Having any, some or all of these qualities is linked to living a happier life, study finds.
Having any, some or all of these qualities is linked to living a happier life, study finds.
Being enthusiastic and difficult to discourage are two of the personality traits linked to the highest well-being, research finds.
Enthusiastic people tend to have more fun in life and experience fewer negative emotions.
Being difficult to discourage is related to more positive growth, self-acceptance and greater achievement in life.
These were not the only personality factors linked to well-being.
People who are industrious, compassionate and intellectually curious are also happier, but in different ways.
Industrious people, for example, work harder towards long-term goals and are very achievement-oriented.
Compassionate people tend to feel more positive emotions and have better relationships with others.
The intellectually curious are open to new ideas and they enjoy thinking deeply and benefit from greater personal growth.
The conclusions come from a survey of 706 US adults, who were asked about their personality and different aspects of their well-being.
The study demonstrates that there are different paths to happiness.
Positive emotions are good, but so is feeling satisfied with your life, being independent, reaching life goals and experiencing personal growth.
Personality psychologists typically identify high extraverts who are low in neuroticism as the happiest people, as the study’s authors explain:
“The large literature describing the associations between personality traits and well-being suggests that extraversion (the tendency to be bold, talkative, enthusiastic, and sociable) and neuroticism (the tendency to be emotionally unstable and prone to negative emotions) are especially strong predictors of well-being.
But is wellbeing only accessible to the extraverted and non-neurotic?”
No, they argue, being a non-neurotic extravert is not the only way to be happy.
If you look more closely at personality, it turns out there are multiple paths to happiness.
The authors write:
“…the personality–well-being relation varies appreciably across personality aspects and distinct dimensions of well-being.
Not all aspects of extraversion and neuroticism are equally predictive, and aspects of conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness/intellect also have idiosyncratic, meaningful associations with distinct forms of positive functioning.”
In other words, it’s possible to be a happy, neurotic, introvert.
It’s just a kind of happiness reached via a different route.
The study was published in the Journal of Personality (Sun et al., 2018).
Playful people, though, are easily bored, explained Professor René Proyer, the study’s first author:
“Particularly playful people have a hard time dealing with boredom.
They manage to turn almost any everyday situation into an entertaining or personally engaging experience.”
The study included 533 people, half of whom were given three activities designed to boost their playfulness:
Write down three playful situations from the day.
Be playful in an unfamiliar situation.
Reflect on playful behaviour experienced during the day.
Dr Kay Brauer, study co-author, said:
“Our assumption was that the exercises would lead people to consciously focus their attention on playfulness and use it more often.
This could result in positive emotions, which in turn would affect the person’s well-being.
Our study is the first intervention study on adults to show that playfulness can be induced and that this has positive effects for them.”
The results showed that the exercises did lead to increased playfulness and a boost to happiness.
Professor Proyer said:
“I believe that we can use this knowledge in everyday life to improve various aspects.
This does not mean that every company needs table tennis tables or a playground slide.
However, one idea would be to allow employees to consciously integrate playfulness into their everyday work and, as a supervisor, to set an example for this kind of behaviour.”
The study was published in the journal Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being (Proyer et al., 2020).
Discover how openness to experience drives creativity, intellectual growth, and resilience. Enhance your personal and professional life.
Openness to experience is one of the Big Five personality traits, representing a person’s willingness to embrace new ideas, experiences, and perspectives.
This article explores the characteristics of openness, its benefits, and how it impacts creativity, relationships, and decision-making.
You’ll also discover tips to cultivate openness in daily life, understand its role in different cultures, and learn about the neuroscience behind this fascinating trait.
What is Openness to Experience?
Openness to experience is a personality trait that reflects curiosity, imagination, and a desire to explore new possibilities.
It is one of the five dimensions in the Five-Factor Model of personality, alongside conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.
Individuals high in openness are often drawn to creativity, abstract thinking, and diverse experiences.
Those lower in openness tend to prefer structure, familiarity, and practical approaches to life.
Openness is considered a fundamental trait that influences how people interact with the world and respond to change.
Characteristics of Openness
People high in openness to experience exhibit several defining characteristics:
Creativity: They enjoy exploring artistic, musical, and literary pursuits.
Curiosity: A strong interest in learning and understanding new concepts drives them.
Imagination: They often engage in abstract and original thinking.
Flexibility: They are open to different viewpoints and adapt easily to change.
Risk-taking: They may embrace challenges and unconventional paths.
