understandmyself.com test results

The Big Five Aspect Scale
You have just completed assessing yourself with 100 phrases. Our systems have compared your-self-ratings to those of thousands of other people. You are being compared to men and women of all ages. This means that if you are young, your scores on neuroticism will be higher and on agreeableness and conscientiousness will be lower than if you were compared to people of your own age (with the reverse being true for older individuals). For men, their scores on agreeableness will be higher and on neuroticism will be lower than if they were just being compared to men. We decided to make the comparisons simple, so that you know where you stand in comparison to the typical person (with age and sex regarded as irrelevant).

Here are your results: You will see below where you stand in comparison to others in the general population on the major traits and their aspects:

Agreeableness: Compassion and Politeness
Conscientiousness: Industriousness and Orderliness
Extraversion: Enthusiasm and Assertiveness
Neuroticism: Withdrawal and Volatility
Openness to Experience: Openness and Intellect
Remember that each personality trait and aspect (and your relative position with respect to them) has advantages and disadvantages. It is for that reason that variation exists in the human population: there is a niche for each personality configuration. Much of what constitutes success in life is therefore the consequence of finding the place in relationships, work and personal commitment that corresponds to your unique personality structure. Good luck with your expanded self-understanding!

Note also that if you find that the descriptions harsher than you might consider appropriate this may mean that you were more self-critical than necessary when completing the questions (remember, the results are based on your own self-report, compared to that of others). This can occur if you were feeling temporarily or chronically unhappy or anxious, or hungry, angry or judgmental when you completed the questions.



Agreeableness: Typical

You are typical or average in agreeableness, which is the primary dimension of Interpersonal interaction in the Big Five personality trait scientific model. Agreeableness has two aspects: compassion and politeness, which will be explained separately. Agreeableness is a very complex trait, with marked positive and negative elements all along its distribution. Because of this, higher scores and lower scores need to be explained at the same time.

People high in agreeableness are nice: compliant, nurturing, kind, naively trusting and conciliatory. However, because of their tendency to avoid conflict, they often dissemble and hide what they think. People low in agreeableness are not so nice: stubborn, dominant, harsh, skeptical, competitive and, in the extreme, even predatory. However, they tend to be straightforward, even blunt, so you know where they stand.

Your score puts you at the 43rd percentile for agreeableness. If you were one of 100 people in a room, you would be more agreeable than 43 of them and less agreeable than 56 of them.

AGREEABLENESS
43rd percentile

You are more agreeable than 43 of 100 people
People with typical levels of agreeableness are seen by others as somewhat cooperative, warm and considerate. They look for and even sometimes see the best in others, and are reasonably interpersonally tolerant (an attitude that is much valued by agreeable people). They are no more sensitive than average to seeing someone’s feelings get hurt and, although sometimes concerned about the emotional state of others, don’t always prefer peace and harmony to conflict. They strike a good balance between submissiveness and dominance.

People with average levels of agreeableness are somewhat forgiving, accepting, flexible, gentle and patient. They sometimes feel pity for those who are excluded, punished or defeated. However, they are less likely than highly agreeable people to be taken advantage of by disagreeable people or those with criminal or predatory intent. They can be skeptical. They believe in cooperation, but also feel that competition, with its losers and winners, has its valid place. They are less likely to lose arguments (and will not typically avoid discussion) with less agreeable people. They can be quite good at bargaining for themselves, and at negotiating for more recognition or power. They are likely to have somewhat higher salaries and earn more money, in consequence. This may mean they are less likely to suffer from resentment or to harbour invisible anger, although this tendency may be increased, if they are high in neuroticism. In addition, because of their tendency to engage in conflict, when necessary, typically agreeable people are less prone to sacrifice medium- to long-term stability and function for the sake of short-term peace. This can mean that problems that should be solved in the present are often solved, and do not accumulate counterproductively across time.

Women are higher in agreeableness than men. The mean percentile for women in a general population (women and men) is 61.5. For men it is 38.5. The fact that men are lower in agreeableness than women helps explain their much higher rates of criminal incarceration (90% male). The primary difference between criminals and non-criminals is disagreeableness. If the typical criminal is more disagreeable than 98% of people in the general population, then almost all those criminals will be male. This difference in agreeableness between men and women is largest in countries such as Norway and Sweden, where the most has been done to ensure equality of outcome between the sexes. This provides strong evidence that biological factors rather than environment and learning account for the dissimilarity.

