Research Feed

A curated collection of research papers and articles exploring the Big Five personality traits.

RESEARCH
Extraversion Agreeableness
Dispositional and organizational influences on sustained volunteerism: An interactionist perspective
Penner · Journal of Social Issues · December 2002

Volunteerism is defined as long-term, planned prosocial behavior that benefits strangers within an organizational context. This research highlights that sustained service is driven by both dispositional variables (such as specific personality traits and religiosity) and organizational factors, su...

RESEARCH
Extraversion Agreeableness
The grateful disposition: A conceptual and empirical topography
McCullough et al. · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · January 2002

Research across four studies identifies gratitude as a distinct disposition strongly linked to higher well-being, prosociality, and spirituality. Notably, the grateful disposition is negatively associated with envy and materialism. These relationships remain significant even when controlling for ...

RESEARCH
Openness Extraversion Agreeableness
Meta-analyses of Big Six interests and Big Five personality factors
Larson et al. · Journal of Vocational Behavior · January 2002

This meta-analysis identifies robust links between Holland’s Big Six vocational interests and the Big Five personality domains. The strongest connections include Artistic with Openness (r=.48), Enterprising with Extraversion (r=.41), and Social with Extraversion (r=.31). These findings indicate t...

RESEARCH
Extraversion Agreeableness
Agreeableness, extraversion, and peer relations in early adolescence: Winning friends and deflecting aggression
Jensen-Campbell et al. · Journal of Research in Personality · January 2002

This longitudinal research identifies Agreeableness as the primary personality dimension influencing adolescent peer relations and social safety. While both Agreeableness and Extraversion correlate with peer acceptance, Agreeableness uniquely serves as a protective shield against victimization. S...

RESEARCH
Extraversion Neuroticism
Positive Emotions Trigger Upward Spirals Toward Emotional Well-Being
Fredrickson & Joiner · Psychological Science · January 2002

This study provides evidence for the 'broaden-and-build' theory, which suggests that positive emotions expand a person's cognitive and behavioral repertoire. Researchers found a reciprocal relationship where initial positive affect led to improved broad-minded coping strategies, which in turn inc...

RESEARCH
Extraversion Neuroticism
Who attains social status? Effects of personality and physical attractiveness in social groups
Anderson et al. · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · January 2001

This study investigates how personality determines social status within groups like fraternities and dormitories. Researchers found that Extraversion is a universal predictor of influence and respect for both men and women. In contrast, high Neuroticism specifically predicted lower status in men....

RESEARCH
Conscientiousness Extraversion Agreeableness
General Traits of Personality and Affectivity as Predictors of Satisfaction in Intimate Relationships: Evidence from Self- and Partner-Ratings
Watson et al. · Journal of Personality · January 2000

This study examined how personality traits and emotional tendencies relate to relationship satisfaction in married and dating couples. Both self- and partner-ratings of an individual’s personality showed similar predictive patterns, with positive and negative affectivity emerging as key influence...

RESEARCH
Openness Conscientiousness Extraversion
Is acculturation unidimensional or bidimensional? A head-to-head comparison in the prediction of personality, self-identity, and adjustment
Ryder et al. · Journal of personality and social psychology · January 2000

This research supports the bidimensional model of acculturation, arguing that maintaining one's heritage culture and adopting a mainstream culture are independent processes rather than opposites. While the unidimensional view suggests an inverse relationship, data from diverse ethnic samples show...

RESEARCH
Openness Conscientiousness Extraversion Agreeableness Neuroticism
Spirituality: Description, Measurement, and Relation to the Five Factor Model of Personality
MacDonald, D.A. · Journal of Personality · January 2000

This research identifies five robust dimensions of spirituality that constitute the Expressions of Spirituality Inventory (ESI): Cognitive Orientation, Experiential/Phenomenological, Existential Well-Being, Paranormal Beliefs, and Religiousness. While these dimensions correlate differentially wit...

RESEARCH
Extraversion Agreeableness
Five-factor model of personality and transformational leadership
Judge & Bono · Journal of Applied Psychology · January 2000

This study of leaders across 200 organizations found that Extraversion and Agreeableness are the strongest predictors of transformational leadership behavior. While Openness to Experience showed an initial positive correlation, its impact vanished when controlling for other traits, and Neuroticis...

RESEARCH
Openness Extraversion Neuroticism
Relationship between the Five Factor model of personality and Axis I disorders in a nonclinical sample
Trull T.J. & Sher K.J., · Journal of Abnormal Psychology · January 1994

This study confirms the Five-Factor Model (FFM) effectively distinguishes individuals with Axis I disorders from those without. Across 468 young adults, personality dimensions provided unique diagnostic insights, even when accounting for general psychopathological symptoms. These findings highlig...

RESEARCH
Extraversion
Beauty is more than skin deep: Components of attractiveness
Riggio et al. · Basic and Applied Social Psychology · January 1991

This study identifies that overall physical attractiveness is a composite of both static and dynamic components. Through structural equation modeling, researchers found that while facial beauty is a primary static factor, dynamic elements (such as social and communication skills) contribute signi...