What Lies Beneath

Over decades of researching new and improved methods of understanding the humanistic personality traits, it has now come down to an agreed consensus that there are five main categories that can summarize the main traits of personalities. This is what has become to be known today as the Big Five-Factor model, or FFM for short . The FFM has been under great study, and results show an enormous amount of support of this idea. These groups are as follows: neurotiscism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Not only does this model represent what researches from across the United States use, it also has use across the globe, across many different cultures (Hopwood, 2011).
But first, what is a trait? Traits are a consistent group of actions, thoughts, emotions or patterns of behavior that could be associated with a person. As mentioned, over the past decade the study of human personality has broadened exponentially, and there have been many several theories that link our personalities together. Such theories include individual difference, human motivation, and the whole person. The Big Five-Factor model is under the individual difference theory(A. Pychyl, 2000).
Looking deeper at the meanings of each of the five, we understand that each one is also associated with its opposite. Extraversion vs introversion, agreeableness vs antagonism, conscientiousness vs undirectedness, neuroticism vs emotional stability, and openness to experience vs not open to experience.
Recently I took an online survey that gave me a rough estimate on my personality and where it associated with the FFM. My results were fairly close to how I see myself. I think that a key factor here was that I was honest to myself as I answered the que...

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...e Big Five-Factor model is an excellent tool in researching. For me, it helped me understand myself on a deeper level. I was able to look at myself and have almost an outside perspective. In return, I was able to see possible weakness in myself and become aware of different challenges I might face.

Works Cited

HOPWOOD, C. J. (2011). Personality Traits in the DSM-5. Journal Of Personality Assessment, 93(4), 398-405.
Jung, C. (n.d.). Portraits on an ENTJ. Personality Page. Retrieved April 3, 2014, from
Personality test based on C. Jung and I. Briggs Myers type theory. (n.d.). Personality test based on C. Jung and I. Briggs Myers type theory. Retrieved April 3, 2014, from
Pychyl, T. A. (2000, April 26). Big Five Personality Factors. Big Five Personality Factors. Retrieved April 3, 2014, from http://http-server.carleton.ca/~tpychyl/011382000/Big