Agreeableness, per se, is not strongly associated with political liberalism or conservatism, but this is because the aspects of agreeableness predict such political belief in opposite ways, and cancel each other out. Liberals are higher in aspect compassion, and conservatives in aspect politeness. However, alliance with the category of belief that has come to be known as politically correct is strongly predicted by agreeableness (particularly compassion). What this appears to mean is that agreeable people strongly identify with those they deem oppressed, seeing them, essentially, as exploited infants, and demonize those they see as oppressors, seeing them as cruel, heartless predators.

There are large differences between men and women in terms of spontaneous interest, and these also appear associated with agreeableness. Agreeable people, caring as they do for others, are more likely to enter professions associated with people, such as teaching and nursing, which are dominated by women. This is true even in the Scandinavian countries, where attempts to produce gender-equal societies has reached a maximum. Disagreeable people, by contrast, appear to prefer systematizing over empathizing, and are more interested in things – machines and technology. In consequence, professions such as engineering and trades associated with construction and machinery tend to be dominated by relatively disagreeable men.

Agreeableness has two aspects: compassion and politeness.



Compassion: High

You are high in compassion, which is one aspect of Agreeableness. Your score puts you at the 85th percentile for compassion. If you were one of 100 people in a room, you would be more compassionate than 85 of them and less compassionate than 14 of them.

Highly compassionate people are much interested in the problems of other people, and other living things, particularly if they are young or helpless. They are quite concerned about helping other people avoid negative emotion. They make more time and do more kind things for other, even when doing so may interfere with fulfilling their own needs and interests. They have a markedly soft side. Other people consider them sympathetic and nice, and will turn to them often for a listening ear. They are highly empathetic and caring. However, because they are so other-oriented, they may find it difficult to negotiate on their own behalf, and may not get what they deserve (for their hard work, for example). This can lead to resentment.

 COMPASSION
85th percentile

You are more compassionate than 85 of 100 people
Those who are liberal, politically, score somewhat higher in compassion than conservatives.

Women are also higher in compassion than men. The mean percentile for women in a general population (women and men) is 61. For men it is 39.



Politeness: Very Low

You are very low in politeness, which is one aspect of Agreeableness. Your score puts you at the 7th percentile for politeness. If you were one of 100 people in a room, you would be less polite than 92 of them and more polite than 7 of them.

People who are very low in politeness are not at all deferential to authority – nor are they obedient. They can be respectful, grudgingly, but only to people who clearly deserve and demand it, and they are very markedly willing to push back when challenged. They are not uncomfortable confronting other people – in fact, they may enjoy it. People very low in politeness are not motivated to avoid conflict, or to steer clear of conflict or fights. They may find themselves frequently in trouble with authority, in consequence. Their skepticism can make it very difficult for them to find a place in the middle or lower in hierarchies of power and dominance. They tend very strongly to be dominant, rather than submissive (particularly if they are also low in neuroticism).

 POLITENESS
7th percentile

You are less polite than 92 of 100 people
Those who are liberal, politically, score somewhat lower in politeness than conservatives (the opposite pattern is seen with compassion).

Women are higher in politeness than men. The mean percentile for women in a general population (women and men) is 59. For men it is 41.



Conscientiousness: Moderately Low

You are moderately low in conscientiousness, which is the primary dimension of dutiful achievement in the Big Five personality trait scientific model. Conscientiousness is a measure of obligation, attention to detail, hard work, persistence, cleanliness, efficiency and adherence to rules, standards and processes. Conscientious people implement their plans and establish and maintain order.

Your score puts you at the 31st percentile for conscientiousness. If you were one of 100 people in a room, you would be less conscientious than 68 of them and more conscientious than 31 of them.

People moderately low in conscientiousness are not particularly dutiful. They are by no means sloggers. They will only work hard if pushed, and don’t mind wasting time. They are quite likely to procrastinate (particularly if they are also above average in neuroticism). If people with moderately low levels of conscientiousness commit to doing something, there is a good chance they will be late, or delayed, even if there isn’t much reason for it. They tend to find and deliver excuses for their failure under such circumstances. They are not markedly decisive, neat, organized, future-oriented, or reliable, and they find themselves easily distracted.

CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
31st percentile

You are less conscientious than 68 of 100 people
People with moderately low levels of conscientiousness are less likely to obtain higher grades in academic settings (particularly if they are also less intelligent), and generally require substantial supervision to stay on task. For this reason, they make less than optimal managers and administrators. They do not feel compelled to do things by the book, however. This can perhaps be an advantage if they are engaged in creative tasks, where rules must be broken for advancement to take place. They are unlikely to make career accomplishment a primary goal, turning instead to pursuit of safety and security (if high in neuroticism), creative accomplishment (if high in openness), establishment of intimate relationships and friendships (if highly agreeable), or social success, excitement and fun (if extraverted).

