Personality Traits: 430 Traits, Definition, Lists, & ExamplesWhat exactly are personality traits? Learn about theories of personality, positive and negative traits, the Big Five theory of personality, and get a list of traits.
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Do you want to learn more about yourself? The science of personality helps teach us about who we really are—that is, how we think, feel, and act. In this article, we'll define personality, explore some of the best-known theories of personality, and help you explore your own positive and negative traits.
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Extraversion
I am open about my feelings. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I take charge. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I talk to a lot of different people at parties. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I make friends easily. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I'm never at a loss for words. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Conscientiousness I do things by the book. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I try to follow the rules. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I believe laws should be strictly enforced. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I pay attention to details. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I like order. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Emotional Stability I seldom feel blue. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I am relaxed most of the time. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I feel comfortable with myself. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I am not easily bothered by things. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I take things as they come. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
Agreeableness
I feel others' emotions. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I have a soft heart. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I sympathize with others' feelings. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I am concerned about others. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I make people feel at ease. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Openness I enjoy the beauty of nature. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I believe in the importance of art. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I love to reflect on things. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I see beauty in things that others might not notice. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I need a creative outlet. Strongly disagree Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
*Add up your score for each of the five personality factors. The higher your score, the stronger each of these personality traits is for you.
Other Theories of Personality Traits
Although the Big Five theory of personality is strong and rigorously tested, it's worth thinking about another less-talked-about theory: The social-cognitive theory of personality.
This theory reminds us that we are constantly interacting with our social environment. It also states that much of our behavior—what we might consider to be personality—arises as a direct result of social stimuli. While the Big Five theory of personality assumes that personality consists of our essential, unchangeable, innate qualities, the social-cognitive theory of personality argues that personality itself is dynamic (Cervone, Shadel, & Jencius, 2001).
The dynamic personality
More specifically, social-cognitive theory suggests that our personality can be understood as the interaction between our internal qualities and the external environment (Cervone, Shadel, & Jencius, 2001). For example, have you ever noticed that you feel or act differently in different situations? Does that mean that your personality has changed? Or does it just mean that what we think of as personality is something that shifts based on context?
What about if you were going through a really difficult time? For example, imagine you're homeless and completely broke. How might your personality change? Might you think differently (might you be more cynical?), feel differently (might you be less happy?), or act differently (might you steal or cheat to survive?) The social-cognitive theory of personality helps explain why the majority of us do the same things in the same situations. We have individual differences, but those differences can be outweighed by our environment.
Why do theories of personality matter?
It may not seem important to know about how personality is affected by our environment, but I find it's a useful tool for growing well-being. If we see that much of who we are is a response to our environment, we can recognize the importance of changing our environment in ways that help us feel and be better people. Hopefully, we also see that personality is not as stable and fixed as we once thought. At the very least, some parts of it are changeable. And that can give us more hope.
This theory reminds us that we are constantly interacting with our social environment. It also states that much of our behavior—what we might consider to be personality—arises as a direct result of social stimuli. While the Big Five theory of personality assumes that personality consists of our essential, unchangeable, innate qualities, the social-cognitive theory of personality argues that personality itself is dynamic (Cervone, Shadel, & Jencius, 2001).
The dynamic personality
More specifically, social-cognitive theory suggests that our personality can be understood as the interaction between our internal qualities and the external environment (Cervone, Shadel, & Jencius, 2001). For example, have you ever noticed that you feel or act differently in different situations? Does that mean that your personality has changed? Or does it just mean that what we think of as personality is something that shifts based on context?
What about if you were going through a really difficult time? For example, imagine you're homeless and completely broke. How might your personality change? Might you think differently (might you be more cynical?), feel differently (might you be less happy?), or act differently (might you steal or cheat to survive?) The social-cognitive theory of personality helps explain why the majority of us do the same things in the same situations. We have individual differences, but those differences can be outweighed by our environment.
Why do theories of personality matter?
It may not seem important to know about how personality is affected by our environment, but I find it's a useful tool for growing well-being. If we see that much of who we are is a response to our environment, we can recognize the importance of changing our environment in ways that help us feel and be better people. Hopefully, we also see that personality is not as stable and fixed as we once thought. At the very least, some parts of it are changeable. And that can give us more hope.
Positive Personality Traits
To get a better sense of all of your personality traits, here is a list of positive personality traits. Ask yourself, which of these tend to describe you the best?
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Negative Personality Traits
We all have both positive and negative traits. Knowing what our negative traits are can help us better understand ourselves, gain clarity on how others experience us, and provide opportunities for self-growth. So ask yourself, do any of these negative (or less-than-positive) traits sound like you?
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List of Personality Traits
For those of you who would like a printable list of the positive and negative personality traits above, you can download them in a word doc or PDF below.
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| printable-list-of-personality-traits.pdf |
More Articles to Better Understand Your Personality Traits
Want to keep learning about your personality? Check out these related articles.
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References
- Cervone, D., Shadel, W. G., & Jencius, S. (2001). Social-cognitive theory of personality assessment. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 5(1), 33-51.
- DeNeve, K. M., & Cooper, H. (1998). The happy personality: a meta-analysis of 137 personality traits and subjective well-being. Psychological bulletin, 124(2), 197.
- Goldberg, L. R. (1993). The structure of phenotypic personality traits. American psychologist, 48(1), 26.
- Pittenger, D. J. (2005). Cautionary comments regarding the Myers-Briggs type indicator. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 57(3), 210.
- Saucier, G. (1997). Effects of variable selection on the factor structure of person descriptors. Journal of personality and social psychology, 73(6), 1296.
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