by Stephen Atcheler, Sponsored Posts
Table of contents
DEFINING THE BIG FIVE TRAITS
The Big Five personality traits are openness to experience, extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, and agreeableness. Individuals who score high in openness to experience are imaginative, curious, and interested in art and abstract thinking, while those who score low are practical and prefer routine over novelty. Extraverts are sociable, energetic, and talkative, whereas introverts are more reserved, quiet, and inclined toward solitary activities.
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Neuroticism is not a desirable trait; people high in neuroticism tend to be anxious, moody, and emotionally unstable, often causing and experiencing negative emotions. In contrast, those low in neuroticism are calm, resilient, and emotionally stable. Conscientious individuals are organized, dependable, disciplined, and goal-oriented, while their opposites tend to be impulsive, careless, and disorganized.
Agreeable individuals are trusting, compassionate, cooperative, and good-natured, whereas those low in agreeableness are competitive, antagonistic, and generally unconcerned with others' well-being. It's important to note that few people fall at the extremes of these scales; most individuals exhibit a mix of these traits, such as being both trusting and somewhat antagonistic, making them agreeable to a certain extent.
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BIG FIVE: NATURE OR NURTURE?
A landmark behavioral genetics study of twins found that both genetic and environmental factors equally influence the Big Five traits. Heritability was broadly found to impact the five factors, with genetic influences reported at 57% for openness to experience, 54% for extraversion, 49% for conscientiousness, 48% for neuroticism, and 42% for agreeableness. This indicates that both nature and nurture play significant roles in shaping these personality traits.
WHAT ATTRACTS US TO OTHER PEOPLE?
It’s not always easy to explain why someone is attractive, as anyone who’s encountered a unicorn in dating can attest. Measuring personality is equally tricky. Psychologists have used psychometric tests for decades to assess personality. These tests ask individuals to agree or disagree with statements like, "I feel happy when I’m around others."
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Professionals often use the Big Five test to measure these traits, and relationship satisfaction measures to explore the connection between the two. Interestingly, the Big Five traits and intelligence consistently score higher than physical attraction. In a 2024 survey cited by the BBC, almost 900 out of approximately 1,000 respondents said they would choose personality over looks.
THE STRONGEST PREDICTOR OF RELATIONSHIP SATISFACTION
Agreeableness plays a key role in determining how desirable a person is to both men and women. It is the strongest predictor of present and future relationship satisfaction and is the only significant predictor of relationship dissolution. A combination of agreeableness and physical attractiveness is needed to predict the desire for a serious relationship. Essentially, this suggests that nice people really do finish first.
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FAQ
What are the most attractive personality traits?
Beyond agreeableness, attractive traits include self-confidence, open-mindedness, kindness, humility, calmness, assertiveness, and uniqueness. People are also drawn to those who lead a healthy lifestyle.
How do the Big Five personality traits impact relationships?
Neurotic individuals may struggle with emotional regulation, leading to interpersonal conflicts or misunderstandings. Agreeable people are empathetic, compassionate, and sensitive to others' emotional cues. They are more supportive and demonstrate prosocial behavior. On the other hand, disagreeable people are less emotionally responsive and more critical, which can undermine the resilience and quality of their interpersonal relationships.