OCEAN – Big Five Personality Traits – Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #1045

OCEAN – Big Five Personality Traits – Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #1045

Dear Colleagues! This is Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #1045 for Pharma Veterans. Pharma Veterans Blogs are published by Asrar Qureshi on its dedicated site https://pharmaveterans.com. Please email to pharmaveterans2017@gmail.com for publishing our contributions here.

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Preamble

Our quest for knowing ourselves is ancient though the degrees and individual interests may vary. 

The Big Five Personality Traits, also known as OCEAN or CANOE are a psychological model that describes five broad dimensions of personality: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. These traits are thought to be stable throughout the lifetime of an individual.

In this blog post, we shall look at the model, what does it represent, how reliable it is, and how it can be put to good use.

Personality Descriptions

The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates hypothesized that two binaries defined temperament: hot versus cold and moist versus dry. This theory resulted in four possible temperaments: hot/moist, hot/dry, cold/moist, cold/dry. Our Hakeems still follow this loosely.

Later, Plato suggested classification of four personality types: artistic, sensible, intuitive, and reasoning. In some form, this is still being practiced. Plato’s renowned student Aristotle considered a possible connection between physical body and personality.

Sigmund Freud described human mind as having three parts: the id, the ego, and the superego. His mentee, Carl Jung came up with his own system of personality description. He said that all people could be classified in the two overarching types: introverts and extroverts. While Freud’s model has been contested, Jung’s classification is accepted and remains under discussion.

Jung also identified four essential psychological functions: thinking, feeling, sensation, and intuition. The widely known Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® is based in part on Jung’s theory of personality.

In the 1940s, German psychologist Hans Eysenck hypothesized that there were only two defining personality traits: extroversion and neuroticism. Individuals could be high or low on each of these traits, leading to four key types of personalities.

In the context of our topic, American psychologist Lewis Goldberg, in his groundbreaking work, drilled down several concepts into five primary factors, which make up the basis for Big Five Personality model.

Big Five Personality Traits (OCEAN) Model

The Big Five Personality Traits, summarized by the acronym OCEAN, are a widely used framework in psychology to describe human personality. These five factors may not provide exhaustive explanation of personality, but they are known as the Big Five because they encompass a large portion of personality-related fields.

Here is a description of each factor.

1. Openness to Experience (O)  

a. High: Imaginative, creative, curious, and open to new experiences and ideas.  

b. Low: Conventional, routine-oriented, and less open to abstract concepts.  

Openness to experience concerns people’s willingness to try to new things, their ability to be vulnerable, and their capability to think outside the box. An individual who is high in openness to experience is likely someone who has a love of learning, enjoys the arts, engages in a creative career or hobby, and likes meeting new people. An individual who is low in openness to experience probably prefers routine over variety, sticks to what he or she knows, and prefers less abstract arts and entertainment.

2. Conscientiousness (C):  

a. High: Organized, dependable, disciplined, and goal oriented.  

b. Low: Impulsive, disorganized, and prone to procrastination.  

Conscientiousness is a trait that can be described as the tendency to control impulses and act in socially acceptable ways, behaviors that facilitate goal-directed behavior. Conscientious people excel in their ability to delay gratification, work within the rules, and plan and organize effectively. People high in conscientiousness are likely to be successful in school and in their careers, to excel in leadership positions, and to doggedly pursue their goals with determination and forethought. People low in conscientiousness are much more likely to procrastinate and to be flighty, impetuous, and impulsive.

3. Extroversion (E):  

c. High: Outgoing, energetic, sociable, and enjoys engaging with others.  

a. Low: Introverted, reserved, and prefers solitude or quiet activities.  

This factor has two familiar ends of its spectrum: extroversion and introversion. It concerns where an individual draws their energy from and how they interact with others. In general, extroverts draw energy from or recharge by interacting with others, while introverts get tired from interacting with others and replenish their energy with solitude. People high in extroversion tend to seek out opportunities for social interaction, where they are often the “life of the party.” They are comfortable with others, are gregarious, and are prone to action rather than contemplation. People low in extroversion are more likely to be people “of few words who are quiet, introspective, reserved, and thoughtful.

