Big Five SLOAN Explained: What Your Five-Letter Personality Code Means
Decode your SLOAN personality code, see how it connects to the Big Five, and learn why scores near the middle matter more than a type label.
Articles on personality and the Big Five
Personality articles
Deep dives into the five traits, the research and how personality shapes everyday life.
The five traits
One article per trait, with the facets explained.
- OOpenness To ExperienceWhat openness to experience means in the Big Five: imagination, artistic interests, emotionality, adventurousness, intellect and liberalism, and how scores differ.
- CConscientiousnessWhat conscientiousness means in the Big Five: self-discipline, orderliness, dutifulness and caution, how high and low scorers differ, and why the trait matters.
- EExtraversionWhat extraversion means in the Big Five: friendliness, sociability, assertiveness, energy, excitement-seeking and cheerfulness, and how extraverts and introverts differ.
- AAgreeablenessWhat agreeableness means in the Big Five: trust, altruism, cooperation, modesty and sympathy, how high and low scorers differ, and what it means for your life.
- NNeuroticismWhat neuroticism means in the Big Five: anxiety, anger, depression, self-consciousness, immoderation and vulnerability to stress, and what high and low scores mean.
How Personality Differs by Age and Sex: Big Five Scores from 410,000 People
Compare the average Big Five profile of women and men at any age, trait by trait and facet by facet. Conscientiousness and agreeableness rise with age, neuroticism falls, and women score higher on agreeableness and neuroticism.
Which Country Is the Most Extraverted? The Big Five in 48 Countries
A world map of the Big Five from 584,535 people in 48 countries. The Netherlands and Norway come out most extraverted, Brazil least. Explore every trait and country, and see why country comparisons need care.
Can You Tell Someone's Personality From Their Face? What New Research Shows
We judge strangers in a fraction of a second. A new study in Nature Human Behaviour shows how these first impressions are organised, and why they say more about stereotypes than about real personality.
Enneagram vs Big Five: What the Research Says About the Nine Types
What the nine Enneagram types are, how reliable Enneagram tests are, and how each type lines up with the Big Five traits, based on a review of 104 studies.
Career Interests and Personality: What You Like Matters as Much as Who You Are
Your interests are not just your personality at work. They are among the most stable traits you have, and they predict job satisfaction, performance and choices in life. Take the free career interest test.
Character Strengths: The 24 Strengths, Your Signature Strengths and What the Research Shows
Curiosity, kindness, bravery, humor and 20 more. What the 24 character strengths are, which ones are linked to happiness, and how using your top strengths can make a difference. Take the free character strengths test.
What Does Your Music Taste Say About Your Personality? What the Research Shows
People high in openness lean towards complex, unconventional music. But the links between music taste and personality are smaller than most people think.
Your Personality May Influence How Grown-Up You Feel, Study Finds
A new UK study of 714 adults found that people higher in conscientiousness and lower in neuroticism are more likely to feel like adults, regardless of age.
The Big Five personality traits (OCEAN), explained
The five Big Five traits (OCEAN) and their 30 facets, where the model comes from, how it is measured, and what high and low scores say about you.
Big Five vs MBTI: Which Personality Test Is More Accurate?
Compare Big Five and MBTI personality tests: what each measures, why trait scores differ from 16 types, and which is more useful for understanding yourself.
Pair Perspective: A Free Relationship Test for Couples
Discover how similarly you and your partner experience your relationship with Pair Perspective, a free and private 57-question relationship test for couples.
Vulnerability and Stress: Why Are Some People More Vulnerable Than Others?
This article explores why some individuals are more vulnerable to stress and mental health issues than others, using the vulnerability-stress model to explain the role of genetic, environmental, and psychological factors.
Simple Self-Care Practices To Help Your Kids Thrive
This article explores simple self-care practices, such as nature activities, mindfulness, and creative play, that promote children's physical, emotional, and intellectual growth, fostering resilience, creativity, and empathy.
