Openness to experience is the personality trait most strongly linked to higher intelligence, research finds.
People who are open to experience tend to be intellectually curious, imaginative, seekers of variety and sensitive to their feelings.
Naturally, people who are open to experience like trying out new activities and ideas.
Openness to experience is one of the five major aspects of personality, along with conscientiousness, neuroticism, agreeableness and extraversion.
The study’s author, Dr Scott Barry Kaufman, explains:
“Openness to experience is the broadest personality domain of the Big Five, including a mix of traits relating to intellectual curiosity, intellectual interests, perceived intelligence, imagination, creativity, artistic and aesthetic interests, emotional and fantasy richness, and unconventionality.”
The conclusions come from a survey of 146 people who were asked questions about their personality and intelligence.
The results showed the strongest links between openness to experience and higher IQ.
Being open to experience is so powerful that it is linked to intelligence when measured almost 40 years later.
In particular, two aspects of openness to experience were most strongly related to intelligence.
Firstly, intellectual engagement, which comprises:
finding abstract thinking pleasurable,
enjoying coming up with new solutions to problems,
and liking reading.
Secondly, aesthetic engagement, which can involve activities like:
going to the cinema,
drawing or painting,
dancing,
and playing a musical instrument.
More intelligent people are particularly appreciative of beauty: they have a strong aesthetic sense.
Curious
Along with these factors, insatiable curiosity is also strongly linked to higher intelligence.
The link is probably down to higher intelligence driving ‘cognitive hunger’.
Cognitive hunger makes people seek out new experiences to satiate this hunger.
The study was published in The Journal of Creative Behavior (Kaufman, 2013).
The personality trait is linked to alcoholism and other types of substance misuse, problem gambling and even shopping addiction.
The personality trait is linked to alcoholism and other types of substance misuse, problem gambling and even shopping addiction.
Neuroticism is the personality trait often linked to addiction — including shopping addiction, research finds.
Shopping can provide a way of escaping the unpleasant thoughts that neurotic people are more likely to experience.
Neuroticism is characterised by negative thinking in a range of areas.
Neuroticism — one of the five major aspects of personality — is a trait that is strongly linked to anxiety, sadness, irritability and self-consciousness.
Many types of addiction have been linked to neuroticism, including alcoholism and other types of substance misuse and problem gambling.
The study on shopping addiction included 23,537 people who were given tests of personality, self-esteem and shopping behaviours.
Dr Cecilie Schou Andreassen, the study’s first author, explained the results:
“Our research indicates that people who score high on extroversion and neuroticism are more at risk of developing shopping addiction.
Extroverts, typically being social and sensation seeking, may be using shopping to express their individuality or enhance their social status and personal attractiveness.
Neurotic people, who typically are anxious, depressive, and self-conscious, may use shopping as a means of reducing their negative feelings.”
Personality is not the only factor linked to shopping addiction though, said Dr Andreassen:
“Addictive shopping clearly occurs more regularly amongst certain demographic groups.
It is more predominant in women, and is typically initiated in late adolescence and emerging adulthood, and it appears to decrease with age.”
In contrast, people at low risk of shopping addiction tend to be more agreeable, conscientious and open to new experiences with higher levels of self-control.
Dr Andreassen said:
“We have also found that shopping addiction is related to symptoms of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem, and shopping may function as an escape mechanism for, or coping with, unpleasant feelings – although shopping addiction may also lead to such symptoms.”
Seven signs of shopping addiction
The symptoms of shopping addiction are closely related to other addictions like alcoholism and substance addictions.
Here are the seven signs of shopping addiction:
You think about shopping/buying things all the time.
You shop/buy things in order to change your mood.
You shop/buy so much that it negatively affects your daily obligations (e.g., school and work).
You feel you have to shop/buy more and more to obtain the same satisfaction as before.
You have decided to shop/buy less, but have not been able to do so.
You feel bad if you for some reason are prevented from shopping/buying things.
You shop/buy so much that it has impaired your well-being.
‘Agreeing’ or ‘completely agreeing’ with at least four of these seven statements indicates a possible shopping addiction.
One personality trait is linked to higher intelligence above all others.
One personality trait is linked to higher intelligence above all others.
