Question

Discuss the Big Five personality test and how it is used to study personality in 250 words

Answer 1

The Big Five personality test is based on the five major personality traits defined by psychologists. These traits are Neuroticism, Openness, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Extraversion. These five traits are a broad categorization of personality traits, and each of these traits are measured on a continuum of traits that are the polar opposite. The test has been used as a measure of how personality develops and changes over time and how it relates to factors such as self-esteem and career choices, among many other factors.

The development of the test began in the 1970s. The five dimensions to personality were derived based on factor analysis of the responses of thousands of participants.

The test comprises of a 44-item questionnaire, with responses noted on a five-point rating scale. Participants are instructed to rate certain phrases based on how what they feel is most accurate of their preference. The test measures the dominance of each trait based on whether the test taker scores high or low of each dimension.

The results are calculated and displays the traits that are most dominant in the individual. For instance, a person may score high on extraversion, agreeableness, and openness, but low on neuroticism and conscientiousness. These scores may be used to find out the career paths that the participant may be successful in, the types of relationships they seek, and the factors in their environment that they would find stimulating.