- Openness - your natural curiosity, whether you're open to new experiences and learning new things.
- Conscientiousness - how thoughtful or dependable you are.
- Extraversion - how outgoing, assertive and sociable you are.
- Agreeableness - your concern for other people, how sympathetic and considerate you are.
- Neuroticism - the likeliness of emotional instability, mood swings, feeling depressed, lonely, angry or sad.
The researchers then looked at the data of more than 1.5 million people who'd taken part in personality tests and started plotting where they scored on the five traits given above.
The four "types" of personality they've identified feature different combinations of the five main traits.
The four "types" of personality they've identified feature different combinations of the five main traits.
Role-model
"These are people that are nice, they are agreeable," says lead author Professor Luis Amaral. "They are not neurotic and they are open-minded."
They score highly on the other four traits.
Self-centred
This is almost the mirror-image of the role-model, according to Prof Amaral.
"These are people that are not hard working, they are kind of disagreeable, they are not open minded. They are extroverts."
Reserved
"They have low neuroticism and low openness," according to Prof Amaral.
However, they are likely to be conscientious and agreeable.
Average
The one description we probably all fear, but according to the study, one which fits the "typical" person. They score slightly above average on neuroticism and extroversion but lower on openness.
To my mind, conclusions of this general type owe too much to their procedures. This does not make them useless, but sooner or later someone will do it differently and reach different conclusions.
"These are people that are nice, they are agreeable," says lead author Professor Luis Amaral. "They are not neurotic and they are open-minded."
They score highly on the other four traits.
Self-centred
This is almost the mirror-image of the role-model, according to Prof Amaral.
"These are people that are not hard working, they are kind of disagreeable, they are not open minded. They are extroverts."
Reserved
"They have low neuroticism and low openness," according to Prof Amaral.
However, they are likely to be conscientious and agreeable.
Average
The one description we probably all fear, but according to the study, one which fits the "typical" person. They score slightly above average on neuroticism and extroversion but lower on openness.
To my mind, conclusions of this general type owe too much to their procedures. This does not make them useless, but sooner or later someone will do it differently and reach different conclusions.
4 comments:
I'm immediately suspicious of any findings or categories that mysteriously form an acronym. "OCEAN", indeed! I bet if the personality types had spelt out "BULLSHIT" then they may have adjusted their findings.
These 'findings' of course, do not apply to politicians.
"These 'findings' of course, do not apply to politicians."
Special findings would be appropriate. like
"Unable to lie straight in bed" and
"If "TRUTH" was tattooed on their arse, incapable of finding it using both hands"
Sam - yes the acronym is horrible. Reminds me of dreary management courses.
Scrobs and Jannie - politicians are probably number five - self-centred but above average on neuroticism.
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