Personality has been a subject of mystery to mankind since the beginning of the earth. It has been the subject of debate as early as the time of ancient Greece with Hippocrates theory of Humors (polar opposite traits balance on a scale) and Plato's four personality type model.
In modern times, there are hundreds of systems that have been designed with the task of defining what makes someone unique and different from others. Today I would like to focus on the most widely used test in the world and what my opinions of this test are.
Five for All
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| Even through traits have different levels of strength, in balance together they create personality |
psychologists to be an accurate model for defining personality. It was built off of centuries of research, from Hans Eysenck's inventory to Freud's psychoanalytic theories. What the predecessors to the Five Factor model offered was multiple personality traits, allowing for the dimensions of personality to be fleshed out properly.
The Five Factor model uses five personality traits, each with varying degrees of applicableness:
- Openness [to experience]: Synonymous with intellect or imagination; high scores indicate creativity, abstract thinking skills, complexity of thought and an acceptance of variety; low scores indicates routine oriented, narrowminded, and traditional
- Conscientiousness: Synonymous with self-control; high scores indicate discipline, good work ethic, enduring, and organized; low scores indicate procrastinative, dislike of commitment, and impulsive
- Extroversion: Related to social interactions; high scores indicate an assertive demeanor, social confidence, and outgoing; low scores indicate reservation, thoughtfulness, and introspection
- Agreeableness: How you get along with other people, high scores indicate altruism, optimism, kindness, and selflessness; low scores indicate a cold heart, bluntness, and ill-temper
- Neuroticism: Related to Confidence; high scores indicate shyness, anxious, pessimism, and over sensitivity; low scores indicate adventurous, confident, and comfort in their own skin
My Results
To test the Five Factor model, I decided to take the assessment for myself and analyze the results to see if they are in fact applicable to me. I took three varieties of the test and have posted the results in the images down below. The percentages are based on the percentile of the participants of each assessment.
- Extroversion: 18%
- Orderliness (Conscientiousness): 72%
- Emotional Stability (Neuroticism): 48%
- Accommodation (Agreeableness): 34%
- Inquisitiveness (Openness): 62%
- Open Mindess: 64%
- Conscientious: 63%
- Extroversion: 4%
- Agreeableness: 16%
- Negative Emotionality (Neuroticism): 95%
- Extroversion: 1%
- Emotional Stability (Neuroticisim): 26%
- Agreeableness: 1%
- Conscientiousness: 57%
- Intellect/Imagination (Openness): 59%
Opinions...
Through the three tests, Extroversion, Conscientiousness, and Openness seemed to remain consistent (or at least in the same range of scores). There is some discrepancy in Neuroticism because the first test states that emotional stability is average while the other two test deem this trait is incredibly high (the third test has inverted Neuroticism into "Emotional Stability", meaning that a low ES score is equal to a high N score and vice versa).
Overall, I find the Big Five personality test to be fairly accurate. The statistics could be compared to the results of other types of personality tests (respected ones at least) that I have taken and the results of both would be fairly similar. For example, my "Myers-Briggs type indicator" code is INTJ, and I find the description of that code to fit the statistics of the Five Factor model tests.
I find this personality test to be helpfully in understanding myself a little bit more. I like that there's room for both positive and negative personality trait evaluation (instead of just patting the back of the test taker and giving them a huge ego).
Catch you later!
Sources
Chapter 11 pdf 1 class resource (from Saylor Books)
"INTJ Personality" by 16 personalities
"The Big Five Personality Theory" by Positive Psychology Program
Hey Emelia!
ReplyDeleteYour blog was very interesting and fun to read! I also wrote about the big five personality test so it was interesting to see someone else's results. Although I feel like I have always had a really good grasp on what my personality is and understanding it I also find this test helpful in terms of adapting more to my personality. Overall a really nice blog! Great job!
Emelia! It was so great reading your blog over personality! I did the same personality trait test! Learning how other people and their personality make them who they are is a fascinating way of understanding them on a whole new level! I had no idea that this subject has been a major debate since ancient Greece times! Great post!
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