In our lifetime, we meet so many different people. Some people are outgoing and talkative, while others are quiet and to themselves. When decision-making, some people may prefer to plan out everything while others are spontaneous. Today we are looking at one of the Big Five personality traits: Neuroticism
What is a Personality?
The American Psychological Association defines a personality as having characteristics and behavior that includes a person’s unique adaptation to life, including major traits, interests, drives, values, self-concept, abilities, and emotional patterns. Usually, personality traits tend to stay the same over time and situations, allowing people to make their own decisions and respond to certain obstacles in life in their own way.
The Big Five Personality Traits: The "Big Five" refers to the five-factor model of personality, which is widely accepted in psychology to describe human personality traits. These five traits establish our personality affects our behavior, thoughts, and emotions while in different situations and contexts. Each person usually has a unique combination of these traits, which can shape how they interact with others, approach challenges, and handle their lives. The five traits described are: Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism (often referred to by the acronym OCEAN). In this blog we are focusing on neuroticism.
Neuroticism
‘Neuroticism’ (or Emotional Stability) measures the capacity to experience negative emotions such as anxiety, insecurity, irritability, and sadness. Someone who is high in neuroticism is more likely to experience emotional instability and be more vulnerable to stress. Individuals with high neuroticism often experience rapid emotional changes. They are also more likely prone to chronic anxiety and worry and are pessimistic. These individuals may also have a negative view of themselves and what they are capable of, often leading to low self-esteem and doubts.
With downsides, there are always upsides. Individuals who are vulnerable to stress can drive them to work harder and achieve their goals. They are likely to have more empathy and sensitivity towards others and create stronger relationships. Although high neuroticism can cause anxiety and worry, it also causes individuals to have heightened awareness and are able to be better prepared and realize the dangers or risks in their environment.
Individuals with low neuroticism are usually calm and resilient. They are more likely to bounce back from setbacks and overcome challenges while being able to handle their stress effectively. Individuals with low neuroticism are more emotionally stable and have fewer mood swings. They are more likely to be optimistic, which contributes to a positive view of themselves and great well-being overall.
Although low neuroticism is able to handle stress effectively, they are likely to underestimate the potential risks or dangers leading them to be unprepared in certain situations. Due to an absence of anxiety and fear, it could result in lack of motivation to push oneself to complete tasks and overcome obstacles. Individuals with low neuroticism may also have difficulty emphasizing or understanding others who may have different emotional responses.
Real-Life Examples
Let's say that you score high in neuroticism. You have an important assignment that you have to turn in. Instead of breezing through the work, you start to feel overwhelmed, anxious and stressed out because you may not meet the deadline. This can also affect your sleeping patterns since you were so worried about the deadline. The positive side to doing this assignment is that you are more likely to get a head start and manage your time effectively. You have enough time to double check your work and turn it in with such high quality, giving you the opportunity to receive a high grade!
As opposed to being stressed and overwhelmed, let's say you have low neuroticism. You are able to meet the same deadline while being able to remain calm and composed. You also acknowledge that this situation can or will stress you out but instead of dwelling on it, you focus more on planning and organizing your work so you are able to meet the deadline. You also do not let the stress affect your sleep or well-being overall. But, sometimes when you are too relaxed, you might procrastinate and start the assignment too late, not giving you enough time to reread and double check your work. When you are not stressed, you might feel a lack of urgency, which can lead to your assignments having inconsistencies. You approach tasks differently while also handling stress and emotional stability when dealing with challenges.
The Big 5 is used to predict behavior, job performance, relationship dynamics, and responses to stress. Neuroticism can have both negative and positive effects on people and how they approach a situation. As mentioned before, high neuroticism could cause stress and anxiety but can also lead to feeling more empathy for others and completing tasks thoroughly. Low neuroticism can cause someone to have reduced stress and be more relaxed but can also lead to procrastination and a lack of empathy. We are more familiar with it being used in academic research, throughout psychology and personality assessment. The Big Five is supported by a lot of research demonstrating its cross-cultural validity and predictive power.
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