Openness

Openness refers to a receptiveness to new ideas, approaches, and experiences.


Facets

The below facets represent sub-constructs of the overall trait Openness.

Adventurousness
Adventurousness is a willingness to try different activities and go to new places.
Artistic Interests
Artistic Interets refers to a deep appreciation for art and natural and artificial beauty.
Emotionality
Emotionality refers to one’s own inner feelings and recognition of emotion as an important part of life.
Imagination
Imagination refers to having a vivid and creative ability to form new ideas, images, or concepts of external objects not present to the senses.
Intellect
Intellect refers to intellectual curiosity (not intellectual ability); a deep and persistent desire to know and understand foundational ideas.
Liberalism
Liberalism refers to a readiness to reexamine social, political, and religious values.


Related Social Outcomes

Over the last 100 years, there has been a growing body of academic research dedicated to defining and understanding human personality and how differences among personalities are related to important social constructs. A good summary of this research is provided by Ozer & Benet (2006). This section is meant to provide a summary of how the trait scores from this test relate to a curated selection of some of the most well defined personality relationships to social outcomes. The information below is divided into three categories of outcomes, based on the level of social impact: individual, interpersonal, and social-institutional.

Individual Outcomes

Identity Foreclosure

Social Impact Level

Individual

Relationship with Openness

Identity Foreclosure is negatively correlated with Openness

Definition

According to Marcia (1980), identity foreclosure refers to individuals who have committed to a set of occupational and ideological positions (beliefs, attitudes, values), but arrived at these positions through inheritance from external influence [rather than internal reflection]

Representative Findings

In a study of approximately 200 undergraduate students, Clancy & Dollinger (1993) found a significant negative relationship between openness and foreclosed identity status (r = -.50; p < .001)

Identity integration or consolidation

Social Impact Level

Individual

Relationship with Openness

Identity integration or consolidation is positively correlated with Openness

Definition

A persons identity refers to a self-structure: an internal, self-constructed, dynamic organization of drives, abilities, beliefs, and individual history (Marcia, 1980). Identity integration and consolidation are processes of reconciling various roles, responsibilities, and contexts to construct a coherent identity.

Representative Findings

In a longitudinal study of 96 married women, Pals (1999) found a negative corelation between Openness and a measure of married identity consolidation, but only for those who described marriage as an anchor of their identity (p < .05) [there was a significant positive correlation among participants whose marriage defined their identity (p < .05)].

Inspiration

Social Impact Level

Individual

Relationship with Openness

Inspiration is positively correlated with Openness

Definition

Inspiration refers to the process of being mentally stimulated to do something and may involve the following characteristics: transcendence (larger than normal concerns), evocation (unwilled), and motivation (desire to make manifest) (Thrash & Elliott, 2004).

Representative Findings

Among an undergraduate participang group, Thrash & Elliot (2004) found a significant positive relationship (p < .01) between higher scores in Openness and Inspiration.

Majority-culture identification (for minorities)

Social Impact Level

Individual

Relationship with Openness

Majority-culture identification (for minorities) is positively correlated with Openness

Definition

Cultural identification refers to an individuals sense of belonging to a certain cultural group (e.g., Canadian, American, or Chinese).

Representative Findings

In a group of ~160 graduate students with Chinese ancestry, Ryder et al. (2000) found a significant positive relationship between scores in Openness and higher degree of identification with the dominant mainstream culture (p < .01).

Spiritual Concerns

Social Impact Level

Individual

Relationship with Openness

Spiritual Concerns is positively correlated with Openness

Definition

Spiritual concern refers to an individuals interest in the nature of social constructs labeled spiritual, religious, peak, mystical, transpersonal, transcendent, or numinous.

Representative Findings

In a study of over 500 university students, MacDonald (2000) found a significant positive relationship between openness and several dimensions of spirituality, including: cognitive orientation towards spirituality (beliefs, attitudes, perceptions), experiential / phenomenological, and paranormal beliefs (concepts beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding such as ESP, precognition, psychokinesis).

Substance abuse

Social Impact Level

Individual

Relationship with Openness

Substance abuse is positively correlated with Openness

Definition

Substance abuse refers to use of drugs or alcohol to the extent that it interferes with normal social behavior.

Representative Findings

In a study of 468 young adults, Trull & Sher (1994) found a strong relationship between Openness and forms of substance abuse, including: excessive alcohol use (p < .01), and drug use (p < .001).

Verbal Fluency

Social Impact Level

Individual

Relationship with Openness

Verbal Fluency is positively correlated with Openness

Definition

Verbal fluency is the ability to produce correct examples from a specific category. It is a cognitive task that relies on verbal knowledge, inhibition of similar words from a different semantic category, and tracking / memory of words that have already been produced.

Representative Findings

In a meta-analysis of 10 studies with combined participation of over 80,000 participants, Sutin et al. (2019) found that higher openness is related to greater verbal fluency (p < .001; indpemendent of academic achievement)



Interpersonal Outcomes



Social-Institutional Outcomes

Artistic occupational interests

Social Impact Level

Social-Institutional

Relationship with Openness

Artistic occupational interests is positively correlated with Openness

Definition

According to Hollands RIASEC model, artistic occupational interests which include activities involving literature, music, and art (Holland, 1996).

Representative Findings

Larson et al. (2002) and Barrick et al. (2003) both find meta-analytic evidence that those who score high on Extraversion are likely to express interest in artistic occupations.