Being open to experience is the personality trait most strongly linked to high IQ.
People who are open to experience show a special interest in things that are unconventional, new and complex.
Openness to experience is one of the five major aspects of personality, along with conscientiousness, neuroticism, extraversion and agreeableness.
Recent research has shown that certain sub-components of openness have strong links to high IQ:
Appreciating beauty,
having an active fantasy life,
being emotionally sensitive,
and wide-ranging curiosity
Strongest of these is curiosity: people who are highly curious are likely to have high IQs.
Curiosity is strongly linked to IQ because higher intelligence drives ‘cognitive hunger’.
Cognitive hunger makes people seek out new experiences.
The conclusions come from a study of 17,415 people in the UK who were given personality and IQ tests and followed up over four decades.
The study’s authors explain their results:
“…childhood intelligence is indeed positively associated with adult trait Openness, even when it was assessed almost four decades earlier when participants were at 11 years.
Intelligence may influence the development of personality in that intelligent people develop habits to satisfy their curiosity and ‘‘cognitive hunger’’ which are an essential ingredient of Openness.”
It is a higher IQ that drives a greater level of openness to experience, the authors write:
“Parents of higher socioeconomic status may foster children’s trait Openness by providing better resources such as choosing good schools and cultural environment (theaters, museums, traveling abroad, etc.); intelligent children tend to use more mental activities (such as abstract ideas, learning new
vocabularies, or math formulas) than those who are less intelligent; school settings (quality of teaching, good facilities) may enhance pupils to engage more in school learning.
All these three factors may influence educational and
occupational achievement, which in turn, may increase
the scores on Openness.”
The study was published in the Journal of Individual Differences (Furnham & Cheng, 2016).
Having any, some or all of these qualities is linked to living a happier life, study finds.
Having any, some or all of these qualities is linked to living a happier life, study finds.
Being enthusiastic and difficult to discourage are two of the personality traits linked to the highest well-being, research finds.
Enthusiastic people tend to have more fun in life and experience fewer negative emotions.
Being difficult to discourage is related to more positive growth, self-acceptance and greater achievement in life.
These were not the only personality factors linked to well-being.
People who are industrious, compassionate and intellectually curious are also happier, but in different ways.
Industrious people, for example, work harder towards long-term goals and are very achievement-oriented.
Compassionate people tend to feel more positive emotions and have better relationships with others.
The intellectually curious are open to new ideas and they enjoy thinking deeply and benefit from greater personal growth.
The conclusions come from a survey of 706 US adults, who were asked about their personality and different aspects of their well-being.
The study demonstrates that there are different paths to happiness.
Positive emotions are good, but so is feeling satisfied with your life, being independent, reaching life goals and experiencing personal growth.
Personality psychologists typically identify high extraverts who are low in neuroticism as the happiest people, as the study’s authors explain:
“The large literature describing the associations between personality traits and well-being suggests that extraversion (the tendency to be bold, talkative, enthusiastic, and sociable) and neuroticism (the tendency to be emotionally unstable and prone to negative emotions) are especially strong predictors of well-being.
But is wellbeing only accessible to the extraverted and non-neurotic?”
No, they argue, being a non-neurotic extravert is not the only way to be happy.
If you look more closely at personality, it turns out there are multiple paths to happiness.
The authors write:
“…the personality–well-being relation varies appreciably across personality aspects and distinct dimensions of well-being.
Not all aspects of extraversion and neuroticism are equally predictive, and aspects of conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness/intellect also have idiosyncratic, meaningful associations with distinct forms of positive functioning.”
In other words, it’s possible to be a happy, neurotic, introvert.
It’s just a kind of happiness reached via a different route.
The study was published in the Journal of Personality (Sun et al., 2018).
Playful people, though, are easily bored, explained Professor René Proyer, the study’s first author:
“Particularly playful people have a hard time dealing with boredom.
They manage to turn almost any everyday situation into an entertaining or personally engaging experience.”
The study included 533 people, half of whom were given three activities designed to boost their playfulness:
Write down three playful situations from the day.
Be playful in an unfamiliar situation.
Reflect on playful behaviour experienced during the day.