These traits make openness a key driver of innovation, learning, and personal growth.
Why Openness Matters
Openness to experience is linked to numerous positive outcomes in life.
It enhances creativity and problem-solving, enabling individuals to think outside the box.
In relationships, openness fosters understanding, empathy, and effective communication.
Professionally, it contributes to adaptability and innovation, which are critical in rapidly changing environments.
Openness also promotes mental well-being by encouraging a growth mindset and resilience in the face of uncertainty.
The Neuroscience of Openness
Recent studies shed light on how openness manifests in the brain.
Research suggests that individuals with high openness have greater activity in regions linked to imagination and cognitive flexibility, such as the default mode network.
This trait is also associated with higher dopamine activity, which supports curiosity and exploration.
Understanding the brain mechanisms behind openness helps explain why some people are naturally more inclined toward novelty and creativity.
Six Facets of Openness
The Five-Factor Model breaks openness into six distinct facets:
Fantasy: A vivid imagination and a love for daydreaming.
Aesthetics: Appreciation for beauty and artistic expression.
Feelings: Awareness and expression of emotional depth.
Actions: Willingness to try new activities and experiences.
Ideas: Intellectual curiosity and a preference for abstract thinking.
Values: Openness to re-evaluating beliefs and embracing diversity.
Each facet reflects a different aspect of this multifaceted personality trait.
Openness Across Cultures
Openness is a universal trait, but cultural norms influence how it is expressed.
Western cultures often associate openness with individualism, creativity, and personal growth.
In collectivist cultures, openness may manifest in ways that prioritise harmony and group well-being.
Studies show that openness is positively linked to education, urban living, and exposure to diverse environments across all societies.
How Age and Gender Influence Openness
Openness tends to fluctuate over a lifetime.
Young adults typically score higher on openness due to their exploratory nature and desire for novelty.
As people age, they may become more set in their ways, leading to a gradual decline in openness.
Gender differences also exist, with women often scoring higher on facets such as emotional awareness, while men may excel in abstract thinking.
How to Cultivate Openness
Openness is not fixed; it can be nurtured through intentional habits.
Here are practical tips to increase your openness:
Expose Yourself to Art: Attend galleries, read novels, or explore new music genres.
Challenge Your Comfort Zone: Try activities that push your boundaries, like cooking a new cuisine or travelling to unfamiliar places.
Embrace Lifelong Learning: Take up a course, learn a language, or join a workshop to stimulate intellectual curiosity.
Seek Diverse Perspectives: Engage in conversations with people from different backgrounds and viewpoints.
Reflect on Your Beliefs: Question assumptions and remain open to evolving your worldview.
Balancing Openness and Stability
While openness has many benefits, excessive openness can lead to indecisiveness or an inability to commit.
Balancing openness with conscientiousness provides stability and ensures thoughtful decision-making.
This balance allows individuals to remain curious while maintaining structure in their lives.
Conclusion
Openness to experience is a dynamic and enriching trait that influences creativity, relationships, and adaptability.
By understanding its characteristics and nurturing it in daily life, you can unlock personal growth and meaningful connections.
Whether through art, learning, or embracing change, cultivating openness opens the door to a richer and more fulfilling life.
Discover the Big 5 personality traits—openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism—and what they reveal about you.
The Big Five personality traits, also known as the Five-Factor Model (FFM), provide a comprehensive framework for understanding human personality.
In this article, you will learn about the five traits—openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism—how they influence behaviour, their scientific origins, and practical applications in personal and professional contexts.
We also delve into comparisons with other models, debunk myths, and explore how the traits can be applied for growth and self-discovery.
What Are the Big Five Personality Traits?
The Big Five personality traits represent a widely accepted model used to describe and measure human personality.
These traits are:
Openness to experience: Imagination and curiosity.
Conscientiousness: Organisation and responsibility.
Extraversion: Sociability and energy.
Agreeableness: Compassion and cooperation.
Neuroticism: Emotional stability and reaction to stress.
Together, they provide a framework for understanding behaviour across various situations and cultures.
Unlike other models that categorise personality into types, the Big Five describe traits on a spectrum.
This means most people fall somewhere between the extremes rather than being entirely one way or the other.
The Origins of the Big Five Model
The Big Five emerged from decades of psychological research aiming to define universal personality traits.
Lewis Goldberg and other researchers refined earlier theories, such as Raymond Cattell’s 16-factor model, into five key dimensions.
