Theories Personality Psychology What Are the Big 5 Personality Traits? Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book." Learn about our editorial process Updated on March 11, 2023 Learn more." tabindex="0" data-inline-tooltip="true"> Reviewed Verywell Mind articles are reviewed by mental health professionals. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by David Susman, PhD Reviewed by David Susman, PhD David Susman, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist with experience providing treatment to individuals with mental illness and substance use concerns. Learn about our Review Board Print Verywell / Catherine Song Table of Contents View All Table of Contents History The Big 5 How to Use Universality Influential Factors Frequently Asked Questions Close 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 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. 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 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. 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 Very creative Open to trying new things Focused on tackling new challenges Happy to think about abstract concepts Low Dislikes change Does not enjoy new things Resists new ideas Not very imaginative Dislikes abstract or 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. 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. High Spends time preparing Finishes important tasks right away Pays attention to detail Enjoys having a set schedule Low Dislikes structure and schedules Makes messes and doesn't take care of things Fails to return things or put them back where they 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. 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 Enjoys being the center of attention Likes to start conversations Enjoys meeting new people Has a wide social circle of friends and acquaintances Finds it easy to make new friends Feels energized when around other people Say things before thinking about them Low Prefers solitude Feels exhausted when having to socialize a lot Finds it difficult to start conversations Dislikes making small talk Carefully thinks things through before speaking Dislikes being the center of attention Agreeableness This personality trait includes attributes such as trust, altruism, kindness, affection, and other prosocial behaviors. 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 Has a great deal of interest in other people Cares about others Feels empathy and concern for other people Enjoys helping and contributing to the happiness of other people Assists others who are in need of help Low Takes little interest in others Doesn't care about how other people feel Has little interest in other people's problems Insults and belittles others Manipulates others to get what they want Neuroticism Neuroticism is a personality trait characterized by sadness, moodiness, and emotional instability. Individuals who are high in neuroticism tend to experience mood swings, anxiety, irritability, and sadness. Those low in this personality trait tend to be more stable and emotionally resilient. High Experiences a lot of stress Worries about many different things Gets upset easily Experiences dramatic shifts in mood Feels anxious Struggles to bounce back after stressful events Low Emotionally stable Deals well with stress Rarely feels sad or depressed Doesn't worry much Is very relaxed 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. Try our fast and free big 5 personality test to find out your most dominant traits: This personality test was reviewed by David Susman, PhD 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 Friendly Gracious Humble Insightful Objective Optimistic Respectful Steady Thorough Well-rounded Likeable Person Test: Am I a Likeable Person? 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. 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. 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. 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: 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)Role models (high on every big 5 trait other than neuroticism) Exploring the Enneagram of Personality 3 Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Power RA, Pluess M. Heritability estimates of the Big Five personality traits based on common genetic variants. Translation Psychiatry. 2015;5:e604. doi:10.1038/tp.2015.96 Jang KL, Livesley WJ, Vernon PA. Heritability of the big five personality dimensions and their facets: a twin study. J Pers. 1996;64(3):577-91. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.1996.tb00522.x Gerlach M, Farb B, Revelle W, Nunes Amaral LA. A robust data-driven approach identifies four personality types across four large data sets. Nat Hum Behav. 2018;2(10):735-742. doi:10.1038/s41562-018-0419-z Additional Reading Cobb-Clark DA, Schurer S. The stability of big-five personality traits. Econ Letters. 2012;115(2):11–15. doi:10.1016/j.econlet.2011.11.015 Lang KL, Livesley WJ, Vemon PA. Heritability of the big five personality dimensions and their facets: A twin study. J Personal. 1996;64(3):577–591. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.1996.tb00522.x Marsh HW, Nagengast B, Morin AJS. Measurement invariance of big-five factors over the lifespan: ESEM tests of gender, age, plasticity, maturity, and la dolce vita effects. Develop Psychol. 2013;49(6):1194-1218. doi:10.1037/a0026913 McCrae RR, Terracciano A, Personality Profiles of Cultures Project. Universal features of personality traits from the observer's perspective: Data from 50 different cultures. J Personal Soc Psychol. 2005;88:547-561. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.88.3.547 By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book." See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Helpful Report an Error Other Submit