The Big Five personality traits: everything you need to know

Your personality shapes how you handle stress, build relationships, make decisions, and move through the world. Many people turn to the Big Five personality trait theory to better understand these patterns and make more intentional choices in their lives. It’s one of the most studied and scientifically supported models for understanding personality.

The Big Five traits—openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism—offer a clear framework for understanding how you naturally think, feel, and behave. Knowing which traits are most dominant for you can deepen your self-awareness, strengthen your communication skills, and highlight opportunities for personal growth. 

What are the Big Five personality traits?

The Big Five personality traits follow the acronym OCEAN:

• Openness

• Conscientiousness

• Extraversion

• Agreeableness

• Neuroticism

Many modern psychologists believe that these five traits make up the five dimensions of an individual’s personality.

Each of these traits represents a spectrum of extremes in personality psychology. For example, extraversion represents a continuum between extreme extraversion and extreme introversion. Most people lie somewhere in between. This spectrum creates flexibility for trait variations among people, unlike other trait theories that stick with rigid categories.

The five dimensions of personality can provide insight into individual differences in people’s attitudes and preferences. This awareness can help you build stronger relationships and manage your emotions. 

Here are the most commonly referenced traits within this personality theory and what they mean.

Openness

Openness, also called openness to experience, is a personality trait that describes how open you are to new ideas and situations. People who score high on openness are curious about the world and eager to learn new things. As a result, they may be more likely to have a growth mindset, believing that they’re capable of developing new skills and competencies. Openness is also a significant predictor of intelligence. 

People who score high on openness to experience might be:

• Imaginative

• Creative

• Insightful

• Open-minded

• Receptive

• Understanding

• Amenable

People who score low on the openness to experience scale have a tendency to prefer structure and routine. They may be more grounded, focused on tradition, and skilled at optimizing existing systems rather than seeking out new ones. While they may be less inclined to take risks or explore unfamiliar ideas, they bring strengths like consistency, reliability, and a strong focus on what works. 

Conscientiousness

Conscientiousness refers to how well you self-regulate your impulses. Conscientious people often have a Type A personality—they’re goal-oriented and have a strong drive to perform at a high standard. They take ownership of their responsibilities and show characteristics of being highly determined. This trait is consistently linked to strong job performance, especially in roles that require planning, attention to detail, and follow-through.

People who score high on the conscientiousness scale are often: 

• Diligent

• Responsible

• Careful

• Self-disciplined

• Organized

• Efficient

• Thorough

• Meticulous

Those who score lower on the conscientiousness spectrum often have traits associated with a Type B personality. They tend to be more relaxed, easygoing, and adaptable, bringing a calm presence to teams and situations. While they may be less detail-focused or deadline-driven, they often excel in environments that value flexibility, creative problem-solving, and collaboration. 

Extraversion

Extraversion, also known as extroversion, describes how energetic and social someone is in connecting with others. An extrovert is often referred to as a “people person.” People who score high in extroversion typically draw their energy from being in social situations. For example, an extrovert may prefer to be around other people at a party rather than spend time alone. 

Those who score high on the extraversion scale are often:

• Outgoing

• Talkative

• Expressive

• Assertive

• Unreserved

• Gregarious

• Animated

• Social

• Excitable

On the low end of the spectrum is introversion. Introverted individuals tend to be more reflective, observant, and introspective. They often prefer meaningful one-on-one conversations over large social gatherings and draw energy from solitude. While they may appear quiet or reserved, introverts often excel at active listening and thoughtful problem-solving. 

Agreeableness

Agreeableness is a trait that describes how well you interact and get along with others. People who are agreeable value social harmony and are often motivated by cooperation, compassion, and the well-being of those around them. 

While agreeableness is typically considered a positive personality trait, it can sometimes lead to people-pleasing. For example, agreeing with a colleague just to avoid conflict, even if you don’t fully support their idea. This can lead to burnout if you consistently put others’ needs ahead of your own. 

Individuals with a high score in agreeableness are often described with words like these:

• Kind

• Warm

• Polite

• Friendly

• Honest

• Cooperative

• Trustworthy

• Optimistic

If you score low on agreeableness, you may be more direct, independent, and comfortable challenging others’ ideas. While this can sometimes come across as blunt, these traits can be an asset in high-stakes settings that require tough calls or strong boundaries, like entrepreneurship. Research shows that entrepreneurs often score lower in agreeableness than managers—likely because building a business requires people to go against the norm and make unpopular decisions. 

Neuroticism

Neuroticism is a trait that reflects how you experience and manage your emotions. People who score high in neuroticism tend to feel emotions more intensely and may be more sensitive to uncertainty or perceived threats. They may also be more likely to feel anxiety, depression, and self-doubt. 

