Conscientiousness
Conscientiousness is characterized by people who are more industrious, reliable, goal-focused, achievement striving, dependable, organized, thorough, and persistent. Among the five broad personality dimensions in the five factor model, conscientiousness is the best predictor of overall job performance. People with high conscientiousness are more motivated because they are more goal-oriented and an internal drive to achieve. They also have a stronger sense of duty in employment relationships, so try harder and behave more dependably because these behaviors are consistent with their self-concept. Norms vary from one group to the next. The average score on this dimension for one large group of students was 50.

Agreeableness
Agreeableness represents a person’s tendency to feel and show warmth, friendliness, kindness, and empathy in social interactions. People with high agreeableness are sensitive to and show empathy towards others, give high priority to the needs and expectations of others, and avoid behaviors that harm others. This personality dimension consists of both an emotional affiliation with others and a more reasoned consideration of and respect for others’ needs and desires. People with high agreeableness tend to be effective and enjoy working in positions that require care and reducing conflict with others. Norms vary from one group to the next. The average score on this dimension for one large group of students was 57.

Neuroticism
Neuroticism refers to people who tend to feel more anxious and stressed, and form more negative expectations and attitudes toward themselves and situations. People with higher neuroticism tend to have more difficulty handling challenging situations and are less paced in their analysis of problems or opportunities. Norms vary from one group to the next. The average score on this dimension for one large group of students was 33.

Openness to Experience
Openness to experience is the least well-understood of the “Big Five” dimensions, and has not been as good a predictor of performance or other job outcomes. People with higher openness to experience tend to be more imaginative, independent, and variety seeking. They like to discover new places, ideas, and practices, whereas those with low openness to experience prefer the stability and predictability of known and conventional practices and events. Those with high openness to experience are usually more creative and dislike protocols and routine procedures. Norms vary from one group to the next. The average score on this dimension for one large group of students was 53.

Extraversion
Extraversion characterizes people who are outgoing, talkative, sociable, and assertive. It includes several facets, including friendliness, gregariousness, assertiveness, activity level, excitement-seeking, and cheerfulness. The opposite of extroversion is introversion, which refers to the personality characteristics of being quiet, shy, and cautious. Introverts are more inclined to direct their interests to ideas than to social events. Norms vary from one group to the next. The average score on this dimension for one large group of students was 47.