The 5 Personality Traits & What You Need to Know About Them

Ever wondered why you vibe with certain people more than others or why some days you’re all about socializing and other days you’d rather binge-watch your favorite show in silence? The Big Five personality traits might be the key to unlocking those answers!

Brief History of the 5 Personality Traits

Trait theories of personality have aimed to determine the number of traits that define individuals. Gordon Allport identified 4,000 traits, Raymond Cattell reduced them to 16 personality factors, and Hans Eysenck proposed just three.

Many researchers believed Cattell’s 16-factor theory was too complex and Eysenck’s three-factor model too narrow. In response, the Big Five personality traits were developed, offering a balanced framework that captures the broad dimensions of personality.

Many researchers support the idea of five core personality traits, with growing evidence in psychology over the years. This theory traces back to D.W. Fiske (1949) and was later expanded by Norman (1967), Smith (1967), Goldberg (1981), and McCrae & Costa (1987).

What Are the 5 Personality Traits?

Each of the five primary personality traits exists on a continuum between two extremes, such as extraversion and introversion, with most individuals falling somewhere in the middle. While extensive research supports these traits, psychologists sometimes disagree on the precise labels for each dimension.

Despite this, the Big Five traits are generally recognized and consistently described in personality psychology.

Extraversion

Extraversion is a personality trait characterized by sociability, talkativeness, assertiveness, and emotional expressiveness.

People high in extraversion thrive in social situations, gaining energy from interactions with others. They enjoy being the center of attention and actively seek social interactions. They like starting conversations, meeting new people, and maintaining a wide social circle. Making friends comes easily to them, and they feel energized when surrounded by others. However, they may sometimes speak before thinking things through.

On the other hand, individuals low in extraversion, or introverts, prefer solitude and often feel drained after extended social interactions. They may find it challenging to start conversations and tend to dislike small talk. Introverts are more thoughtful before speaking and generally prefer to stay out of the spotlight. They also tend to be more reserved, often finding social events draining and requiring solitude to recharge.

Conscientiousness

Conscientiousness is characterized by thoughtfulness, strong impulse control, and goal-oriented behavior. Highly conscientious people are organized, detail-oriented, and proactive, often planning ahead and being mindful of how their actions impact others, including meeting deadlines. They are diligent in preparing for tasks and tend to complete important tasks promptly. They pay close attention to detail and enjoy having a structured routine or schedule to follow.

On the other hand, people low in conscientiousness tend to be less organized and structured. They may procrastinate, struggle with staying on task, and sometimes miss deadlines.

Moreover, conscientious people tend to dislike structure and schedules. They may leave things messy, fail to return items to their proper places and procrastinate on important tasks, sometimes not completing necessary or assigned responsibilities.

Neuroticism

Neuroticism is a personality trait associated with moodiness, sadness, and emotional instability. Individuals high in neuroticism often experience mood swings, anxiety, irritability, and frequent feelings of sadness, which can negatively impact their well-being. They tend to experience high levels of stress and worry about various aspects of life. They get upset easily, have dramatic mood swings, and often feel anxious. These individuals may struggle to recover quickly from stressful situations and are more prone to emotional instability.

In contrast, those low in neuroticism tend to be more emotionally stable and resilient, handling stress and challenges with greater ease. They are emotionally stable and handle stress well. They rarely feel sad or depressed and tend to worry less, maintaining a calm and resilient demeanor in challenging situations.

Openness

Openness, or openness to experience, is a personality trait that highlights imagination and insight. People high in openness have diverse interests and a strong curiosity about the world, other people, and new experiences. They tend to be adventurous, creative, and eager to learn.

Moreover, people with openness tend to be highly creative and eager to try new things. They are focused on taking on new challenges and enjoy contemplating abstract concepts and ideas. Their curiosity drives them to explore a wide range of experiences.

On the other hand, people low in openness tend to dislike change and resist new ideas. They are less inclined to embrace new experiences and are not particularly imaginative. Additionally, they often struggle with abstract or theoretical concepts, preferring concrete and familiar ideas. They are generally more traditional and may find abstract thinking challenging, preferring familiar and concrete ideas.

Agreeableness

Agreeableness is a personality trait characterized by trust, altruism, kindness, and other prosocial behaviors. People high in agreeableness are typically cooperative and compassionate, while those low in agreeableness tend to be more competitive and may exhibit manipulative behaviors.

They show a strong interest in others and care deeply about their well-being. People who agree a lot, feel empathy and concern for others, often enjoying helping and giving to the happiness of those around them. They are quick to offer assistance to people in need.

In contrast, people low in agreeableness tend to take little interest in others and are unconcerned with how others feel. They are often indifferent to other people’s problems and may engage in behaviors such as insulting, belittling, or manipulating others to get what they want.

What Influences the 5 Personality Traits?

The Big Five personality traits have been extensively studied, with research exploring how nature, nurture, age, and maturation influence their impact on behavior and character. A study involving 123 pairs of identical twins and 127 pairs of fraternal twins found that the heritability of each trait varied: 53% for extraversion, 41% for agreeableness, 44% for conscientiousness, 41% for neuroticism, and 61% for openness.

It is also widely recognized that as people age, their personality traits tend to change. With age, individuals generally become less extroverted, less neurotic, and less open to new experiences, while agreeableness and conscientiousness tend to increase.

Is it Different for Men and Women?

The general consensus is that men and women are more alike than commonly believed, though there are some exceptions. A 2011 study by Weinsberg and DeYoung explored gender differences in the Big Five traits and found that women tend to score higher on Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism than men.

Other research suggests that while some gender differences in personality exist, they are not extensive. As people age, traits like agreeableness and extraversion tend to become more aligned between genders, with both showing lower scores over time.

You might also want to read: Could Your Personality Traits Be the Key To Alzheimer’s Prevention?