How was the Five Factor Model developed?
People have explored the nature of personality for centuries. However, it was not until the 1980s that statistical methods had advanced enough to examine personality in a data-driven way.
During this period, several groups of researchers - most notably the American psychologists Paul Costa and Robert McCrae - analysed large amounts of data using a method called factor analysis.
Factor analysis identifies underlying patterns in data. Costa and McCrae applied it to words used to describe people, an approach that had been used to map personality since the 1930s.
Certain adjectives consistently appeared together. For example, someone described as “outgoing” was often also described as “dominant”, but this did not correlate with being described as “creative”. These patterns indicated that personality could be organised into separate factors.
What are the five personality factors?
The analyses consistently showed that personality could be described through five broad, independent factors:
Agreeableness: The tendency to care about other people’s well-being, seek consensus, and be mild and diplomatic when interacting with others.
Conscientiousness: The tendency to be disciplined, goal-oriented, and focused on performing well. It also includes keeping promises and being orderly and structured.
Extraversion: A preference for the company of others and a tendency to be social, talkative, energetic, confident, and positive.
Emotional stability: The tendency to remain calm, easy-going, and resilient when facing difficulty or problems, rather than becoming easily annoyed, worried, or depressed.
Openness: A preference for trying new things and seeking new experiences and influences, together with an appreciation for art, emotion, and unusual ideas.
Together, these traits are known as the Five Factor Model, or the Big Five.
Why is the Five Factor Model widely used?
The Five Factor Model has been verified across many countries, cultures, and settings. Studies have also shown that the five traits tend to remain relatively stable throughout a person’s life.
Overall, the Five Factor Model is widely considered the most valid and evidence-based model of personality.
Personality traits are dimensional
A distinguishing feature of the model is that it is dimensional. People can have more or less of each trait, and most people fall somewhere in the middle.
For example, most people are moderately extraverted: they enjoy spending time with others but also value time alone. This differs from less research-based models that describe personality using fixed or static “types”.
How do the five factors relate to work performance?
The Big Five can help predict several life outcomes, including performance at work.
Conscientiousness has shown the strongest relationship with work performance. Across most roles and settings, being goal-oriented, diligent, and disciplined appears to be an advantage.
Other factors can be particularly relevant for certain roles or outcomes:
Extraversion and emotional stability have both been shown to predict success in leadership roles.
Openness is related to training proficiency.
Agreeableness correlates with performance in many service roles.
💡Note: Click here to learn more about how personality tests are linked to job performance.
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