People moderately low in conscientiousness tend to be relatively free of guilt, shame, self-disgust and self-contempt. Other people, however, may react negatively to their tendency to slack off (particularly if those other people are disagreeable and conscientious).

Individuals who are moderately low in conscientious are not particularly concerned by failure. They are not judgmental, to themselves or others, and tend towards situational explanations for disappointment, frustration or lack of success. They can handle periods of inactivity and unemployment with relative ease. They tend to downplay the relationship between hard work, diligence and success, believing that chance factors and luck in life play a determining role. They live, in large part, for leisure and very much look forward to time off. They can be good at relaxing, and living in the moment (particularly when low in neuroticism). They are less concerned than average with cleaning, moral purity and achievement. It’s more fun to be at the beach or at a party with a person moderately low in conscientiousness – but you might not want to invite them over on moving day.

People moderately low in conscientiousness are more likely to be political liberals rather than conservatives. This is particularly true if they are also high in openness.

Women are very slightly more conscientious than men. The mean percentile for women in a general population (women and men) is 51.5. For men it is 49.5.

Conscientiousness has two aspects: industriousness and orderliness.



Industriousness: Very Low

You are very low in industriousness, which is one aspect of conscientiousness. Your score puts you at the 6th percentile for industriousness. If you were one of 100 people in a room, you would be less industrious than 93 of them and more industrious than 6 of them.

People who are very low in industriousness are very much less likely to be successful in school and in administrative and managerial positions (particularly if they are also less intelligent). If they are highly intelligent, they will be regarded as underachievers. They focus very much less on work than others and are far more likely to procrastinate, miss deadlines, or fail to complete assignments or projects completely. They put off all responsibility, concentrating on fun, worry, relationships, excitement or creative endeavour. They aren’t at all concerned with schedules, timelines or efficiency, and will have to be supervised excessively before their tasks will be completed. They lack focus and are far too-easily distracted.

 INDUSTRIOUSNESS
6th percentile

You are less industrious than 93 of 100 people
People low in industriousness are not at all judgmental to themselves or others. They continually and habitually let people, including themselves, off the hook. They believe that people fail not because they don’t apply themselves or work hard but because chance and luck play the only determining roles. They are very resistant to guilt, self-disgust or self-contempt, and have a completely laissez-faire, whatever-will-be-will-be attitude toward life.

Those who are liberal and those who are conservatives appear equally industrious.

Men are slightly more industrious than women. The mean percentile for men in a general population (women and men) is 51.5. For women it is 49.5.



Orderliness: Moderately High

You are moderately high in orderliness, which is one aspect of conscientiousness. Your score puts you at the 76th percentile for orderliness. If you were one of 100 people in a room, you would be more orderly than 76 of them and less orderly than 23 of them.

Moderately orderly people are more disgust-sensitive than average, somewhat judgemental, and have a tendency towards more authoritarian political attitudes.

Moderately orderly people can be somewhat disturbed—even disgusted—by mess and chaos. They would rather keep everything tidy and organized. They think in comparatively black and white terms: things are basically good or bad, acceptable or unacceptable, with less room for grey areas. They tend both to make and stick to schedules. They like everything where it should be—and are happier if it stays where it should be. They are somewhat detail-oriented but tend not to be obsessive. They are generally aware of social rules and tend to abide by them. They like routine and prefer the predictable. They can be good at ensuring that complex, sensitive processes are managed properly and carefully.

ORDERLINESS
76th percentile

You are more orderly than 76 of 100 people
Orderliness can constrain creativity, however, as creative endeavours often require mess, disruption and intervening periods of chaos, so moderately orderly people who are high in openness to experience may have some trouble letting go enough to indulge in their creativity.

Those who are moderately orderly are more likely to be political conservatives, particularly when low in openness to experience. The latter is the best predictor of conservative belief, while the former plays an additional determining role.

Women are more orderly than men. The mean percentile for women in a general population (women and men) is 54.5. For men it is 45.5. This may account for some of the trouble in relation to housework between women and men. Since women are, on average, more orderly, household disorder will trigger disgust and discomfort in them faster. This may happen with sufficient frequency so they end up doing a disproportionate share of such work (even though if they waited a bit longer their less orderly partners, often men, might end up equally troubled and motivated to fix the problem). Orderly people are more likely to have items such as event calendars, drawer organizers, laundry baskets, irons and ironing boards in their immediate environments.



Extraversion: Very High

You are very high in extraversion, which is the primary dimension of positive emotion in the Big Five personality trait scientific model. Extraversion is a measure of general sensitivity to positive emotions such as hope, joy, anticipation and approach, particularly in social situations.

Your score puts you at the 94th percentile for extraversion. If you were one of 100 people in a room, you would be more extraverted than 94 of them and less extraverted than 5 of them.

