Whenever a discussion on psychology begins, most individuals emphasise on depression and anxiety. However, this is far from the truth. Despite being a fairly advanced field, psychology has made arduous efforts to go beyond the expected. As a result, it has not only done optimal work on mental health and disorders, but it has also worked effectively in understanding the basis of behaviour and personality types.
Psychology is integrated into every aspect of human life as it attempts to discover the basis of being. Hence, it has been divided into separate domains like positive psychology and contemporary psychology, etc. When it comes to personality psychology, the Five-Factor theory has stuck around till today because it’s highly relevant and to the point.
In addition to this, the theories published by Gordon Allport and Raymond Cattel are either too vague or too restrictive in scope. The Five-Factor theory attempts to lay down the foundation of a personality. Below each factor is described comprehensively.
Openness
Openness means being open to new experiences. Hence, it doesn’t mean that open individuals are impulsive and make all the wrong choices. On the contrary, they are sharp, and they know what they want. They are quick to make judgments and are flexible to the extent that they can quickly adapt to any environment.
Thus, for such individuals, the sky is truly the limit. They are creative, imaginative, and deeply instinctive. What makes such individuals different is the fact that they have wide interests. This stems from the fact that they’re curious about the world, and they have an innate desire to understand and experience each moment.
It is obvious from the description above that people who come low on this category are not comfortable with change. They have a specific set of friends with whom they feel comfortable with. They like to have a set pattern by which they spend their entire life. These individuals are pragmatic and don’t truly understand abstract ideas. Since they resist new ideas, they’re generally regarded as conservative.
Conscientiousness
Highly conscientiousness individuals are known to be extremely thoughtful, genuinely caring, and kind. They’re mindful of their own capability as well as others’. Hence, they are good when it comes to motivation. They are goal-directed, which makes them good at tackling with procrastination. They know when to stop and when it is okay to indulge. Additionally, organisation, strategising and practically visualising tasks come under their domain.
Now a person who has a low sense of conscientiousness will be messy and chaotic. The person would dislike structures and set guidelines, and even when they would have the potential to finish the task on time and with flying colours, they would ruin the chances and end up procrastinating.
Extraversion
We all are aware of extroverts. These are the confident, social, and excitable individuals who derive happiness from others. They enjoy being the centre of attention and love meeting new people and making friends. They are the life of the party and interesting to have a conversation with. They might also be impulsive as they lack a filter and speak without thinking of the consequences.
Similarly, introverts prefer to be on their own. They don’t particularly enjoy being the centre of the attention or even having to indulge in small talk. They are considered to be mature as they think and feel too deeply.
Agreeableness
People high in this category tend to find solace in peace. They love being the peace-makers and don’t see the world in black or white. The best part about these people is that they spend a significant amount of time helping people and contributing something positive to the world.
The people who are the opposite of this category are less empathetic and prefer to be distant. Not to suggest that they are introverts, but they like to mind their own business. If they have no other option, they even manipulate others.
Neuroticism
This is a trait that is highly observable in depressed individuals. Hence, people who have high levels of neuroticism tend to get triggered by everything. They are moody and unstable. Furthermore, they struggle to bounce back from a sabbatical.
A person with low levels of neuroticism is emotionally stable and feels calm at all times. Moreover, the person is well-equipped to deal with stressors.
Hopefully, the discussion on the five-factor theory was enough to offer you effective assignment help. However, if you need to clear more concepts, you can contact a writing company and ask for immediate assistance.