The Big Five: Extraversion
What is the Big Five?
There are different methods of analyzing personalities and the Big Five is one of those methods. It is also one of the most widely used methods. Obviously, there are five traits.
- Openness
- Conscientiousness
- Extraversion
- Agreeableness
- Neuroticism
These five traits can be broken down into sub-topics to better describe the possibilities of these traits. There are lows and highs of each of these topics to create different individuals personalities.
What is Extraversion?
Extraversion is one of the most well-known of the big five. The sub-topics are:
- Friendliness
- Gregariousness
- Assertiveness
- Activity-Level
- Excitement-Seeking
- Cheerfulness
Those high in friendliness, obviously, have a lot of friends. They know how to move around people, what to say at the right time, and how to involve others. They give out positive emotions to the public. Not surprisingly, they easily form close, personal relationships with others. Individuals who are high in gregariousness enjoy being around other people. They love being in crowds, feeling the excitement in the air. They find being around other people rewarding and stimulating. Those high in assertiveness tend to be more out-spoken. They like to take charge and give commands. They typically direct others. Individuals who are high in the activity-level are fast paced. They are exceptionally busy and are the best people to meet deadlines. They move quickly and have tons of energy which seems to come from no where. They are in many activity areas and well-known to many individuals because of those activities. Those rating high in excitement-seeking are easily bored. They need people to feel active and rely on outside stimulation to get those levels of excitement. They adore bright lights, a big show, flashy enterences, etc. Others who are high on cheerfulness have a lot of positive emotions. They are closely knit with happiness, joy, enthusiasm, and hope.
Highs and Lows
Individuals who are high on extraversion are talkative, enough to make your ears want to fall off. They are also energetic, assertive, outgoing, and sociable. They are also easily enthusiastic. Think of them as the popular kids in grade school.
Others who are low on extraversion are reserved, quiet, and shy. They tend to be the ones in the shadows, in the corners of the room. No one knows who they are or what they enjoy.
