Psychology / Unit 9: Personality and Psychological Disorders
9.2 Trait Theories and the Big Five
Notes
Traits are stable characteristics that describe personality.
- Gordon Allport listed thousands of trait words. Hans Eysenck used extraversion and neuroticism.
- The Big Five model (remember OCEAN):
| Trait | High scorers tend to be |
|---|---|
| Openness | Curious, imaginative |
| Conscientiousness | Organized, responsible |
| Extraversion | Outgoing, energetic |
| Agreeableness | Cooperative, kind |
| Neuroticism | More prone to worry and stress |
- Traits exist on a spectrum; most people are in the middle. The Big Five is widely supported by research. Personality tests like the Myers-Briggs are popular but less supported scientifically.
- Example: a student who always plans ahead and meets deadlines scores high in conscientiousness.
Practice
A student who is imaginative, curious and enjoys trying new things is likely high in:
Openness reflects curiosity and imagination.
What does the "N" in OCEAN stand for?
Neuroticism is the tendency to experience negative emotions.
Why do psychologists prefer the Big Five over many popular online personality quizzes?
The Big Five has strong research support.
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