4. Agreeableness (A):  

b. High: Compassionate, cooperative, empathetic, and trusting.  

c. Low: Competitive, skeptical, critical, or antagonistic.  

This factor concerns how well people get along with others. While extroversion concerns sources of energy and the pursuit of interactions with others, agreeableness concerns one’s orientation to others. It is a construct that rests on how an individual generally interacts with others. People high in agreeableness tend to be well-liked, respected, and sensitive to the needs of others. They likely have few enemies and are affectionate to their friends and loved ones, as well as sympathetic to the plights of strangers. People on the low end of the agreeableness spectrum are less likely to be trusted and liked by others. They tend to be callous, blunt, rude, ill-tempered, antagonistic, and sarcastic. Although not all people who are low in agreeableness are cruel or abrasive, they are not likely to leave others with a warm fuzzy feeling.

5. Neuroticism (N):  

a. High: Emotionally unstable, prone to anxiety, stress, and negative emotions.

b. Low: Calm, resilient, and emotionally stable.  

Neuroticism is not a factor of meanness or incompetence, but one of confidence and being comfortable in one’s own skin. It encompasses one’s emotional stability and general temper. Those high in neuroticism are generally prone to anxiety, sadness, worry, and low self-esteem. They may be temperamental or easily angered, and they tend to be self-conscious and unsure of themselves. Individuals who score on the low end of neuroticism are more likely to feel confident, sure of themselves, and adventurous. They may also be brave and unencumbered by worry or self-doubt.

Reliability of the OCEAN Model

Strengths:

• Empirical Support: Backed by robust psychological research and factor analysis.

• Consistency: Demonstrates cross-cultural applicability and relative stability over a person’s lifetime.

• Comprehensiveness: Covers broad aspects of personality while remaining parsimonious.

Limitations:

• Oversimplification: May miss nuances of personality, such as cultural, situational, or contextual influences.

• Self-Report Bias: Relies heavily on self-assessment, which can be influenced by social desirability or lack of self-awareness.

• Static Approach: Assumes traits are relatively fixed, while personality can evolve due to life events or intentional change efforts.

Handicaps of the OCEAN Model:

OCEAN Does not account for how traits may manifest differently depending on circumstances e.g., work vs. personal life.  

While it offers a general framework, it’s less precise in predicting specific behaviors or success in tasks. Expressions of traits may vary across cultures, and the model may need adaptation to fully apply to non-Western settings. Situational influences can shape behaviors that seem at odds with innate personality traits.

Optimal Utilization of the OCEAN Model in Corporates

Can help organizations match individuals to roles that align with their personality traits (e.g., conscientious individuals excelling in structured environments).

Can allow individuals to understand their strengths and areas for growth (e.g., managing high neuroticism or developing openness).

Can improves team performance by promoting understanding of members' complementary traits and working styles.

Can supports leadership development by identifying traits conducive to effective management.

Sum Up

The OCEAN model is a reasonably reliable and valuable tool for understanding personality traits. However, its efficacy is maximized when used alongside other frameworks and when supplemented by contextual and situational analysis. While it provides significant insight into human behavior, it is important to acknowledge its limitations and biases, ensuring its application is thoughtful and multidimensional.

Concluded.

Disclaimers: Pictures in these blogs are taken from free resources at Pexels, Pixabay, Unsplash, and Google. Credit is given where available. If a copyright claim is lodged, we shall remove the picture with appropriate regrets.

For most blogs, I research from several sources which are open to public. Their links are mentioned under references. There is no intent to infringe upon anyone’s copyrights. If, however, it happens unintentionally, I offer my sincere regrets.

Reference:

https://positivepsychology.com/big-five-personality-theory/ 

https://prismocean.com/

https://www.simplypsychology.org/big-five-personality.html

https://www.scienceofpeople.com/personality/