I know I’m talking a lot about the big 5 personality theory lately. That’s because it’s so damn interesting. And the possibilities to apply it are endless.
It was almost six years ago that my business partner Peter and I decided to found CaPPr, the Center for Applied Product Personality Research. We are developing products in different key life ares such as shopping, finance and work & career.
In this post I want to elaborate on personality and the big 5 theory.
The 5 traits
The big 5 is a taxonomy for personality traits. It’s the most commonly used theory and contains, as you already guessed, five traits to describe a personality.
The five traits are (scroll down if you want video’s instead of text):
Openness
Openness features characteristics such as imagination and insight.
People high on openness tend to have a broad range of interests, are more adventurous and creative. They are curious about the world and other people and eager to learn new things and enjoy new experiences.
People low on openness are often much more traditional and may struggle with abstract thinking.
Conscientiousness
Conscientious features high levels of thoughtfulness, good impulse control, and goal-directed behaviors.
People high on conscientious people tend to be organized and mindful of details. They plan ahead, think about how their behavior affects others, and are mindful of deadlines.
People low on conscientious tend to dislike structure and schedules and make messes or don’t take care of things.
Extraversion
Extraversion is characterized by excitability, sociability, talkativeness, assertiveness, and high amounts of emotional expressiveness.
People high on extraversion are outgoing and tend to gain energy in social situations. Being around other people helps them feel energized and excited.
People low in extraversion tend to be more reserved and have to expend energy in social settings. Social events can feel draining and introverts often require a period of solitude and quiet in order to recharge.
Agreeableness
Agreeableness features attributes such as trust, altruism, kindness, affection, and other prosocial behaviors.
People high on agreeableness tend to be more cooperative and care about others.
People low on agreeableness tend to be more competitive and sometimes even manipulative.
Neuroticism
Neuroticism features characteristics such as sadness, moodiness, and emotional instability.
People high on neuroticism tend to experience mood swings, anxiety, irritability, and sadness.
People low on neuroticism tend to be more stable and emotionally resilient.
Video’s
The big 5 explained in four minutes:
Or in two minutes:
What are your traits?
I created a demo of our visual personality test that you might want to try out. It helps you find out your personality traits in a few minutes and will output a detailed report.
Find out your personality traits It only takes a few minutes
Knowing your traits can help you out in a lot of key life areas, for example:
- Finding the place where you will be most happy
- Applying for a job that will make you feel most appreciated
- Dating the person who complements you best
- Determine where to spend money on to experience most satisfaction
So that’s what we do, building products that enable users to make life decisions that best fit their personality.