How the Big Five personality traits shape individual behavior

Big Five Personality Traits

The "Big Five" Personality Traits

Human personality

Extraversion

Compared with introversion

Concerned with external realities of life

Can keep one from recognizing his or her own needs

Defines one's self in terms of externals

Spontaneous, straightforward, understandable, accessible

Agreeableness

Was not considered a "supertrait" until recently

Those who are high in agreeableness are more responsive to others

Can aid in partnerships

Often associated with femininity

Conscientiousness

Linked to longevity

More successful in school and work situations

Lower divorce rates

Handle conflict better and provoke fewer disagreements -- due to their responsibility, organization and controlled manner

Neuroticism

Over-activity of negative emotions

B. Small stressors can cause major upset

C. Constantly feeling threatened

Openness

A. Broad construct, difficult to grasp

B. Able to express their creativity and intellectual abilities, often verbally skilled

C. Outwardly expressive in how they decorate their living/work space

D. Link work life and personal life

E. Low-maintenance trait

Extraversion

Extraversion if almost always put side-by-side with introversion. We think of people who are "extraverts" as being concerned with the external realities of life, while the "introverts" are more concerned with the inner realities of their own selves. However, extraversion can also be considered self-oriented in a very primitive form because it prompts one to make a place for himself or herself in light of others' expectations and responses (Thomsen 29). Too much extraversion can keep person from recognizing his or her own needs and potential -- especially if others don't acknowledge them (29).

For people who score high in extraversion areas of personality test, there are several different components involved. Studies show that high-scorers are ambitious, assertive, and competitive. They are also sociable, physically active, as well as sexually motivated (Buss & Hawley 13). Yet there is not necessarily the belief that these different components have to go together. It is logical for ambition and sociability, for example, to be inversely correlated (13). Extraverts who may be ambitious and/or competitive are likelier than the average person to achieve some kind of high status in life

Extraverts will often define themselves in terms of externals -- things that other people will recognize and respond to (Thomson 27). Extraverts are stimulated by the claims, pleasures, and obligations of the outer world -- the people, things, and events that make up an external reality (27). Extraverts can be spontaneous, often acting before thinking about the consequences of their actions. They often are influenced by and gauge their person merit or worth by the expectations and the attention of others (27). They can be quite straightforward, understandable as well as accessible. While they are outgoing and often highly expressive, they may not always recognize their own personal needs (27).

Agreeableness

The personality trait of agreeableness was not considered a "supertrait" like introversion or extroversion until rather recent history (Leary & Hoyle 47). Other labels used for those who are considered agreeable personalities are: tender-mindedness, friendly compliance vs. hostile noncompliance, likeability, communion and love vs. hate (47).

In a study conducted by Habashi and Wegener in 2008, it was found that persons who were low in agreeableness were less influenced by persuasive communications than their peers in high agreeableness, no matter what the argument (Leary & Hoyle 47). For those who are high in agreeableness, however, strong arguments led to greater attitude change than weak arguments (47). When one looks at this information, it can be surmised that those who are high in agreeableness are, overall, more responsive to others, including their communication (47).

According to John, Robins and Pervins, high agreeableness as a personality trait can lead to excellent social alliances and valued partnerships (53). People who have high levels of agreeable traits are often good-natured, cooperative and trustful (119). Individuals who are high in agreeableness enjoy helping people, a nurturing quality, and they often tend to be self-effacing and modest; those who have high levels of agreeableness are more likely as well to become dependent and have dependent disorders (McCrae & Costa 41).

Generally speaking, those who are considered agreeable have traits that are believed to be more desirable. That is to say that being warm and kind is more desirable than being cold and unkind (Leary & Hoyle 47). Agreeableness is more often association with psychological femininity, which means that agreeableness is tied closely to interpersonal and expressive motives and interests in relationships (47).

Neuroticism

Neuroticism can be defined as the "overactivity of negative emotions" (Nettle 49). Neuroticism can also be labeled as emotional instability. People who are high in neuroticism personality levels show more anxiety, inferiority, unhappiness, guilt, anger, and depression. They respond negatively to environmental stress and are likely to see ordinary situations as threatening to them. Even minor stress can trigger big responses and thus these situations can be viewed by this personality as overwhelming (Leary & Hoyle 129).

People high in neuroticism personality levels can be shy and self-conscious. They may have problems quelling urges and impulses when they are feeling threatened, stressed-out, or upset, in general (Leary & Hoyle 129). While people who exhibit neuroticism may have the urge to act erratically or spontaneously, this doesn't necessarily mean that this is a core trait of neuroticism.

Buss and Hawley state that "high neuroticism scores face the serious drawback of related physical and mental illness" (14) as well as difficulties in relationships as a consequence of their negative attitudes and their anxiety. Negative emotions are there to detect and deal with threats and the person who has high levels of neuroticism may find more threats in daily, ordinary rituals of life than those who score low in neuroticism. People with high neuroticism levels may perceive threats in places where there are not any threats present, which can cause a feeling of unhappiness or lack of well-being (15). The idea that one is constantly being threatened is something that is ancestrally apparent; it is a predator sensitivity (15) that goes back to primitive times.

Openness

Openness is a very broad construct and thus difficult to grasp, according to Leary and Hoyle (257). The component traits are the weakest and most loosely related of any of the other four factors of personality and thus the weakest in replication studies (257).

People who are considered to be "open" often express their creativity, intellectual curiosity, and their need for variety in characteristic ways across a variety of mediums (Leary & Hoyle 259). They are usually quite verbally fluent, humorous, and expressive in their interpersonal interactions (259). Open individuals will often decorate their living and working spaces in ways that reflect who they believe themselves to be as individuals. They will often have a variety of books and magazines around, which is why it is easy for researchers to pick up on the clues of an open individual.

Interestingly enough, researchers have found that open people use fewer past tense verbs and enjoy frequenting restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. Open people will tend to join their personal and their work lives -- that is to say that work-related Websites and such may be linked to personal projects (Leary & Hoyle 260).

Openness is considered to be a "low maintenance" trait (Leary & Hoyle 261).

That is, initial impressions can be resistant to reevaluation. In contrast to traits such as Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, which require frequent confirmatory evidence to maintain the judgment, impressions of Openness are relatively impervious to disconfirming evidence; information that contradicts the initial Openness impression tends to be disregarded (Leary & Hoyle 261).

Open individuals will often search for other open individuals when it comes to forming relationships, according to Leary and Hoyle (261). Low openness has been linked with interpersonal functioning. People who are high in openness are generally better listeners, speak less about themselves in a conversation, and are more curious and interested in others (264).