Research Feed

A curated collection of research papers, articles, and related news and media exploring the Big Five personality traits.

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 that career interests are not distinct from personality; rather, they serve as specific, practical expressions of a person's broader dispositional traits in a professional context.

RESEARCH
Openness
Right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation and personality: An analysis using the IPIP measure
Heaven & Bucci · European Journal of Personality · January 2001

This study of 220 undergraduates confirms that Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) and Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) stem from distinct personality foundations. While both predict prejudice, they reflect different psychological profiles: RWA typically aligns with high Conscientiousness and low Openness, whereas SDO is more strongly associated with low Agreeableness. These results highlight that the motivation for intergroup bias varies significantly between those seeking social stability and those seeking group-based hierarchy.

RESEARCH
Openness
Isms and the structure of social attitudes
Saucier · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · January 2000

This study identifies 'isms' as the foundational building blocks for measuring social attitudes, revealing a distinct structure of individual differences. A primary three-factor model emerged, with Conservatism and Authoritarianism functioning as major subcomponents of the largest factor. Notably, these social attitudes are largely independent of standard personality domains, with the sole exception of a significant correlation with Openness to Experience. These findings provide a new, content-valid benchmark for mapping belief systems outside of traditional personality frameworks.

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 these two identities can coexist. This flexibility allows for unique correlations with personality and psychosocial adjustment, making the bidimensional approach a more valid framework for understanding how individuals navigate multiple cultural identities.

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 with the Big Five, they remain conceptually unique. This suggests that spirituality represents a significant domain of human personality that is not fully captured by the standard Five-Factor Model framework.

RESEARCH
Openness Neuroticism
Identity Consolidation in Early Adulthood: Relations with Ego-Resiliency, the Context of Marriage, and Personality Change
Pals · Journal of Personality. · January 1999

Successful identity consolidation involves committing to adult roles and constructing a coherent sense of self. Research on women shows that ego-resiliency at age 21 predicts better identity outcomes by age 27, a process often mediated by the quality of their experience in marriage. Notably, achieving a stable identity further boosts resiliency. This highlights a dynamic loop where personality resources help navigate social contexts, which then fosters long-term personality growth.

RESEARCH
Openness Neuroticism
Intelligence, personality, and interests: Evidence for overlapping traits
Ackerman & Heggestad · Psychological Bulletin · January 1997

This study explores how intelligence, personality, and vocational interests overlap. It distinguishes between intelligence as 'maximal performance' (testing well) and 'typical performance' (everyday thinking). By analyzing these connections, the researchers identified four 'trait complexes'—social, clerical, science, and intellectual. The findings suggest that Openness and Neuroticism are particularly linked to how we naturally engage with intellectual tasks and cultural interests throughout our lives.

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 highlight the FFM's utility in clinical assessments, demonstrating that specific trait profiles can accurately signal diverse mental health conditions beyond broad measures of current distress.

RESEARCH
Openness Conscientiousness
Identity, self, and personality: I. Identity status and the five-factor model of personality
Clancy & Dollinger · Journal of Research on Adolescence · January 1993

This study connects James Marcia’s four identity statuses—Achievement, Foreclosure, Moratorium, and Diffusion—to the Big Five traits. Researchers found that Identity Achievers exhibit high Conscientiousness and Extraversion with low Neuroticism. Conversely, Foreclosure correlates with low Openness, while Moratorium and Diffusion involve higher Neuroticism. These findings demonstrate that our psychological 'status' in developing a self-identity is deeply linked to our underlying personality structure.