Personality Assessment Using Five Factor Test Of Personality

What is personality? Why is it important to understand our personality in social situations? Personality is defined as “long standing traits and patterns that propel individuals to consistently think, feel, and behave in specific ways”. Understanding one’s own personality is important because it allows people to have “more insight into how you react in different situations”. One personality assessment called the Five Factor Test of Personality attempts to identify what kind of personality traits people have, all based on five factors. These factors include extraversion, openness to experience, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and neuroticism. After taking the personality test, some aspects of each factor relate to my social and personal life.

The first factor of the test is extraversion. According to the psychologist world, extraversion is defined by “pronounced engagement with the external world” (Measure 5 aspects). In other words, extroverts love to be surrounded by people, are very enthusiastic, full of energy, and enjoy being the center of attention. For extraversion, I scored 41%. This is an accurate score for me. It is not too high but it is not too low. I figured I would score somewhat low on this factor, and after reading the description of extraversion, I feel that I do need to work on becoming a little more extroverted. I am extremely quiet in social situations, especially if at a family gathering with my entire family. I am also not one to be the center of attention; I would much rather listen and be in the background. I also feel drained anytime I am in a huge crowd or social setting. Whenever I am alone, I feel that I am full of energy and focused. However, despite being an introvert, I hate being alone. In social situations, it is hard for me to start conversations, but I feel as long as I am surrounded by people, whether they talk to me or not, I feel comfortable, relaxed, and secured.

On the second factor, I scored 65% on openness to experience. Openness to experience is described and distinguished by “imaginative, creative people from down-to-earth, conventional people.” The psychologist world continues to explain that open people are intellectually thoughtful, value art, and are sensitive to beauty. They are also very individualistic and easily conform. However, closed people are often plain, straightforward, and refrain from adapting to change (Measure 5 aspects). I would say that I am not an open person and would much rather keep to myself, but do enjoy art, specifically music. Whenever I listen to music, I feel I can be in my own world and not care about anything. I enjoy listening to meaningful songs that truly express how someone is in pain, sad, happy, or even in love. However, I do not enjoy nor adapt to change well. This summer my parents were looking for a new house and did not even let me know or even consult with me about the idea. I did not really have a choice in the decision, but letting me know would have been nice. When we first moved in, I was getting sad and did not like the change but after a week in, I am used to the new house.

Next, I scored 71% on conscientiousness. This factor focuses on the way “we control, regulate, and direct our impulses” (Measure 5 aspects). After scoring what I scored, I feel that it is good for me to be conscientious because if I was not my life would be very unorganized. However, the test also helped me realize that being too conscientious can make me believe that everything I do needs to be perfect, which sometimes leads me to overwork. In school, I try to get my work done ahead of time that way I do not have to worry about it during the weekend. My family is always telling me to slow down and to just take one assignment at a time that way I do not stress out.

On the factor regarding agreeableness, I scored 79%. Agreeableness focuses on “individual differences with cooperation and social harmony” (Measure 5 aspects). When I first thought of agreeableness, I thought it specifically meant that I agreed with most people, which is not true. But after reading the description of agreeableness, being helpful, considerate, and friendly towards others is part of the factor too. I would like to say that I am very considerate when comes to helping other people. I help my cousins out whenever they need a ride somewhere, or even if they are struggling to write an essay. I even help my sister edit and write her thesis for her master’s program. I enjoy helping people who need a hand with things. When it comes to compromising with others, it is difficult for me to do so because I like what I believe in and sometimes I think what I believe is always right. This test has helped me realize that I need to work on that part of my personality because everyone does not like a know it all.

On the final factor, I scored 58% which is called neuroticism. Neuroticism is “the tendency to experience negative emotions” (Measure 5 aspects). This is not a good factor to score high on, but I felt my score should have been a bit higher just because I do think negatively about myself a lot of the times. I also worry a lot about certain situations or if certain problems were to occur. Not to go into detail, but I do think negatively about myself when it comes to my weight and my quiet personality. I also worry about my family and if anything bad were to happen to them. Whenever I do think about those situations, I end up in an upset or depressed mood and sometimes I release my frustrations on my family by either arguing with them or being extremely rude to them. I may even isolate myself and not talk to anyone. I hate the fact that I feel that these negative thoughts also hinder my ability from going to college far from home.

After taking the Five Factor Model of Personality and writing about my scores, I feel a lot of what I scored high or low on was accurate. The most accurate descriptions of the factors I scored high or low on include extraversion, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. I have realized that there are some personality traits of mine are not the best to have, especially in extraversion and neuroticism. I really hope and want to overcome these traits and replace them with better traits, that way I can live a much better life.