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Influential Factors

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Many contemporary personality psychologists believe that there are five

basic dimensions of personality, often referred to as the "Big 5"
personality traits. The Big 5 personality traits are extraversion (also often
spelled extroversion), agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and
neuroticism.

Extraversion is sociability, agreeableness is kindness, openness is

creativity and intrigue, conscientiousness is thoughtfulness, and
neuroticism often involves sadness or emotional instability.

Understanding what each personality trait is and what it means to score

high or low in that trait can give you insight into your own personality—
without taking a personality traits test. It can also help you better
understand others, based on where they fall on the continuum for each of
the personality traits listed.

An Easy Way to Remember the Big 5

Some use the acronym OCEAN (openness, conscientiousness,
extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) to remember the Big 5
personality traits. CANOE (for conscientiousness, agreeableness,
neuroticism, openness, and extraversion) is another option.

History of the Big 5 Personality Theory

Trait theories of personality have long attempted to pin down exactly how
many traits exist. Earlier theories have suggested various numbers. For
instance, Gordon Allport's list contained 4,000 personality
traits, Raymond Cattell had 16 personality factors, and Hans Eysenck
offered a three-factor theory.

Many researchers felt that Cattell's theory was too complicated and
Eysenck's was too limited in scope. As a result, the Big 5 personality traits

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emerged and are used to describe the broad traits that serve as building
blocks of personality.

Several researchers support the belief that there are five core personality
traits. [1] Evidence of this theory has been growing for many years in
psychology, beginning with the research of D. W. Fiske (1949), and later
expanded upon by others, including Norman (1967), Smith (1967),
Goldberg (1981), and McCrae & Costa (1987).

The Big 5 Personality Traits

Verywell / Joshua Seong

It is important to note that each of the five primary personality traits

represents a range between two extremes. For example, extraversion
represents a continuum between extreme extraversion and
extreme introversion. In the real world, most people lie somewhere in
between.

While there is a significant body of literature supporting these primary

personality traits, researchers don't always agree on the exact labels for

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each dimension. That said, these five traits are usually described as
follows.

Openness
Openness (also referred to as openness to experience) emphasizes
imagination and insight the most out of all five personality traits. [1]
People who are high in openness tend to have a broad range of interests.
They are curious about the world and other people and are eager to learn
new things and enjoy new experiences.

People who are high in this personality trait also tend to be more
adventurous and creative. Conversely, people low in this personality trait
are often much more traditional and may struggle with abstract thinking.

High Low
Very creative Dislikes change

Open to trying new things Does not enjoy new things

Focused on tackling new Resists new ideas

challenges
Not very imaginative
Happy to think about
Dislikes abstract or
abstract concepts
theoretical concepts

Conscientiousness
Among each of the personality traits, conscientiousness is one defined by
high levels of thoughtfulness, good impulse control, and goal-directed
behaviors. [1] Highly conscientious people tend to be organized and
mindful of details. They plan ahead, think about how their behavior
affects others, and are mindful of deadlines.

Someone scoring lower in this primary personality trait is less structured

and less organized. They may procrastinate to get things done, sometimes
missing deadlines completely.

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High Low
Spends time preparing Dislikes structure and
schedules
Finishes important tasks
right away Makes messes and doesn't
take care of things
Pays attention to detail
Fails to return things or put
Enjoys having a set
them back where they
schedule
belong

Procrastinates important
tasks

Fails to complete necessary

or assigned tasks

Extraversion
Extraversion (or extroversion) is a personality trait characterized by
excitability, sociability, talkativeness, assertiveness, and high amounts of
emotional expressiveness. [1] People high in extraversion are outgoing and
tend to gain energy in social situations. Being around others helps them
feel energized and excited.

People who are low in this personality trait or introverted tend to be more
reserved. They have less energy to expend in social settings and social
events can feel draining. Introverts often require a period of solitude and
quiet in order to "recharge."

High Low
Enjoys being the center of Prefers solitude
attention
Feels exhausted when
Likes to start conversations having to socialize a lot

Enjoys meeting new people Finds it difficult to start

conversations

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Has a wide social circle of Dislikes making small talk

friends and acquaintances
Carefully thinks things
Finds it easy to make new through before speaking
friends
Dislikes being the center of
Feels energized when attention
around other people

Say things before thinking

about them

Agreeableness
This personality trait includes attributes such as trust, altruism, kindness,
affection, and other prosocial behaviors. [1] People who are high in
agreeableness tend to be more cooperative while those low in this
personality trait tend to be more competitive and sometimes even
manipulative.