Dr Kay Brauer, study co-author, said:
“Our assumption was that the exercises would lead people to consciously focus their attention on playfulness and use it more often.
This could result in positive emotions, which in turn would affect the person’s well-being.
Our study is the first intervention study on adults to show that playfulness can be induced and that this has positive effects for them.”
The results showed that the exercises did lead to increased playfulness and a boost to happiness.
Professor Proyer said:
“I believe that we can use this knowledge in everyday life to improve various aspects.
This does not mean that every company needs table tennis tables or a playground slide.
However, one idea would be to allow employees to consciously integrate playfulness into their everyday work and, as a supervisor, to set an example for this kind of behaviour.”
The study was published in the journal Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being (Proyer et al., 2020).
Discover how openness to experience drives creativity, intellectual growth, and resilience. Enhance your personal and professional life.
Openness to experience is one of the Big Five personality traits, representing a person’s willingness to embrace new ideas, experiences, and perspectives.
This article explores the characteristics of openness, its benefits, and how it impacts creativity, relationships, and decision-making.
You’ll also discover tips to cultivate openness in daily life, understand its role in different cultures, and learn about the neuroscience behind this fascinating trait.
What is Openness to Experience?
Openness to experience is a personality trait that reflects curiosity, imagination, and a desire to explore new possibilities.
It is one of the five dimensions in the Five-Factor Model of personality, alongside conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.
Individuals high in openness are often drawn to creativity, abstract thinking, and diverse experiences.
Those lower in openness tend to prefer structure, familiarity, and practical approaches to life.
Openness is considered a fundamental trait that influences how people interact with the world and respond to change.
Characteristics of Openness
People high in openness to experience exhibit several defining characteristics:
Creativity: They enjoy exploring artistic, musical, and literary pursuits.
Curiosity: A strong interest in learning and understanding new concepts drives them.
Imagination: They often engage in abstract and original thinking.
Flexibility: They are open to different viewpoints and adapt easily to change.
Risk-taking: They may embrace challenges and unconventional paths.
These traits make openness a key driver of innovation, learning, and personal growth.
Why Openness Matters
Openness to experience is linked to numerous positive outcomes in life.
It enhances creativity and problem-solving, enabling individuals to think outside the box.
In relationships, openness fosters understanding, empathy, and effective communication.
Professionally, it contributes to adaptability and innovation, which are critical in rapidly changing environments.
Openness also promotes mental well-being by encouraging a growth mindset and resilience in the face of uncertainty.
The Neuroscience of Openness
Recent studies shed light on how openness manifests in the brain.
Research suggests that individuals with high openness have greater activity in regions linked to imagination and cognitive flexibility, such as the default mode network.
This trait is also associated with higher dopamine activity, which supports curiosity and exploration.
Understanding the brain mechanisms behind openness helps explain why some people are naturally more inclined toward novelty and creativity.
Six Facets of Openness
The Five-Factor Model breaks openness into six distinct facets:
Fantasy: A vivid imagination and a love for daydreaming.
Aesthetics: Appreciation for beauty and artistic expression.
Feelings: Awareness and expression of emotional depth.
Actions: Willingness to try new activities and experiences.
Ideas: Intellectual curiosity and a preference for abstract thinking.
Values: Openness to re-evaluating beliefs and embracing diversity.
Each facet reflects a different aspect of this multifaceted personality trait.
Openness Across Cultures
Openness is a universal trait, but cultural norms influence how it is expressed.
Western cultures often associate openness with individualism, creativity, and personal growth.
In collectivist cultures, openness may manifest in ways that prioritise harmony and group well-being.
Studies show that openness is positively linked to education, urban living, and exposure to diverse environments across all societies.
How Age and Gender Influence Openness
Openness tends to fluctuate over a lifetime.
Young adults typically score higher on openness due to their exploratory nature and desire for novelty.
As people age, they may become more set in their ways, leading to a gradual decline in openness.
Gender differences also exist, with women often scoring higher on facets such as emotional awareness, while men may excel in abstract thinking.
How to Cultivate Openness
Openness is not fixed; it can be nurtured through intentional habits.
Here are practical tips to increase your openness:
Expose Yourself to Art: Attend galleries, read novels, or explore new music genres.