The traits were identified using a statistical method called factor analysis, which groups related behaviours and characteristics.
Paul Costa and Robert McCrae later validated the model, ensuring its reliability and broad applicability across cultures.
A Closer Look at Each Trait
Openness to Experience
This trait reflects imagination, creativity, and intellectual curiosity.
People high in openness tend to:
Enjoy trying new experiences.
Appreciate art, literature, and unconventional ideas.
Be more open to change and novelty.
Those low in openness may:
Prefer routine and tradition.
Focus on practical solutions over abstract concepts.
Conscientiousness
Conscientious individuals are organised, disciplined, and dependable.
Key characteristics include:
Strong work ethic and goal orientation.
High levels of self-discipline and reliability.
People scoring low on conscientiousness may struggle with:
Meeting deadlines.
Staying organised.
Extraversion
Extraversion is characterised by energy, sociability, and assertiveness.
Highly extraverted people are often:
Outgoing and enthusiastic in social settings.
Motivated by external stimuli and interactions.
In contrast, introverts (low in extraversion) may:
Prefer solitary activities or small, close-knit groups.
Find excessive social interaction draining.
Agreeableness
Agreeableness represents compassion, kindness, and cooperation.
People high in agreeableness often:
Prioritise relationships and avoid conflict.
Display empathy and trustworthiness.
Those lower in agreeableness may:
Be more competitive or sceptical of others’ intentions.
Neuroticism
Neuroticism measures emotional stability and resilience.
Individuals high in neuroticism might:
Experience mood swings, anxiety, or stress.
React strongly to negative events.
Those low in neuroticism typically:
Handle stress well.
Maintain a stable mood even under pressure.
Trait Interactions
The Big Five personality traits do not operate in isolation.
Interactions between traits often create unique behavioural patterns that can influence how people navigate life’s challenges and opportunities.
Examples of Trait Interactions
Openness and Extraversion High levels of both traits may result in an adventurous personality, where creativity meets enthusiasm for social exploration. Such individuals might thrive in roles requiring innovation and collaboration, like entrepreneurship or creative leadership.
Conscientiousness and Neuroticism When high conscientiousness is paired with high neuroticism, it may lead to perfectionist tendencies. These individuals might excel in detail-oriented work but could struggle with stress or fear of failure.
Agreeableness and Extraversion A combination of high agreeableness and extraversion often produces warm, charismatic individuals who excel in building relationships and fostering teamwork.
Balancing Traits
Extreme levels of traits can sometimes clash.
For instance, high openness combined with low agreeableness might manifest as creativity without collaboration, potentially causing friction in team settings.
By recognising these interactions, individuals can better understand their strengths and areas for development, helping them adapt their behaviour to different circumstances.
Applications of the Big Five in Everyday Life
In Personal Growth
Understanding your personality traits can provide insights into your strengths and areas for improvement.
For example:
High conscientiousness can be leveraged to achieve long-term goals.
Awareness of neurotic tendencies can help manage stress effectively.
In Relationships
Traits like agreeableness and extraversion influence how people interact in social and intimate settings.
Knowing your partner’s traits can improve communication and conflict resolution.
At Work
The Big Five are often used in hiring and career development.
While traits are relatively stable, they can evolve over time.
For instance, many people become more conscientious and agreeable as they age.
Major life events and deliberate effort can also lead to changes.
Do the Big Five Apply Universally?
Research suggests the model is valid across cultures, but expression of traits may differ.
For example, extraversion might manifest as assertiveness in some cultures and sociability in others.
The Science Behind the Traits
The Big Five personality traits are supported by extensive research in psychology, genetics, and neuroscience.
Biological Foundations
Studies have shown that genetic factors play a significant role in shaping these traits.
Twin studies, for example, estimate heritability for traits like openness and conscientiousness to be around 40–60%.
Neuroimaging research has linked each trait to specific brain structures.
For instance, high extraversion is associated with greater activity in the brain’s reward systems, while neuroticism correlates with heightened sensitivity in areas involved in emotional regulation, such as the amygdala.
Environmental Influences
While genetics provide a baseline, environmental factors also shape personality.
Childhood experiences, culture, and significant life events can influence the expression of traits over time.
For example, people raised in collectivist cultures may show higher levels of agreeableness compared to those in individualist cultures.
Consistency and Change
The Big Five are considered stable across adulthood, but gradual changes can occur.
