Personality Dimensions

The five dimensions are:

• Openness
• Conscientiousness
• Extraversion
• Agreeableness
• Neuroticism

It might help you to remember these dimensions by the mnemonic OCEAN.

Openness is a quality that indicates an individual is open to new experiences. People who score high on this dimension often have an appreciation for art and music, are imaginative, and have wide-ranging interests. People who score low on this scale tend to be more comfortable with the familiar and don’t go looking for adventures.

Conscientiousness is the quality behind such behaviors as being neat and tidy, liking order, and getting things done on time. People who score low on that scale tend to be messy and less well prepared.

Extroverts, who score high on the extraversion scale, often seek attention and the company of others. Introverts, who score low on the scale, tend to prefer quiet solitude.

Agreeableness is the quality of being compassionate, sympathetic, and kind. People who score low on that scale tend to be more adversarial and suspicious of others.

Neuroticism indicates a tendency to experience negative or unpleasant emotions easily. Neurotic people tend to be anxious and moody. People who score low on this scale are more calm and emotionally stable.