A Closer Look: Definition of Personality Traits

Are you looking to define personality traits? Personality is a pretty important word in the English language. If you ask someone why they chose their spouse or what the most important quality the look for in a friend is, most people many people will say “a good personality.” But, what does that mean? The truth is, the meaning of a “good personality” is different for everyone. Some people like quiet people, while others want to hang out with the loudest person in the room. Some value humor, while others praise intellect. And, of course, many people can have both intellect and humor and these things are both part of their personalities. These different factors, in fact, are considered to be personality traits.

The dictionary defines personality as:

1. Habitual patterns and qualities of behavior of any individual as expressed by physical and mental activities and attitudes; distinctive individual qualities of a person, considered collectively
2. The complex of qualities and characteristics seen as being distinctive to a group, nation, place, etc.
3. The sum of such qualities seen as being capable of making, or likely to make, a favorable impression on other people
4. Informal personal attractiveness; engaging manner or qualities

Traits are defined as "a distinguishing quality or characteristic, as of personality." In other words, this means that personality traits are the distinguishing characteristics that make you "you." Personality traits are the unique set of characteristics and qualities that only you possess. While a lot of people might have similar personality traits, each person combines these traits in a different way, to create one unique, irreplaceable conglomeration of traits that make up their individual personality.

The Five Major Personality Traits

Although each person has hundreds, if not thousands, of different quirks and traits that make up their personality, psychologists have tried to provide a bit of guidance for people to define personality traits and to determine the most important traits. As a result, they have come up with a list of the five major personality traits. These five traits make up the essence of a person's personality:

1. Openness: Openness refers to how open you are to experiencing new things. Do you enjoy learning new ideas and concepts or are you frightened of change?
2. Conscientiousness: Conscientiousness refers to how dedicated you are. When you say you are going to do something do you follow through? Do you have a strong work ethic?
3. Extraversion: Extraversion asks how comfortable you are in the company of others? Do you prefer to be by yourself or in a crowd? Do you like to be the life of the party?
4. Agreeableness: Do you try to get along with people or do you go out of your way to be contentious and start a fight?
5. Neuroticism: How emotionally stable are you? Do you get upset over the little things, or do they roll off your back?

In order to determine your personality, using these five major personality traits, psychologists give you a test that asks a series of questions. The questions may inquire about how you would react in a certain situation, or your comfort level in a given setting.

After you answer the questions, you are given a percentile score. So, for example, a person might be:

• 80% open
• 40% conscientious
• 50% extroverted
• 60% agreeable
• 20% neurotic

This combination of scores can give you a pretty good idea of the personality of the person who took the test. You'd probably assume that they like to try new things and meet new people, that they are emotionally stable, and that they don't really like to work that hard. Although they may have many other personality traits, this description is a pretty comprehensive one.

Further Resources

The Big 5 Personality Test website provides a free online sample version of the test psychologists use to determine your level of each of the big five personality traits. Once you answer the questions, you will receive your scores for each of the five personality tests, as well as a written summary of what the test says about you.