Challenge Your Comfort Zone: Try activities that push your boundaries, like cooking a new cuisine or travelling to unfamiliar places.
Embrace Lifelong Learning: Take up a course, learn a language, or join a workshop to stimulate intellectual curiosity.
Seek Diverse Perspectives: Engage in conversations with people from different backgrounds and viewpoints.
Reflect on Your Beliefs: Question assumptions and remain open to evolving your worldview.
Balancing Openness and Stability
While openness has many benefits, excessive openness can lead to indecisiveness or an inability to commit.
Balancing openness with conscientiousness provides stability and ensures thoughtful decision-making.
This balance allows individuals to remain curious while maintaining structure in their lives.
Conclusion
Openness to experience is a dynamic and enriching trait that influences creativity, relationships, and adaptability.
By understanding its characteristics and nurturing it in daily life, you can unlock personal growth and meaningful connections.
Whether through art, learning, or embracing change, cultivating openness opens the door to a richer and more fulfilling life.
Discover the Big 5 personality traits—openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism—and what they reveal about you.
The Big Five personality traits, also known as the Five-Factor Model (FFM), provide a comprehensive framework for understanding human personality.
In this article, you will learn about the five traits—openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism—how they influence behaviour, their scientific origins, and practical applications in personal and professional contexts.
We also delve into comparisons with other models, debunk myths, and explore how the traits can be applied for growth and self-discovery.
What Are the Big Five Personality Traits?
The Big Five personality traits represent a widely accepted model used to describe and measure human personality.
These traits are:
Openness to experience: Imagination and curiosity.
Conscientiousness: Organisation and responsibility.
Extraversion: Sociability and energy.
Agreeableness: Compassion and cooperation.
Neuroticism: Emotional stability and reaction to stress.
Together, they provide a framework for understanding behaviour across various situations and cultures.
Unlike other models that categorise personality into types, the Big Five describe traits on a spectrum.
This means most people fall somewhere between the extremes rather than being entirely one way or the other.
The Origins of the Big Five Model
The Big Five emerged from decades of psychological research aiming to define universal personality traits.
Lewis Goldberg and other researchers refined earlier theories, such as Raymond Cattell’s 16-factor model, into five key dimensions.
The traits were identified using a statistical method called factor analysis, which groups related behaviours and characteristics.
Paul Costa and Robert McCrae later validated the model, ensuring its reliability and broad applicability across cultures.
A Closer Look at Each Trait
Openness to Experience
This trait reflects imagination, creativity, and intellectual curiosity.
People high in openness tend to:
Enjoy trying new experiences.
Appreciate art, literature, and unconventional ideas.
Be more open to change and novelty.
Those low in openness may:
Prefer routine and tradition.
Focus on practical solutions over abstract concepts.
Conscientiousness
Conscientious individuals are organised, disciplined, and dependable.
Key characteristics include:
Strong work ethic and goal orientation.
High levels of self-discipline and reliability.
People scoring low on conscientiousness may struggle with:
Meeting deadlines.
Staying organised.
Extraversion
Extraversion is characterised by energy, sociability, and assertiveness.
Highly extraverted people are often:
Outgoing and enthusiastic in social settings.
Motivated by external stimuli and interactions.
In contrast, introverts (low in extraversion) may:
Prefer solitary activities or small, close-knit groups.
Find excessive social interaction draining.
Agreeableness
Agreeableness represents compassion, kindness, and cooperation.
People high in agreeableness often:
Prioritise relationships and avoid conflict.
Display empathy and trustworthiness.
Those lower in agreeableness may:
Be more competitive or sceptical of others’ intentions.
Neuroticism
Neuroticism measures emotional stability and resilience.
Individuals high in neuroticism might:
Experience mood swings, anxiety, or stress.
React strongly to negative events.
Those low in neuroticism typically:
Handle stress well.
Maintain a stable mood even under pressure.
Trait Interactions
The Big Five personality traits do not operate in isolation.
Interactions between traits often create unique behavioural patterns that can influence how people navigate life’s challenges and opportunities.