Research indicates that people tend to become more agreeable and conscientious and less neurotic with age—a phenomenon known as the “maturity principle.”
This blend of biological and environmental factors highlights the complexity of personality development, making the Big Five a robust and versatile framework for understanding human behaviour.
Comparing the Big Five with Other Models
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
Unlike the Big Five, MBTI assigns people into categories like “introvert” or “extrovert.”
While MBTI is popular, it lacks the scientific reliability of the Big Five.
HEXACO Model
The HEXACO model extends the Big Five by adding “Honesty-Humility” as a sixth factor.
It provides a more nuanced view but is less widely adopted.
Practical Tips for Using the Big Five
Take a Reliable Assessment Use validated tools like the Big Five Inventory to understand your personality.
Set Goals Based on Your Traits If you’re highly conscientious, focus on structured goals.
If you’re high in openness, pursue creative or exploratory tasks.
Seek Balance Recognise how extreme traits may affect your life.
For instance, high extraversion may lead to overcommitment, while low neuroticism might reduce sensitivity to others’ emotions.
Future Directions in Big Five Research
Advancements in genetics and neuroscience continue to shed light on the biological basis of these traits.
There is growing interest in understanding how traits interact and change in response to modern challenges, such as technology use and globalisation.
Additionally, researchers are exploring how personality assessments can be applied to AI and digital environments.
Conclusion
The Big Five personality traits offer a versatile and scientifically grounded way to understand human behaviour.
From improving self-awareness to enhancing professional and personal relationships, this model has practical applications for everyone.
By delving deeper into these traits, you can uncover insights to guide personal development and foster more meaningful interactions.
Certain personality traits influence the body’s immune system response.
Certain personality traits influence the body’s immune system response.
People with more stable emotions have stronger immune systems, research finds.
People who are emotionally stable usually find it easier to control their urges and are mostly unselfconscious.
Emotional stability is linked to being better at dealing with stress and minor frustrations.
Neuroticism lies at the opposite end of the spectrum from emotional stability.
People who are neurotic typically experience more negative thinking and tend to have worse mental health.
The study included 84 people whose response to a vaccine for hepatitis B was tested.
The results showed that people who were more neurotic — meaning easily stressed, nervous and moody — tended to have weaker immune system responses.
Those who were more emotional stable had a stronger immune response.
Dr Anna L. Marsland,, the study’s first author, said:
“The present findings support a link between trait negative affect and an objective health measure — antibody response to vaccination — raising the possibility that individuals high in trait negative affect or neuroticism may have less protective immune responses.”
In a second part of the study, people were given a stressful task to test their immune function.
The results showed that stress tended to lower people’s immune system response — as previous studies have found.
Genetics is important for giving us our start in life, but effort is required to reach our full potential.
Genetics is important for giving us our start in life, but effort is required to reach our full potential.
Skills above and beyond IQ are vital to success, genetic research finds.
Many ‘non-cognitive skills’ are linked to higher educational attainment, earning more money and even living longer.
Persistence, motivation and self-control are all examples of non-cognitive skills.
Similarly, personality traits like emotional stability, curiosity and being industrious and orderly are linked to success.
Inheriting these types of traits is just as important as inheriting raw brain power, if not more so, the researchers found.
The conclusions come from a large genetic analysis, Dr Daniel Belsky, study co-author, explained:
“Genetic studies of educational attainment were initiated with the goal of identifying genes that influenced cognitive abilities.
But it turns out they’ve also identified genetics that influence a range of other skills and characteristics.
What was most surprising to me about our results was that these noncognitive skills contributed just as much to the heritability of educational attainment as cognitive ability.”
The study analysed genetic and cognitive test data from almost 1.5 million people.
It found that 43 percent of the influence of genes on educational attainment comes from cognitive abilities.
The remainder — 57 percent — is from noncognitive abilities.
Professor Paige Harden, study co-author, said:
“Motivation, persistence, grit, curiosity, self-control, growth mindset—these are just a few of the things that people have suggested are important noncognitive skills.
For personality and risk behavior, we saw relationships we expected; noncognitive skills genetics were associated with less risky behavior and a personality profile we associate with maturity, and social and professional competency.
But the results for mental health were a surprise.”
Professor Harden is referring to the finding that genes linked to educational attainment were also associated with mental health problems.
These genes increased the risk of OCD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and anorexia.
Professor Harden said:
“This is an example of what geneticists call pleiotropy.
Our result warns us against a simplistic view of genetic variants being good or bad.
