The Big Five Factor Theory of Personality

Student: YONG YANG

Student No: N01032414
Date Submitted: NOV-28-2014
PSYC-150: Psychology introduction
Humber College ITAL

In the field of personality research, traditionally there are three different orientations
of research: clinical, relevant and experimental methods. No matter what research orientations
are adopted by the researchers, they are all built on one common goal: to establish one
personality model which might accurately describe, explain personality traits. From Freud's
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ego - self - superego personality structure to R. B. Cattells sixteen personality source traits,
we can see that every famous personality psychologist is seeking a perfect functional model
of personality structure. Over the past decade, the structure of the five factors model of
personality has made remarkable progress, been confirmed and supported by many studies,
and been unanimously convinced as one of the best paradigm of personality structure by a
large number of psychologists.
The five factors of personality model also known as the Big Five, emphasizes the
breadth of each personality dimension. It comprises of neuroticism, extraversion, openness to
experience, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness (Wood, Wood, Wood, Boyd, Wood&
Desmarais, 2011).
Neuroticism reflects individual neurotic emotional adjustment process, the emotional
instability and the tendency experience negative emotion. Neurotic individuals tend to have
high psychological pressure, unrealistic ideas, excessive demands and impulsive. In contrast,
people with low neuroticism scores are less emotional and calmer. These people are good at
thinking, decision making, and effectively respond to external pressures.
Extraversion represents the quantity and density of human interaction, the need for
stimulation and the ability to obtain pleasure. This dimension can be measured in two
qualities: interpersonal involvement level and vitality level. The former assess the extent of
the individual likes to accompany others, while the latter reflects the individual personal
rhythm and vitality levels. Outgoing person turns to contact with people and feel positive
emotions. Their like sports and stimulating adventure. Introverts are quiet and cautious. They
enjoy being alone not contacting with people because they do not need so much stimulation.
Openness is described as personal cognitive style. Openness to experience is the wish
to seek understanding and tolerance and to explore unfamiliar situations. In this dimension,
there is a comparison in curiosity, innovation, traditionalism and creativity and artistic
interest. Open people prefer abstract thinking, broad interests. Closed pragmatic people,
prefer the conventional, more traditional and conservative.

Agreeableness investigates the attitude held by the individual towards others ,

including to close people on the one hand , such as caring , trusting , sympathetic, on the other
hand, to the hostile people, like cynical, manipulative, vengeful , unforgiving. Agreeableness
accesses the attitude about cooperation and interpersonal harmony. People with high
agreeableness are considerate, friendly, generous, helpful, and willing to give up their own
interests for others. People with low agreeableness put their own interests above those of
others. In essence, they do not care about the interests of others, and therefore not willing to
help others. Sometimes they are very suspicious, questioning the others motivation.
Conscientiousness refers to the way we use to control, manage and regulate their
impulse. It also reflects degree of the individuals self-control and the ability to meet the
needs of the postponement. Impulsive individuals are often considered to be a happy, funny,
good playmate. Prudent people tend to avoid trouble, be more successful. They are considered
more intelligent and reliable. Cautious man might be a perfectionist or a workaholic.
As my result of the NEO Personality Inventory test, there are three of my results
below the average, one is above and one is in middle line. First, my high score (73) is from
the dimension of Neuroticism. For the facets, my top one is Anxiety. The number 88 indicates
that I am suffering from anxiousness, partially because of stress of the new college, and
mainly its a result of immigration from a non-English speaking place to Canada. I was very
low (17) in Immoderation, since I have been enduring low standard of living, and trying to
better my familys living condition by attending this 2 year college program. I was a low
scorer (29) in Extraversion. I got 17 of Excitement-Seeking, which means I am not in favor of
the over-exciting activities, and prefer to be cautious and quiet. 46 in Cheerfulness is average.
I am experiencing neither the enthusing nor distressing event, according to this neutral figure.
11 grades in Openness to Experience is my lowest mark of the big factors. Here I got two 11
points both in Imagination and d Adventurousness. My Realistic personality and no willing of
change or challenge should be responsible for these. Good news is that my point (54) of
Emotionality is a little more than average level, which implies I am in good charge of my
feelings. My mid-line number (49) of the dimension comes from Agreeableness. My positive
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and optimistic attitude towards the others brings me a high mark of 86 in the facet of Trust.
However, the super low point (18) of Cooperation illustrates my uncompromising character
inclines to scare people away no mater I trust them or not. My number of Conscientiousness
is 29. I get 1 point in Achievement-Striving. It says the low scorers are lazy and satisfied with
a minimal amount of work. Obviously I am not that kind of person, I am working hard on my
study and job. One proof is from the number of 66 in Dutifulness. Its inferring I have a high
awareness of social common obligation.
Generally speaking, maybe not completely, but the NEO-PI-R personality profile
results do reflect my personality to some extent. For example, it reveals my independent,
conservative, conflict avoiding personalities very well. These personalities have been shaped
partially by the Eastern traditional cultural environment with which I grew up, and partially I
had a very strict and aggressive father, who influenced me most during my childhood. The
test also makes me clear the intense pressure Im suffering from. I used to have a vague idea
of the study and living stress Im experiencing but never realize its so enormous to me. I am
not going to give a total positive for the test since there are some limitations as far as I know.
For one thing, the test questionnaire context is established on a certain cultural background,
which inevitable makes limitation. For example, how will be the result to ask questions about
party to the people who had grown up without the convention of party, by which I am stating
the situation of myself. For another, the result would be variable depending on the mood and
life phase of examinee. Their answer would be different even to test same people in another
day.
It should be noted that the Big Five Categories are developed during the process of
illustrating the structure and relationship of personality traits. It is the firstly a description of
personality traits rather than interpretation of personality nature; it emphasizes on the
regularity of the traits but not motivating driven or the development of behavior. Even as a
paradigm of personality structure, still there are a lot need to be improved for the Big Five.

Reference

E. Wood, Green Wood, Boyd, Wood, & Desmarais (2014). The world of
psychology, 11, 318-319.