The 5 personality traits that influence our lives – 06/03/2023 – Balance

On a scale of 1 to 5 (where 1 means “strongly disagree” and 5 means “strongly agree”), how would you rate each of the following statements?

• I am very fond of large parties and social gatherings;
• I often feel sad;
• I love helping others;
• I prefer variety to routine;
• Abstract ideas don’t interest me.

These statements are often included in the Big Five personality traits test—a commonly used tool for determining what kind of person you are.

Philosophers have spent centuries wondering what makes each person unique. After all, if objects have three basic dimensions —length, width and height—, what would be the dimensions that measure personality?

In recent decades, psychologists have come up with five personality traits that can be used to characterize all individuals:

• Opening;
• Scrupulosity;
• Extroversion;
• Kindness;
• Neuroticism.

Some psychologists use slightly different names for these personality traits. And it’s important to keep in mind that no personality can be described exclusively by any of these characteristics. Most people have a combination of each trait, to varying degrees.

How was this conclusion reached?

The model of personality traits deserves respect, but it is necessary to question how we defined what we are in these five characteristics. And the path was tiring and curious.

In 1884, British polymath Francis Galton conceived an innovative approach to research and development of a comprehensive taxonomy of personality traits, analyzing the English language through the so-called lexical hypothesis.

He argued that the fundamental characteristics of human personality were encoded in language over time. That is, they were identified and even discriminated against. All you had to do was find them.

In 1936, the American psychologists Gordon Allport and Henry Odbert dedicated themselves to this task. They collected over 4,500 adjectives from Webster’s New International English Dictionary (1925 edition), believing that those words described relatively stable traits that could be observed.

A decade later, at Harvard University, in the United States, the British-American psychologist Raymond Cattell eliminated synonyms, reducing the initial list to 171 terms.

But the amount of words was still too large. So Cattell asked 100 “informed acquaintances” to rate how many of those traits were their personal personality traits. That left 16 words.

Several other researchers collaborated, until, in 1990, the American psychologist Lewis Goldberg reduced Cattell’s 16 terms to the five primordial factors.

Paul Costa and Robert McCrae, renowned personality researchers, confirmed the validity of the model, which was called “The Big Five” (“Big Five”, in English). They have conducted thousands of surveys based on the model, across continents and cultures, with a wide variety of populations.

Only words?

Of course, simply selecting adjectives in English was not enough. Factor analyzes of numerous datasets composed of descriptive terms from several other languages ​​confirmed the validity of the model in literate urban populations.

But it’s not just the words. Several studies show that most of the individual differences in personality described in the literature can be represented in terms of scores for each of the basic dimensions.

Furthermore, studies with twins or adopted persons (Jang et al, 1996 and 1998) have revealed that the genetic component of the “big five” personality traits is 40-60%. And long-term research (Soto & John, 2012) has shown that the thinking, feeling, and behavior patterns detected in the tests are relatively enduring throughout an individual’s life.

There are scholars who are against this method, and the number of factors that must be taken into account is the subject of debate. But the “Big Five” are considered to be the most researched, accepted, and used concept of personality in the world to date.

What do the traits say?

By evaluating a series of statements —like the ones we mentioned at the beginning of this article—, researchers can check a person’s score on each of the five personality traits.

Experts say that real-life studies show that scores actually predict certain types of behavior.

The five factors are not necessarily isolated traits—but factors that include several related characteristics. The kindness factor, for example, ranges from generosity and cordiality to aggressiveness and strong temperament.

Openness refers to people’s willingness to try new things, their vulnerability and the scope of their imagination. So if you score high on this factor, you’re probably someone who likes to learn, enjoys art, is dedicated to a creative career or hobby, and loves meeting new people.

But if the score is low, you have little openness to new experiences. For this reason, he prefers routine to variety, is attached to what is already known and prefers less abstract art.

Scrupulousness is a personality trait that can be described as the tendency to control impulses and act in a socially acceptable manner. People with a high level of scrupulousness tend to be good students and have professional success. They excel in leadership positions and doggedly pursue their goals.

Extroversion includes two familiar ends of its spectrum: the extroversion, the “life of the party,” and the introversion, the reflective, short-spoken person.

Neuroticism, on the other hand, refers to confidence and a feeling of comfort with oneself. It encompasses emotional stability and general temperament.

Theoretically, the set of these factors forms a spectrum with thousands of combined scores, which define unique personalities.

What does the method say about you?

The “Big Five” method is employed in a wide range of sociopsychological studies.

Even if you haven’t had the opportunity to participate in these tests yet, chances are you’ll find them in the work environment, as they are a very popular tool.

They are used to predict job effectiveness, build teams, and even screen job candidates.

Its advocates claim that one of the advantages is that the test reduces the possibility of bias. And that helps both the organization and the candidate determine whether a certain role is appropriate for him.

People with low neuroticism scores, for example, are ideal for environments where stress levels are high. In contrast, in a company with a friendly culture, employees who score high on agreeableness can adapt well. But these same people can struggle in more competitive environments.

The “Big Five” seem not to be as dramatic as Hippocrates’ four temperament types—sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric, and melancholic—nor as poetic as Plato’s—artistic, sensitive, intuitive, and rational. But they are, at the moment, the cardinal points that guide professionals who want to draw their personality map.

This text was originally published here.