Personality trait studies use the five-factor model to describe temperament and behavior. Psychologists use this modality to describe and predict how one person’s responses to situations differ from another’s. Unlike a Myers-Briggs test, everyone has varied amounts of all five personality factors—consciousness, extraversion, neuroticism, and openness.
Psychologists use significant differences in trait proportions to identify broad personality “types.” While Myers-Briggs has a unique category for everyone, most people have an “average” personality type with a healthy balance of all five factors. Each factor represents a spectrum. Everyone has “high” or “low” levels of each trait, which determine their overall personality when combined.
The factors studied in this psychological model transcend language, generations, and culture, which suggests biology influences personality development. The traits are heritable in varying amounts for each trait. Despite these discoveries, the established importance of childhood environment and upbringing on personality remains unchallenged.
Determined by both nature and nurture, the big five personality factors measure how people socialize, control their behavior, and perceive themselves.
Agreeableness
“Agreeableness” measures “prosocial” behavior. Highly agreeable people care more about others and their feelings. Those with lower agreeableness often belittle, manipulate, or ignore others.
High agreeableness
Agreeable people take others’ needs and wants into account. They have an automatic interest in others’ well-being and enjoy helping others.
Unfortunately, some agreeable people can’t put their foot down. They struggle with tough love and don’t assert their needs. Agreeableness can cause problematic people-pleasing behaviors that sacrifice career, finances, or emotional well-being to help others.
Low agreeableness
Lower-agreeableness people manipulate, belittle, or insult others. They take little interest in others’ problems and put themselves first. They tend to be more competitive, which disrupts relationships but may benefit them or create cutthroat environments.
Conscientiousness
Conscientiousness represents discipline and impulse control. It indicates how well people move toward a goal, organize themselves, or cope in a structured environment.
High conscientiousness
Conscientious people prepare themselves for the future and prioritize important tasks. They thrive in routine and persevere in difficult circumstances. They exhibit attention to detail and follow up on their commitments.
A person with too much consciousness is rigid and inflexible. Married to their routine, these perfectionists struggle to think outside the box or try a new approach. The most extreme cases suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Low conscientiousness
Someone with lower consciousness prefers a more freeform schedule and struggles to build a routine. They ignore, disregard, or put off problems and may fail to fix their mistakes. Some don’t clean up their messes.
Others describe low-conscientious people as laid-back and relaxed. Less likely to stick to a schedule, the go-with-the-flow personality works well in some situations. Though they don’t always think ahead, they don’t need a plan to function. They improvise well and can perform when put on the spot.
Extraversion
Extraversion represents levels of sociability, assertiveness, and outward emotional expression, also known as extroverts. Social interaction makes an extrovert feel energized and excited. Lower-extroversion people, also known as introverts, don’t necessarily avoid social interaction but need time alone to “recharge” afterward.
High extraversion
Extroverts thrive as the center of attention. They are not necessarily egotistical or attention-seekers but naturally dominate the conversation. They like meeting new people, making new friends, and initiating conversations. They speak without thinking or talk over others.
Low extraversion
Low-extraversion people tend to avoid the spotlight and consider their words before they speak. They express fewer emotions and avoid small talk. Many introverts flourish in jobs where they work alone, like programming or accounting.
Neuroticism
Neuroticism measures emotional instability. Extraversion determines how someone expresses their feelings, and neuroticism predicts those feelings. High-neuroticism people stress and worry and experience mood shifts. Lower-neuroticism people confront difficult situations with emotional resilience and relax easily.
High neuroticism
The term “high-strung” often describes neurotic people or “worriers”. Neurotic people need time to recover from stress. They doubt their capabilities and blame themselves when things go wrong.
Neuroticism has advantages. Fear of failure motivates high-neuroticism people to push themselves. Their risk sensitivity pays off in genuinely dangerous situations.
Low neuroticism
Less neurotic people deal with stress well. Their emotional stability helps them relax and take on stressful situations without overreacting. In serious moments, they often underestimate the gravity of negative situations and exhibit unrealistic optimism under stress.
Openness
Openness to new experiences measures several personality attributes. Openness determines creativity, willingness to try new things, insight, and interest in abstract concepts and ideas.
High openness
People with high openness love to take on new challenges, experiment, and find new ways to experience the world. They lean towards creative careers (especially the arts) and love to learn about the world. They are adventurous and more likely to reject tradition.
Despite its many positive connotations, extreme openness makes life difficult. Too-open people make unstable or unrealistic goals or feel confined by societal expectations. People with mental disorders like schizophrenia and narcissism exhibit high openness. Routine or repetitive careers are difficult for them.
Low openness
People with low openness prefer familiar, known quantities and stick to tradition. They resist change in their own lives and in society around them. They flourish in jobs that repeat the same processes every day and take a practical approach to problems. Low-openness people tend toward political conservatism, while high-openness people are generally more liberal.
How the big five personality traits change
People change, and their personalities change with them. Aging changes peoples’ perspectives over time, and drastic life events cause rapid change. Evidence suggests that people dissatisfied with their personalities can make a conscious effort to change them.
Age
Childhood environment predicts the five-factor balance in adults, but most people lose some extraversion and neuroticism as they become adults. Personality levels stabilize around thirty and remain stable until middle age. After middle age, openness begins to decline. Without momentous life events, personalities otherwise remain stable.
Life events
Trauma has little impact on personality. Studies show increased consciousness changes in adults more than any other factor. New jobs, new relationships, and especially new children cause these changes; the heavy and sudden responsibility forces sudden and dramatic changes.
Effort
Most people want to change their personality. With therapy and training, they can. The most effective methods involve self-assessments. Patients review their responses to stimuli and reflect on how their reactions could have better aligned with their goals. With regular reminders and therapeutic reassessments, most participants in one 4-month-long study saw a marked change in their personality.
This experiment only covered 16 weeks, which is not enough time to measure permanent changes. Nevertheless, The creators feel confident their results demonstrate that personality change can happen with enough effort and persistence.
Understanding the Big Five and personal growth
Personality is not a fixed trait—while genetics and early experiences shape who we are, self-awareness and intentional effort can lead to meaningful change. The Big Five model provides a valuable framework for understanding ourselves and others, helping us navigate relationships, career choices, and personal development with greater clarity.
Whether someone is naturally introverted or extroverted, highly conscientious or more spontaneous, the key to growth lies in balance and adaptability. By recognizing our tendencies and how they influence our thoughts and actions, we can make informed decisions about how to shape our future.
Understanding personality traits is not just about labeling behaviors—it’s about fostering self-acceptance, improving emotional intelligence, and recognizing that change is possible. If you’d like to learn more about the Big Five and how you can refine their strengths, overcome challenges, and cultivate a personality that aligns with their goals and values, contact Red Ribbon Recovery today.