Book review: Quiet Power by Susan Cain
Do you feel uncomfortable in social settings? You might be an introvert, and this book can help you understand yourself better
A brief introduction into Psychology and Personality
This article explores the evolution of personality theory from its mythological origins in ancient Greece to contemporary psychological frameworks, highlighting key concepts and tools like the MBTI and the Big Five personality traits model.
Connection Between Personality and Job Performance
This article explores the impact of the Big Five personality traits on job performance, highlighting their significance in employee productivity and organizational psychology.
How to Repair Communication Breakdowns in Your Relationship
Learn practical strategies to repair and improve communication in your relationship, addressing negative styles, managing emotions, and fostering collaboration for a healthier connection.
ADHD and Autism Linked to Early Gut Microbiota Disturbances: New Insights
A recent study links disturbances in the gut microbiota of infants to the development of ADHD and autism later in life, highlighting the potential impact of gut health on neurodevelopment.
Belief in Astrology Linked to Lower Intelligence and Higher Narcissism: A New Study's Insights
A recent study found that belief in astrology is associated with lower intelligence and higher levels of narcissism, suggesting that such beliefs may not be as benign as they seem.
Can We Predict Suicide Attempts? A Groundbreaking Danish Study Says Yes
A Danish study identifies 19 life circumstances that significantly increase the risk of suicide attempts among young people, offering new insights for effective prevention strategies.
Unveil Serenity: Mastering Anxiety Prevention and Enhancing Mental Wellness
Practical strategies for preventing anxiety and enhancing mental wellness, promoting a life of greater peace and reduced stress.
Understanding and Boosting Self-Efficacy
Self-efficacy, crucial for motivation and performance, can be enhanced through clear instructions, training, achievable goals, constructive feedback, supportive environments, and positive role models, ultimately fostering a motivated and resilient workforce.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: Why It's Considered Pseudoscience
Why the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), despite its popularity, is considered pseudoscience due to its lack of scientific validity, reliability, and its outdated theoretical basis.
Exploring the Depths of the Human Psyche: The Life and Legacy of Carl Jung
This blog post traces the life and legacy of Carl Jung, highlighting his pioneering contributions to psychology, particularly his development of Analytical Psychology, the concepts of the collective unconscious and archetypes, and his enduring influence across various fields.
The Journey of Jordan B. Peterson: A Retrospective on a Controversial Thinker
The life, career, and impact of Jordan B. Peterson, highlighting his rise from an academic psychologist to a prominent and controversial public intellectual.
Are Women’s Personalities Different from Men’s?
Yes, on average. Women score higher on neuroticism and agreeableness, men on assertiveness and intellect. Here is how big the differences are, and why they are largest in the most gender-equal countries.
Optimistic thinking linked with lower cognitive abilities
Discover how higher cognitive abilities can lead to more realistic optimism and better financial decisions, balancing hope with practical foresight.
Schizotypal Personality Disorder: Understanding the Condition
This article provides an overview of schizotypal personality disorder, detailing its symptoms, differences from schizophrenia, and available treatments to help manage the condition.
The Life and Legacy of Sigmund Freud: Father of Psychoanalysis
This article explores the life, key theories, and enduring impact of Sigmund Freud, the pioneering neurologist and father of psychoanalysis.
Unlocking the Power of Emotional Intelligence
Discover the transformative power of emotional intelligence and learn how it can enhance your mental health, relationships, and overall life success.
Who Believes in Conspiracy Theories? A Meta-Analysis on Personality Traits
This study explores the relationship between belief in conspiracy theories and various personality traits, identifying key factors that influence these beliefs and suggesting implications for targeted interventions.
Who created the Big Five? The history of the model and the test
Who created the Big Five? No single person. Allport and Odbert, Cattell, Tupes and Christal, Goldberg, Costa and McCrae built it over 60 years. Timeline and sources.
Involuntarily Single: The Most Important Reason
A study of 1,432 people found that poor flirting capacity was the strongest predictor of being involuntarily single, for both men and women. The good news: it can be learned.
Scientists Say You Can Change Your Personality
This article explores recent scientific findings that suggest personality traits are not fixed, but can change throughout our lives due to experiences and targeted interventions.