High Low
Has a great deal of interest Takes little interest in
in other people others

Cares about others Doesn't care about how

other people feel
Feels empathy and concern
for other people Has little interest in other
people's problems
Enjoys helping and
contributing to the Insults and belittles others
happiness of other people
Manipulates others to get
Assists others who are in what they want
need of help

Neuroticism
Neuroticism is a personality trait characterized by sadness, moodiness,
and emotional instability. [1] Individuals who are high in neuroticism tend

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to experience mood swings, anxiety, irritability, and sadness. Those low in

this personality trait tend to be more stable and emotionally resilient.

High Low
Experiences a lot of stress Emotionally stable

Worries about many Deals well with stress

different things
Rarely feels sad or
Gets upset easily depressed

Experiences dramatic shifts Doesn't worry much

in mood
Is very relaxed
Feels anxious

Struggles to bounce back

after stressful events

Related: Temperaments: Which of the 4 Types Are You?

How to Use the Big 5 Personality Traits

Where you fall on the continuum for each of these five primary traits can
be used to help identify whether you are more or less likely to have other
more secondary personality traits. These other traits are often split into
two categories: positive personality traits and negative personality traits.

Positive Personality Traits

Positive personality traits are traits that can be beneficial to have. These
traits may help you be a better person or make it easier to cope with
challenges you may face in life. Personality traits that are considered
positive include:

Adaptable
Ambitious
Considerate
Cooperative
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Friendly
Gracious
Humble
Insightful
Objective
Optimistic
Respectful
Steady
Thorough
Well-rounded

Negative Personality Traits

Negative personality traits are those that may be more harmful than
helpful. These are traits that may hold you back in your life or hurt your
relationships with others. (They're also good traits to focus on for
personal growth.) Personality traits that fall in the negative category
include:

Aggressive
Arrogant
Cold
Deceptive
Egotistical
Guarded
Intolerant
Judgmental
Moody
Neglectful
Pompous
Selfish
Unreliable
Withdrawn

For example, if you score high in openness, you are more likely to
have the positive personality trait of creativity. If you score low in
openness, you may be more likely to have the negative personality
trait of being unimaginative.

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Universality of Primary Personality Traits

McCrae and his colleagues found that the Big 5 personality traits are
remarkably universal. One study that looked at people from more than 50
different cultures found that the five dimensions could be accurately used
to describe personality.

Based on this research, many psychologists now believe that the five
personality dimensions are not only universal but that they also have
biological origins. Psychologist David Buss has proposed an evolutionary
explanation for these five core personality traits, suggesting that they
represent the most important qualities that shape our social landscape.

Factors Influencing Personality Traits

Research suggests that both biological and environmental influences play
a role in shaping our personalities. Twin studies suggest that both nature
and nurture play a role in the development of each of the five personality
traits. [2]

One study of the genetic and environmental underpinnings of the five

traits looked at 123 pairs of identical twins and 127 pairs of fraternal twins.
The findings suggested that the heritability of each personality trait was
53% for extraversion, 41% for agreeableness, 44% for conscientiousness,
41% for neuroticism, and 61% for openness.

Longitudinal studies also suggest that these big five personality traits tend
to be relatively stable over the course of adulthood. One four-year study of
working-age adults found that personality changed little as a result of
adverse life events.

Studies show that maturation may have an impact on the five personality
traits. As people age, they tend to become less extraverted, less neurotic,
and less open to an experience. Agreeableness and conscientiousness, on
the other hand, tend to increase as people grow older.

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A Word From Verywell

Always remember that behavior involves an interaction between a
person's underlying personality and situational variables. The situation
that someone finds themselves in plays a role in how they might react.
However, in most cases, people offer responses that are consistent with
their underlying personality traits.

These dimensions represent broad areas of personality. But personality is

also complex and varied. So, a person may display behaviors across several
of these personality traits.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why is the Big 5 considered the best model of

personality?
The big 5 personality theory is widely accepted today because
this model presents a blueprint for understanding the main
dimensions of personality. Experts have found that these traits
are universal and provide an accurate portrait of human
personality.

What is the most common big 5 type?

The big 5 personality model is not a typology system, so there
are no specific "types" identified. Instead, these dimensions
represent qualities that all people possess in varying amounts.
One study found that most people do tend to fall into one of four
main types based on the Big 5 traits: [3]

Average (the most common type, characterized by high levels of

extroversion and neuroticism and low levels of openness)
Self-centered (high in extroversion and low in
conscientiousness, openness, and agreeableness)
Reserved (low on extroversion, neuroticism, and openness, and
high on conscientiousness and agreeableness)

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Role models (high on every big 5 trait other than neuroticism)

Read Next: What Is the Enneagram of Personality?

3 Sources

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist,
psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology
Book."

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