Examples of Trait Interactions
Openness and Extraversion High levels of both traits may result in an adventurous personality, where creativity meets enthusiasm for social exploration. Such individuals might thrive in roles requiring innovation and collaboration, like entrepreneurship or creative leadership.
Conscientiousness and Neuroticism When high conscientiousness is paired with high neuroticism, it may lead to perfectionist tendencies. These individuals might excel in detail-oriented work but could struggle with stress or fear of failure.
Agreeableness and Extraversion A combination of high agreeableness and extraversion often produces warm, charismatic individuals who excel in building relationships and fostering teamwork.
Balancing Traits
Extreme levels of traits can sometimes clash.
For instance, high openness combined with low agreeableness might manifest as creativity without collaboration, potentially causing friction in team settings.
By recognising these interactions, individuals can better understand their strengths and areas for development, helping them adapt their behaviour to different circumstances.
Applications of the Big Five in Everyday Life
In Personal Growth
Understanding your personality traits can provide insights into your strengths and areas for improvement.
For example:
High conscientiousness can be leveraged to achieve long-term goals.
Awareness of neurotic tendencies can help manage stress effectively.
In Relationships
Traits like agreeableness and extraversion influence how people interact in social and intimate settings.
Knowing your partner’s traits can improve communication and conflict resolution.
At Work
The Big Five are often used in hiring and career development.
While traits are relatively stable, they can evolve over time.
For instance, many people become more conscientious and agreeable as they age.
Major life events and deliberate effort can also lead to changes.
Do the Big Five Apply Universally?
Research suggests the model is valid across cultures, but expression of traits may differ.
For example, extraversion might manifest as assertiveness in some cultures and sociability in others.
The Science Behind the Traits
The Big Five personality traits are supported by extensive research in psychology, genetics, and neuroscience.
Biological Foundations
Studies have shown that genetic factors play a significant role in shaping these traits.
Twin studies, for example, estimate heritability for traits like openness and conscientiousness to be around 40–60%.
Neuroimaging research has linked each trait to specific brain structures.
For instance, high extraversion is associated with greater activity in the brain’s reward systems, while neuroticism correlates with heightened sensitivity in areas involved in emotional regulation, such as the amygdala.
Environmental Influences
While genetics provide a baseline, environmental factors also shape personality.
Childhood experiences, culture, and significant life events can influence the expression of traits over time.
For example, people raised in collectivist cultures may show higher levels of agreeableness compared to those in individualist cultures.
Consistency and Change
The Big Five are considered stable across adulthood, but gradual changes can occur.
Research indicates that people tend to become more agreeable and conscientious and less neurotic with age—a phenomenon known as the “maturity principle.”
This blend of biological and environmental factors highlights the complexity of personality development, making the Big Five a robust and versatile framework for understanding human behaviour.
Comparing the Big Five with Other Models
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
Unlike the Big Five, MBTI assigns people into categories like “introvert” or “extrovert.”
While MBTI is popular, it lacks the scientific reliability of the Big Five.
HEXACO Model
The HEXACO model extends the Big Five by adding “Honesty-Humility” as a sixth factor.
It provides a more nuanced view but is less widely adopted.
Practical Tips for Using the Big Five
Take a Reliable Assessment Use validated tools like the Big Five Inventory to understand your personality.
Set Goals Based on Your Traits If you’re highly conscientious, focus on structured goals.
If you’re high in openness, pursue creative or exploratory tasks.
Seek Balance Recognise how extreme traits may affect your life.
For instance, high extraversion may lead to overcommitment, while low neuroticism might reduce sensitivity to others’ emotions.
Future Directions in Big Five Research
Advancements in genetics and neuroscience continue to shed light on the biological basis of these traits.
There is growing interest in understanding how traits interact and change in response to modern challenges, such as technology use and globalisation.
Additionally, researchers are exploring how personality assessments can be applied to AI and digital environments.
Conclusion
The Big Five personality traits offer a versatile and scientifically grounded way to understand human behaviour.
From improving self-awareness to enhancing professional and personal relationships, this model has practical applications for everyone.
By delving deeper into these traits, you can uncover insights to guide personal development and foster more meaningful interactions.
Get free email updates
Join the free PsyBlog mailing list. No spam, ever.