This heightened emotional sensitivity can feel overwhelming at times—but it also means you’re highly attuned to changes in your environment and internal state. When managed with self-awareness, these emotions can act as an early signal that something in your life needs attention. For example, sensing when your child or partner needs extra support, even if they haven’t said anything out loud. 

Individuals high in neuroticism also tend to experience greater stress and are more reactive, perceiving stressors as more threatening and less controllable. This is linked to an external locus of control, where individuals believe that outside forces—luck, fate, other people—have more influence over their lives than their own actions. 

People who are high in neuroticism may be described as the following:

• Restless

• Paranoid

• Worried

• Irritable

If you fall on the low end of the neuroticism spectrum, you’re likely seen as calm, steady, and emotionally grounded. You may experience fewer mood swings and have a stronger internal locus of control, meaning you believe your actions and decisions shape your life. This emotional stability can help you stay composed under pressure and navigate stress with greater clarity and confidence. 

Where to take the Big Five personality test

If you aren’t sure where you fall on the spectrum for certain traits, try taking the Big Five personality inventory. Answering the questionnaire can help you identify areas of strength and opportunities for self-improvement.

Because personalities are so important in a professional setting, you may be offered this personality assessment as one of several workplace personality tests. Learning about the Big Five personality traits in the workplace can create a culture of understanding and improve communication among coworkers.

While personality inventories can be helpful, they aren’t a replacement for professional help. If you think you may benefit from additional outside support, consider working with a coach or mental health professional.

How to use your Big Five personality results to live a better life

Once you have your test results, it’s time to put your Big Five personality traits to use. Here are a few ways to use your results to enhance your life experiences:

Increase your career satisfaction

Your personality traits can guide you toward work that naturally energizes you. If your strength is conscientiousness, for instance, you’ll likely thrive in roles that reward attention to detail and careful planning, like project management or operations. If you’re lower in this trait, consider roles that offer more flexibility while using external tools and accountability partners to stay on track.

Strengthen your relationships 

Knowing your Five Factor Model profile can transform how you connect with others. Take extraversion, for example. If you score high, you might channel your social energy into hosting regular gatherings or building deeper connections through group exercise or painting classes. If you score lower, you might focus on meaningful one-on-one interactions, practicing your social skills in low-pressure environments, and building recovery time into your schedule after social events.

Improve your stress management

Your neuroticism score can help you develop personalized stress management techniques. Someone with high neuroticism might benefit from building a daily routine that includes meditation, regular exercise, and scheduled “worry time” to process concerns. Recognizing your patterns and developing healthy habits will help you achieve more emotional stability.

Develop better conflict resolution skills

Your agreeableness score can guide how you handle disagreements. If you score low in agreeableness, for example, you might practice pausing before responding to others and actively asking others to explain their viewpoints. This simple shift helps turn potential conflicts into opportunities for deeper understanding.

Your openness score also comes into play here, too. Open people tend to approach conflict with curiosity and a willingness to explore different perspectives. If you scored lower on openness, you can get better at conflict resolution by practicing active listening and trying out new conflict resolution strategies. 

Bring your results to a coaching session 

Understanding your Big Five personality traits is just the beginning. Discussing your results with a coach can help you apply them to your day-to-day life in a meaningful way. Your coach can help you see how your Big 5 scores affect your decisions, relationships, and overall well-being. 

For example, if you score high in neuroticism, a coach can help you develop stress management skills and reframe challenges in a more positive way. If you score low in openness, they can help you step outside your comfort zone and push yourself to try new things. 

Can your Big Five personality traits change over time?

Many years of research show that personality traits, including the Big Five, are both stable and changeable. Life experiences, relationships, career shifts, and personal growth can all influence how these traits show up over time. 

In fact, the same research has found that most people tend to grow in socially desirable ways as they age. This pattern—often called the maturity principle—suggests that traits like conscientiousness, emotional stability, and agreeableness generally increase from young adulthood through midlife. In other words, people tend to become more responsible, emotionally grounded, and cooperative over time. 

This means your personality isn’t set in stone. While certain traits may feel fixed, you have the capacity to grow and change—especially when you're aware of your patterns and open to new experiences. With time and intentional effort, you can strengthen the personality traits that support your goals and well-being.

Apply your Big Five personality traits to change for the better

The Big Five personality traits can guide you in making better decisions to improve your professional and personal life. Acknowledging areas where you excel or need improvement can increase your communication skills and lead to greater life satisfaction.

Working with a BetterUp Coach can help you develop targeted plans to enhance your well-being and performance. Start growing with a BetterUp Coach today.