I have been talking a lot about the Big Five personality model lately because I find it fascinating. There are so many ways to apply it. Almost six years ago, my business partner Peter and I founded CaPPr, the Center for Applied Product Personality Research. We build products for important parts of life, including shopping, finance and work & career. In this post, I want to explain the Big Five model.
The five traits
The Big Five is a widely used framework for describing personality. As the name suggests, it organizes personality into five broad traits.
The five traits are (scroll down for videos if you would rather watch than read):
Openness
Openness includes imagination, curiosity, and an interest in new ideas.
People high in openness often enjoy learning, creativity, and new experiences. People lower in openness may prefer familiar approaches and concrete ideas.
Conscientiousness
Conscientiousness includes self-control, planning, and attention to goals.
People high in conscientiousness often stay organized, consider the effects of their actions, and keep track of deadlines. People lower in it may prefer flexibility over structure and find schedules harder to follow.
Extraversion
Extraversion includes sociability, assertiveness, and outward emotional expression.
People high in extraversion often feel energized by company. Those lower in extraversion tend to be more reserved and may need quiet time after social events.
Agreeableness
Agreeableness includes trust, kindness, and a willingness to cooperate.
People high in agreeableness tend to be considerate and cooperative. Those lower in it may be more competitive or skeptical.
Neuroticism
Neuroticism describes a tendency toward difficult emotions such as worry, sadness, and irritability.
People high in neuroticism may experience these feelings more often. Those lower in it tend to be more emotionally steady.
Videos
The Big Five explained in four minutes:
Or in two minutes:
What are your traits?
I made a demo of our visual personality test. It takes a few minutes and gives you a report on your traits.
Find out your personality traits It only takes a few minutes
Understanding your traits can help with decisions such as:
- Finding a place where you feel at home
- Choosing work where you feel appreciated
- Finding a partner whose personality complements yours
- Deciding what to spend money on for the most satisfaction
That is the kind of decision we want our products to support: choices that fit the person making them.