There are numerous personality tests available on the internet, but what is the psychometrically

tested one that personality psychology researchers actually use and rely on? This is the Big 5
Personality Test and your assignment will pertain to this.!

Take the Big 5 Personality Test assessment in the following link, and take a screenshot of your result.
Then, read the Big 5 personality test. Interpret your results in light of them (e.g. the summary will
say scoring high on Conscientiousness is associated with certain behavioural traits; what did you
score, and did the results surprise you? Do you agree with the results?)

For the second part of the assignment, select and read 2 scientific articles that are referenced in this
Wikipedia article from the findings you found particularly interesting (click on the superscript, which
will take you to the reference list at the bottom of the page that cites the original sources). Since
these are original peer-reviewed scientific articles, they will be more difficult to read than the
Wikipedia summary, but this is the first step to getting into psychological research!

Finally, prepare a (minimum) 700-word summary of this experience. Summarise your own results,
the findings from the Wikipedia article you found particularly interesting, and the articles' main
findings. Be prepared to share this experience with a peer for the review process!

The Big 5 Personality Test

Is it accurate and worth taking?
In recent years, more people are interested in knowing their personality type. They want to
get a deeper analysis of themselves, to know whether they are outgoing, introverted or in between
the two. Furthermore, now we have so many different personality tests to choose from. Each one
uses and examines different traits to categorize people, but some tests are more accurate than
others. The Big 5 Personality Test (Truity 2021) is used by personality psychology researchers since it
was psychometrically tested. A psychometric test is any estimation that tests one's personality or
cognitive ability. It was developed in the 1980s. As the title says, this test measures five major traits:
openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. They are measured on a
scale from 0 to 100% depending on how well that trait fits you.
Openness is an important trait that fits people who are more curious and also appreciate
creativity better. Additionally, people with high openness are willing to try a lot of new things and
pursue unique careers, but they can have a lack of focus. According to the test, my openness is at
98% which is a very high score. I completely agree with this statement since I am open to
experiencing new things and always full of ideas. I would say I am very creative and adventurous.
Conscientiousness defines our ability to practice self-discipline, furthermore, how impulsive we are.
Someone with a high score in conscientiousness is considered stubborn while a low score is often
perceived as being flexible and spontaneous. Conscientiousness is higher among younger people. My
score in this trait is 90%, which means theoretically and according to the test, I am very stubborn, but
not very reckless. This is only partly right; I can be very spontaneous although I am also extremely
stubborn. The test says that younger people tend to have higher conscientiousness instead of a lower
score and this applies to me as well.
Extraversion determines how outgoing you are. How much you enjoy interacting with people, your
level of enthusiasm and how much stimulation you need. Extraverts appreciate being the center of
attention and they like to start conversations; they show a lot of initiative. I am 73% extraverted
which is too high in my case. I believe 60% would be much more accurate for me. I am an extravert
rather than an introvert, but I have some introverted traits. I hate being the center of attention, but I
often start conversations with others, since I talk a lot.
Agreeableness characterizes someone’s ability of getting along with people. These people are viewed
as generous, kind, trustworthy and helpful. They are very sympathetic and never insult others.
Disagreeable people are usually suspicious and unfriendly. They are often competitive. Leadership
positions work for people who have good agreeableness since they can compromise and value other
people’s thoughts. My agreeableness is 40%, so I often do not put others’ needs ahead of my own
and I experience less sympathy. I must admit that this somewhat describes me. My agreeableness
depends on my mood and whom I am talking to. I can feel a lot of sympathy sometimes, unlike in
other situations where I cannot.
Neuroticism shows our capacity to feel negative emotions such as fear, depression, anxiety, guilt,
shame, or anger. The trait can be identified with a low tolerance for stress, minor frustrations, and a
bad mood. My 52% in this personality trait means I often react to different situations with more
emotion than others. Additionally, it is harder for me to move on after a misfortune. We can all agree
that personalities are very complicated and they are related to a lot of things. People have started to
wonder if one’s personality is determined by one’s gender. Turns out that females and males differ in
personality, and because of this, their choices and preferences also differ.
Do gender differences in preference have a relation with economic development and gender
equality? Yes, they are closely related. Personality traits also differ within genders as well as
preferences. Gender differences in preferences are divergent across the world. It can be smaller or
larger. These preferences depend on two unrelated factors. Where log GDP per capita or gender
equality is higher, gender differences in preferences are also higher (Science 2018, para. 5).
We know that these five personality traits strongly affect our psychological well-being, but do
they affect our health too? Yes, they have an influence on our health. Scientists suggest that
personality traits be included in research to find their purpose in clinical practice (The British
Psychological Society 2010, para. 1). A couple of years ago, they did research among older British
people, and they discovered many relations. For example, extraversion is linked to good health
benefits. Neuroticism was connected with medical problems and negative health status.
To conclude, The Big 5 Personality Test exceeded my expectations and was much more
accurate than I would have guessed. Additionally, most of the traits’ percentages seemed correct to
me, and the descriptions fit me. I enjoyed taking the test and I feel like it might be beneficial for me
in the future since it helped me understand myself and my reactions to certain situations a little
more.

Bibliography

‘Descriptions of the particular personality trait’ 2023, Big Five personality traits, retrieved 13
November 2022, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Five_personality_traits>

https://www.truity.com/test/big-five-personality-test (2021)

Armin, F, Johannes, H 2018, ‘Relationship of gender differences in preferences to economic

development and gender equality’, Science, vol. 362, no. 6412, retrieved 6 January 2023,
DOI: 10.1126/science.aas9899

Kathryn L., J, Peter G., C 2010, ‘The big five personality traits and reporting of health problems and
health behaviour in old age’, The British Psychological Society, vol. 4, no. 2,
pp. 181-192, DOI: 10.1348/135910799168560