The same genetic variant that predisposes someone to go further in school might also elevate their risk of developing schizophrenia or another serious mental disorder.”
While genetics is important for giving us our start in life, effort is required to reach our full potential.
Professor Harden said:
“Genetic influence must always be understood through the lens of history and social structures.
These results tell us about what is, not what could be.
Nothing about our study should discourage investments in ensuring that all children reach their maximum potential.”
Why friends are better at predicting how long you’ll live from personality traits.
Why friends are better at predicting how long you’ll live from personality traits.
Men with conscientious personality traits and those who are open to experience live longer, a study finds.
For women, those who are more agreeable and emotionally stable enjoy a longer life.
The kicker is that it’s your friends — not you — who are better at judging these personality traits from the outside.
The results, published in the journal Psychological Science, come from one of the longest studies in history, spanning 75 years (Jackson et al., 2015).
Dr Joshua Jackson, the study’s first author, said:
“You expect your friends to be inclined to see you in a positive manner, but they also are keen observers of the personality traits that could send you to an early grave.”
The researchers used data from research that began in the 1930s, following a group of couples then in their mid-20s.
Almost all were about to be married and tests of their personality traits were conducted on the engaged couples and their friends also reported on the couple’s personalities.
Dr Jackson said:
“Our study shows that people are able to observe and rate a friend’s personality accurately enough to predict early mortality decades down the road.
It suggests that people are able to see important characteristics related to health even when their friends were, for the most part, healthy and many years from death.”
But why is it that friends are better at judging how long we’ll live from personality traits?
Dr Jackson says:
“There are two potential reasons for the superiority of peer ratings over self ratings.
First, friends may see something that you miss; they may have some insight that you do not.
Second, because people have multiple friends, we are able to average the idiosyncrasies of any one friend to obtain a more reliable assessment of personality.
With self reports, people may be biased or miss certain aspects of themselves and we are not able to counteract that because there is only one you, only one self-report.”
Dr Jackson pointed out that the personality traits which predict long life may be different if the study were started again today.
That’s because the personality traits associated with a longer life in the 1930s may reflect out-dated gender roles.
In the 1930s women’s roles in society — often as easy-going, supportive wives — were much more confined.
Nevertheless, the study is a fascinating demonstration of the link between personality and longevity.
Dr Jackson said:
“This is one of the longest studies in psychology.
It shows how important personality is in influencing significant life outcomes like health and demonstrates that information from friends and other observers can play a critical role in understanding a person’s health issues.
For example, it suggests that family members and even physician ratings could be used to personalize medical treatments or identify who is at risk for certain health ailments.”
This positive personality trait linked to more suicidal thoughts and suicide itself.
This positive personality trait linked to more suicidal thoughts and suicide itself.
People who have a tendency towards perfectionism are at a much higher risk of suicidal thoughts and suicide itself, research finds.
Perfectionists find it harder than others to deal with a world that is fundamentally flawed.
Perfectionism involves being highly self-critical, constantly striving to meet the standards of others (typically parents or mentors) and being unsure about the efficacy of one’s own actions.
While a certain amount of perfectionism is adaptive and necessary, when it becomes an obsession, it can lead to a vicious cycle.
People in professions which have a strong emphasis on perfectionism — like lawyers, architects and physicians — are at a higher risk of suicide.
Mr Martin Smith, who led the research, said:
“We tend to think of perfectionism as potentially a good thing.
We’re told, ‘Aim high, reach for the stars’.
But for some people, even excellence isn’t good enough, and that’s where they run into issues. Insisting on flawlessness is simply not mentally healthy, adaptive or advisable.”
The conclusions come from 45 studies involving almost 12,000 people.
The ‘meta-analysis’, which draws together the results of lots of different studies, found that perfectionism was strongly linked to suicide.
Mr Smith continued:
“We can’t at this point say perfectionism is a cause of suicide.
But we can say the two correlate closely.
The drive to be perfect – whether it’s because of internal or external pressure to succeed without ever failing – can be an unbearable and untenable strain.”
People with high levels of perfectionism do not often seek help because it would be an admission of failure.
The study’s authors write:
“Our findings join a wider literature suggesting that, when people experience their social world as pressure-filled, judgmental, and hyper-critical, they think about and/or engage in various potential means of escape (e.g., alcohol misuse and binge eating), including suicide.”
The study was published in the Journal of Personality (Smith et al., 2017).
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