The Big 5 Personality Tests

The Big 5 Personality Tests are suggested for personality traits, grouping, and taxonomy. It was developed in the 1980s and onwards in psychological trait theory. The five factors are abbreviated as OCEAN or CANOE. Besides each global and recommended factor, there are several correlated factors that we can count on for big 5 personality test. According to researchers, there is a science to personality.

Every person is made up of 5 basic personality traits regardless of their gender, age or nationality. The big 5 personality tests allow you to understand yourself better. This will help you to understand your personality. When you are well aware of your personality, you will be able to ask for your needs, optimize your behavior, and connect more easily. 

The Big 5 Personality Tests

Is Your Personality Genetic

Are you having a natural personality or a nurturing personality? It means that if you got personality traits from your parents or you developed them during your childhood. We all are having complicated personalities with multi-dimensional traits. Researchers believe that personality traits are mostly heritable rather than developing at a certain age. 

Big 5 Personality Traits

1. Openness to Experience 

Openness to Experience

In general appreciation, openness means for art, adventure, emotion, imagination, unusual ideas, curiosity, and other experiences. Open to experience people are intellectually curious and they are open to emotions. They are willing to try new things and sensitive to beauty. They are more creative and aware of feelings as compared to the closed people. 

High Openness perceives unpredictability and lack of focus. Open people can also take the risk and engage in risky behavior or might consume drugs. They pursue self-actualization by seeking out euphoric and intense experiences. People with low openness are characterized as data-driven and pragmatic. Interpretation and contextualization of openness to experience is done following factors:

  • I use difficult words 
  • I have excellent ideas 
  • I understand things quickly 
  • I am full of ideas 
  • I have a good imagination (reverse) 
  • I am interested in abstractions (reverse) 
  • I understand abstract ideas (reverse) 

2. Conscientiousness 

Conscientiousness

Conscientiousness is a tendency to exercise self-discipline, act diligently, and strive for external goals or expectations. It is related to the way people regulate, control, and regulate and direct their impulses. A great conscience is often perceived as stubborn and focused. Low conscientiousness is associated with spontaneity and flexibility, but it can also come across as recklessness and unreliability. 

High conscientiousness indicates a preference for planned rather than spontaneous behavior. The average level of conscientiousness increases in young adults and then decreases in older adults. The factors for conscientiousness can be done on following factors:

  • I am always prepared 
  • I get chores done right away 
  • I always pay attention to the details 
  • I like order 
  • I follow a schedule 
  • I am exacting in my work 
  • I never forget my belongings 
  • I always end up being helpful 
  • I often remember where I last put my things 
  • I give attention to my duties

3. Extraversion 

Extraversion

Extraversion is characterized by the breadth of activities and not by the depth of activities, the emergence of external activities/situations, and the creation of energy from external means. The trait is marked by a strong commitment to the outside world. Extroverts are the ones who enjoy interacting with people and are often seen as full of energy. They are generally enthusiastic and action-oriented people. 

Extroverts have great group visibility; they like to talk and assert themselves. Extroverts may appear more dominant in social contexts, unlike introverts in those contexts. Introverts have a lower social engagement and energy level than extroverts. They tend to appear calm, deliberate, low-key, and less involved in the social world. Their lack of social participation cannot be interpreted as depression or shyness; on the contrary, they are more independent of their social world than extroverts. 

Introverts are not hostile or anti-social; they are rather reserved in social situations. Usually, people are a combination of extraversion and introversion, and personality psychologist Hans Eysenck suggests a pattern by which individual neurological differences produce these traits.

  • I am the life of the party 
  • I don’t mind being the center of attention 
  • I feel comfortable 
  • I start conversations (reverse) 
  • I talk to a lot of different people at parties (reverse)
  • I talk a lot (reverse)
  • I think a lot before I speak or act (reverse)

4. Agreeableness 

Agreeableness

In general concern for social harmony, the trait of agreeableness reflects individual differences. Agreeable people like to get along with others. They are generally kind, confident, considerate, generous, and trustworthy, helpful, and ready to compromise their interests with those of others. They also have an optimistic view of human nature.

Disagreeable people put self-interest before getting along with others. They usually don’t care about the well-being of others and are less likely to spread to other people. Sometimes their skepticism trait about other people’s motives makes them suspicious, hostile, and uncooperative. Low agreeableness traits in people are often competitive or stimulating people, who can be argumentative or unreliable.

In contrast, agreeableness is negatively related to transactional leadership in the military. In a study of Asian military units, leaders with a high level of agreeableness receive a low grade for transformational leadership skills. The different traits of agreeableness can be tested with the following factors:

  • I am interested in people (reverse)
  • I have a soft heart
  • I sympathize with others’ feelings (reverse) 
  • I take time out for others 
  • I feel others’ emotions (reverse)
  • I make people feel at ease (reverse)

5. Neuroticism 

Neuroticism

Neuroticism is having a tendency to experience negative emotions such as anxiety, anger, stress, and depression. It is also known as emotional instability. In some people, it is a reversed trait that is emotional stability. According to Hans Eysenck’s theory of personality, neuroticism is linked with aversive stimuli and low-stress tolerance. In temperament research, neuroticism is referred to as a classical temperament trait. 

People with a high score in neuroticism are emotionally unstable and vulnerable to stress. They are most likely to take normal situations as threatening for them. The minor frustrations by such people will be perceived as hopelessly difficult. 

Those who score low on neuroticism are less easily upset and less emotionally reactive. They are calm, free from negative thoughts, and emotionally stable. The low score of neuroticism does not mean that they have a lot of positive vibes or thoughts. They might be having negative thoughts at a certain point in their life. 

Neuroticism is not similar to neurotic in Freudian sense. Psychologists refer to neuroticism as emotional instability to differentiate it from neuroticism. Neurotic is a career test about irrational and drastic personality traits. The factors for neuroticism are as following: 

  • I get irritated easily 
  • I get stressed out easily 
  • I get upset easily 
  • I have frequent mood swings 
  • I worry about things 
  • I am anxious 
  • I am relaxed (reversed) 
  • I seldom feel blue (reversed) 

Verdict

The Big 5 Personality Tests are for those who have different personality traits. The main and global factors that are considered in this test are openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Either you are having one or all of these traits, which will be natural and from genetic inheritance or you developed them in your childhood in a growing stage.