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An Introduction to the Big Five Personality Traits
I reference the big five personality traits (also known as OCEAN or the Five-factor model) often in my writing. I do that mostly because it’s in studies I explore. If the model is new for you, you might gain some value from this little sum-up.
Although there are many different systems of personality, from DISC to MBTI to the Enneagram, the big five is the most commonly cited in behavioural science.
There are several reasons for this. I recall reading the primary reason psychologists and scientists prefer it is that it came about through data. Traits were deduced by analysing loads of data, whereas other personality models come from creating a theory first and then looking to back it up. I’m not sure where I read that, but it sounds right.
I think it’s fair to say many psychologists have a disdain for most personality theories, in part because people are more complex than the simple categorising they suggest. I am a fan of some, in particular DISC which I teach a lot, and the more uncomplicated nature of it means it can translate more efficiently to use in self-development, sales, leadership and communication. This is likely why the corporate world loves DISC and MBTI. At the same time, many who train on DISC and others do so in an oversimplified, and sometimes misleading, way. So I can appreciate the…