Conservatism

Social Impact Level

Social-Institutional

Relationship with Openness

Conservatism is negatively correlated with Openness

Definition

Conservatism is generally associated with the values of freedom [over equality], security, power, achievement, conformity, and tradition.

Representative Findings

In a study of 225 adults, Van Hiel et al. (2004) found a significant negative relationship (-.25; p < .01) between openness and general conservatism.

Investigative occupational interests

Social Impact Level

Social-Institutional

Relationship with Openness

Investigative occupational interests is positively correlated with Openness

Definition

According to Hollands RIASEC model, Investigative occupational interests include activities involving exploration, understanding and prediction or control of natural and social phenomena (Holland, 1996).

Representative Findings

Larson et al. (2002) and Barrick et al. (2003) both find meta-analytic evidence to suggest that those who score high on Extraversion are likely to express interest in investigative occupations.

Right-wing authoritarianism

Social Impact Level

Social-Institutional

Relationship with Openness

Right-wing authoritarianism is negatively correlated with Openness

Definition

Right-wing authoritarianism encapsulates behavior that is submissive to authorities, authoritarian aggression, and conventionalism. It is thought that this behavior may manifest as aggression towards outgroups.

Representative Findings

In a study of isms, Saucier (2000) found a negative relationship (-.48) between openness and right-wing authoritarianism. In a study with undergraduate participants, Heaven & Bucci (2001) also found a significant negative relationship between openness and right-wing authoritarianism (-.39; p < .001).

Adhere to Shelter in Place Policy

Social Impact Level

Social-Institutional

Relationship with Openness

Adhere to Shelter in Place Policy is positively correlated with Openness

Definition

In the context of a pandemic health crisis, sheltering in place refers to the act of adhering to publich health guidelines to stay at a primary residence, avoiding travel and other public settings as much as possible.

Representative Findings

In a study of over 100,000 participants, controlling for socioeconomic factors, G?tz et al. (2020), found openness to be positively associated with sheltering in place during the COVID-19 pandemic (p < .001).

Wear a mask as preventative health measure

Social Impact Level

Social-Institutional

Relationship with Openness

Wear a mask as preventative health measure is positively correlated with Openness

Definition

Masking refers to the practice of wearing a face covering when in the presence of other people, as a method to prevent the spread of airborne diseases.

Representative Findings

In a study of over 500 participants, collected between March 24-26, 2020, Milad & Bogg (2021) directly measured personality and mask usage rates and found openness to be positively associated with mask wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic (p < .05 ). Heyman (2021)used state-level data in the U.S. from 250,000 survey responding between July 2-14, 2020 to indirectly measure differences in aggregate levels of openness and mask wearing by state and found that states with populations higher in opnness to be more likely to respond that they 'always wear masks' (p<.0005).



References

Barrick, M. R., Mount, M. K., & Gupta, R. (2003). Meta-analysis of the relationship between the five-factor model of personality and Holland's occupational types. Personnel Psychology, 56(1), 45-74. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2003.tb00143.x

Clancy, S. M., & Dollinger, S. J. (1993). Identity, self, and personality: I. Identity status and the five-factor model of personality. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 3(3), 227-245. http://doi.org/10.1207/s15327795jra0303_2

Heaven, P. C. L., & Bucci, S. (2001). Right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation and personality: An analysis using the IPIP measure. European Journal of Personality, 15(1), 49-56. http://doi.org/10.1002/per.389

Larson, L. M., Rottinghaus, P. J., & Borgen, F. H. (2002). Meta-analyses of Big Six interests and Big Five personality factors. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 61(2), 217-239. http://doi.org/10.1006/jvbe.2001.1854

MacDonald, D. A. (2000), Spirituality: Description, Measurement, and Relation to the Five Factor Model of Personality. Journal of Personality, 68: 153-197. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6494.t01-1-00094

Ozer, Daniel & Benet, Veronica. (2006). Personality and the Prediction of Consequential Outcomes. Annual Review of Psychology. 57. 401-21. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.57.102904.190127

Pals, J. L. (1999) Identity Consolidation in Early Adulthood: Relations with Ego-Resiliency, the Context of Marriage, and Personality Change. Journal of Personality. 67. 295-329. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6494.00057

Ryder, A.G., Alden, L.E., & Paulhus, D.L. (2000). Is acculturation unidimensional or bidimensional? A head-to-head comparison in the prediction of personality, self-identity, and adjustment. Journal of personality and social psychology, 79 1, 49-65 . https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.79.1.49

Saucier, G. (2000). Isms and the structure of social attitudes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78(2), 366-385. http://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.78.2.366

Sutin, A. R., Stephan, Y., Damian, R. I., Luchetti, M., Strickhouser, J. E., & Terracciano, A. (2019). Five-factor model personality traits and verbal fluency in 10 cohorts. Psychology and Aging, 34(3), 362-373. http://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000351

Thrash, T. M., & Elliot, A. J. (2004). Inspiration: Core Characteristics, Component Processes, Antecedents, and Function. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87(6), 957–973. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.87.6.957

Trull T.J. & Sher K.J., (1994). Relationship between the Five Factor model of personality and Axis I disorders in a nonclinical sample. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 103:350–60. http://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.103.2.350

Van Hiel, Alain & Mervielde, Ivan & De Fruyt, Filip. (2004). The Relationship between Maladaptive Personality and Right Wing Ideology. Personality and Individual Differences. 36. 405-417. http://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(03)00105-3