How Your Personality Predicts Your Relationship Status
Explore how key personality traits like extraversion, neuroticism, and conscientiousness can influence whether you're likely to be single or romantically partnered
Link Between Personality Traits and Basic Psychological Needs
A study examines how personality traits like extraversion, conscientiousness, and agreeableness affect the satisfaction of basic psychological needs such as autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
The Dark Core of Personality: Dark Triad, Dark Tetrad and the D Factor
Narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy and sadism make up the Dark Triad and Dark Tetrad. Research shows they share a common core, the Dark Factor of Personality (D). Here is what it is and how it relates to the Big Five.
Exploring the Links Between Personality and Relationship Satisfaction
How the Big Five traits relate to relationship satisfaction: why neuroticism tends to hurt, why agreeableness, conscientiousness and extraversion help, and the role of self-esteem.
Detecting Deception: Insights from Recent Research
Explore recent research on lie detection, emphasizing the unreliability of nonverbal cues and advocating for a focus on verbal indicators and evidence-based methods.
Can Personality Affect What Diseases We Get?
Australian researchers followed 17,000 people and found links between personality and serious illness, from extraversion and heart disease to agreeableness and cancer.
One Personality Trait Predicts Longevity More Than Others
Conscientious people tend to live longer. How healthier habits, following medical advice and better biological markers explain the link between conscientiousness and longevity.
How Personality Influences School Performance
This article explores how the Big Five personality traits affect academic performance, highlighting the significant influence of Openness and Conscientiousness on success in school settings.
New You Post-Pandemic? How Global Crises Change Our Personal Traits
Explore how the COVID-19 pandemic has surprisingly transformed our personalities, revealing shifts in traits like conscientiousness, extraversion, and neuroticism.
Are Disagreeable People More Likely to Gain Power at Work?
A study revealing that disagreeable traits like selfishness and manipulation do not aid in gaining power at work, contrasting with the positive correlation between extraversion and career advancement.
How Your Personality Can Shape Successful Negotiations
Agreeable and extraverted people tend to give away more when haggling over price, but do better when a deal can grow. Here is what research says about personality and negotiation, and how to use your traits.
Surprising Personality Insights from Prisoners to Patients
Groundbreaking research that reveals stark contrasts in personality traits between psychopathic prisoners, non-psychopathic prisoners, and general patients, offering new insights into human behavior and psychology.
Understanding Narcissism: Traits, Impact, and Relationships
This article explores the spectrum of narcissism, its traits, impacts on relationships and professional environments, and differentiates between common narcissistic behaviors and Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
Introvert – What Does It Mean?
This article explores the meaning of introversion, debunks common myths, and celebrates the unique strengths of introverts in a world often dominated by extroverted ideals.
Can Childhood Trauma Make Us Age Faster?
Can childhood trauma speed up ageing? New research links adverse childhood experiences to weaker mitochondria and shorter telomeres, and points to what can help.
Dive into the Mind: Exploring Paul Bloom’s Free Yale Course on Introduction to Psychology
Discover the fascinating insights into the human mind with Paul Bloom's free online Yale course, "Introduction to Psychology," covering topics from mental illness to the roots of happiness.
Unlocking Global Leadership Potential
This article explores the integration of Positive Organizational Psychology 2.0 and the Talent Development Centre framework into Leadership Development Programs in Indian and Canadian organizations to optimize leadership effectiveness across diverse cultural contexts.
Agreeableness
What agreeableness means in the Big Five: trust, altruism, cooperation, modesty and sympathy, how high and low scorers differ, and what it means for your life.
Conscientiousness
What conscientiousness means in the Big Five: self-discipline, orderliness, dutifulness and caution, how high and low scorers differ, and why the trait matters.
Extraversion
What extraversion means in the Big Five: friendliness, sociability, assertiveness, energy, excitement-seeking and cheerfulness, and how extraverts and introverts differ.
Neuroticism
What neuroticism means in the Big Five: anxiety, anger, depression, self-consciousness, immoderation and vulnerability to stress, and what high and low scores mean.
Openness to experience
What openness to experience means in the Big Five: imagination, artistic interests, emotionality, adventurousness, intellect and liberalism, and how scores differ.