The big 5 personality traits: what are the big five personality traits

We all like to think we know exactly who we are but personality quizzes often take us by surprise. The Big Five personality quiz uses five personality types and ranks us on a scale between

two extreme ends of each personality type. The creators suggest that which personality type we are is influenced by both our genes and our environment. It can be used to predict what we will

do in our lives, including our education and health. The Big Five Model, also known as the Five-Factor Model, was developed in the 1980s. However, research for the model started back in

1936 with the work of Gordon Allport and Henry Odbert. The psychologists formed a list of 4,500 terms linked to personality traits, causing other psychologists to start looking into

personality. Raymond Cattell and his colleagues narrowed down this list to 16 traits in the 1940s, but Donald Fisk and his colleagues found that this could be reduced to just five. The

theory is that there are five core personalities on a continuum, and we all rank somewhere on each of them. Each personality is broad and covers lots of different traits and behaviour within

it. It is still the most widely accepted theory on personality believed by psychologists. So what are the big five personality traits, and how do you know which one you are? READ MORE- 

TAKE THIS SIMPLE COLOUR TEST TO FIND OUT YOUR PERSONALITY TYPE EXTRAVERSION Some people consider themselves totally extraverted or introverted, but that can’t be true. How extraverted you

are depends on how much you like to interact with others. How comfortable are you in social situations? Well, that often depends on a number of factors so it’s important to view extraversion

on a scale. Those who rank highly on the scale are described as sociable, outgoing, enjoys being the centre of attention, and fuelled by social interaction. Those who are more introverted

prefer being alone, are often tired out by social interaction, and they’re quite reflective and reserved. Introverted people hate being the centre of attention. OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE

Openness to experience is about how willing you are to try new things and step out of your comfort zone. This is ranked based on how curious, imaginative, creative, or unconventional you

are. Those who rank on the lower end of this scale can be described as predictable or not very imaginative. These people tend not to like change, preferring traditional routes and routine -

they are closed to experience. NEUROTICISM Neuroticism is related to neurosis, a class of mental disorders that involve chronic stress. For example, OCD, anxiety, hysteria, and phobias. C

George Boeree says the symptoms of neurosis involve things like anxiety, sadness, depression, anger, low sense of self-worth, impulsive acts, lethargy, disturbing thoughts, negativity and

cynicism, aggressiveness, perfectionism, and more. People who score highly on this scale are prone to these symptoms, whereas people who are ranked on the lower end are the opposite. These

people are considered more emotionally stable since they are more calm, secure, and self-assured.