Final answer:
The Big Five personality traits, also referred to in the Five Factor Model, consist of Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. These traits are spectrum-based characteristics representing a range between two extremes, and the mnemonic OCEAN is used to remember them.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Five Factor Model, commonly referred to as the Big Five personality traits, is a central concept in contemporary psychology for understanding personality. These five factors are not literally Fleeson et al's whole trait theory, but they form an integral part of many theoretical frameworks for describing personality traits. The Big Five components include:
- Openness to Experience — Reflecting attributes of imagination, feelings, actions, and ideas.
- Conscientiousness — Characterized by competence, self-discipline, and goal-directed behavior.
- Extraversion — Expressed through sociability, assertiveness, and excitement-seeking.
- Agreeableness — Tendency towards being cooperative, trustworthy, and good-natured.
- Neuroticism — Indicates emotional instability, such as being easily upset or anxious.
These traits provide a spectrum where each individual lies between the two extremes of each factor. The mnemonic OCEAN is often used to remember the factors: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.