People with very high levels of extraversion are very enthusiastic, talkative, assertive in social situations, and gregarious. They are highly energized by social contact, and crave it. They find great pleasure in planning parties, telling jokes, making people laugh, and taking part in community activities. They typically have positive memories of the past, high levels of current self-esteem (particularly if they are low in neuroticism), and experience far above average optimism about the future.

 EXTRAVERSION
94th percentile

You are more extraverted than 94 of 100 people
People who are uncommonly extraverted have a very difficult time keeping things to themselves, and tend to tell everyone everything. They are very self-disclosing (particularly if also high in neuroticism) and they warm up rapidly to other people. They speak first and most often in meetings. They can be extremely captivating and convincing. They will often be the first to act.

People who are very high in extraversion make strikingly enthusiastic employees, and are very well-suited to jobs involving sales, persuasion, work in groups and public speaking (particularly, once again, if they are low in neuroticism). They are not at all suited to occupations that require a lot of isolated work (such as computer programming or accounting).

People very high in extraversion can also be highly impulsive, particularly when it comes to having fun in social situations. They tend strongly to sacrifice the future to the present, when something social or group-oriented beckons. It is hard for them to be alone and to study and work. They can be very easily distracted by opportunities to chat, joke and socialize. This is particularly the case if they are also low in conscientiousness. When individuals are extraverted and conscientious, they are more productive than if they are introverted and conscientious. However, when they are introverted and unconscientious, they are more productive than they are when they are extroverted and unconscientious.

People very high in extraversion are highly dominant in social situations, particularly if they are also low in agreeableness. Less agreeable extraverts tend to be self-centered – something that can be made worse if they are also low in conscientiousness.

Those who are politically liberal are slightly less extraverted than conservatives.

Women are slightly more extraverted than men. The mean percentile for women in a general population (women and men) is 52. For men it is 48.

Extraversion has two aspects: Enthusiasm and Assertiveness.



Enthusiasm: High

You are high in enthusiasm, which is one aspect of extraversion. Your score puts you at the 86th percentile for enthusiasm. If you were one of 100 people in a room, you would be more enthusiastic than 86 of them and less enthusiastic than 13 of them.

Individuals who are high in enthusiasm are excitable, happy and easy to get to know. They will talk rapidly about everything, particularly other people. They laugh or giggle much more than average. They want to be around people, and they love parties. They don’t keep people at a distance, and keep little private. They are positive and optimistic. They warm up quickly to other people. They like – and sometimes crave – stimulation, excitement, activity and fun. Enthusiastic people are gregarious, encouraging and people-loving, and they are positive about what might happen next.

 ENTHUSIASM
86th percentile

You are more enthusiastic than 86 of 100 people
Enthusiasm is not strongly associated with political preference, either conservative or liberal.

Women are higher in enthusiasm than men. The mean percentile for women in a general population (women and men) is 55. For men it is 45.



Assertiveness: Very High

You are very high in assertiveness, which is one aspect of extraversion. Your score puts you at the 94th percentile for assertiveness. If you were one of 100 people in a room, you would be more assertive than 94 of them and less assertive than 5 of them.

Very assertive people are “take charge” types. They put their own opinions forward uncommonly strongly, and tend to dominate and control social situations. Very assertive people can be strikingly influential and captivating. They have the communication style that is often associated with leadership. This is good when they are knowledgeable, competent and able, but not so good when they aren’t. Assertive people are people of action. They don’t wait for others to lead the way, but leap in, heedlessly. They can be impulsive, in consequence, and can act without thinking.

 ASSERTIVENESS
94th percentile

You are more assertive than 94 of 100 people
Liberals tend to be slightly less assertive than conservatives.

Women are slightly less assertive than men. The mean percentile for women in a general population (women and men) is 48. For men it is 52.



Neuroticism: Typical or Average

You have typical levels of neuroticism, which is the primary dimension of negative emotion in the Big Five personality trait scientific model. Neuroticism is a measure of general sensitivity to negative emotions such as pain, sadness, irritable or defensive anger, fear and anxiety.

Your score puts you at the 50th percentile for neuroticism. If you were one of 100 people in a room, you would be higher in neuroticism than 50 of them and lower in neuroticism than 49 of them.

People with typical or average levels of neuroticism have a balanced view of the happiness and sadness of the past, present and future. Sometimes they are unhappy, anxious and irritable, particularly when facing a genuine problem, but they generally cope well and don’t worry too much.

NEUROTICISM
50th percentile

You are higher in neuroticism than 50 of 100 people
They have normal levels of self-esteem, particularly when they are also average or above average in extraversion. They are not particularly at risk for developing anxiety disorders and depression.

People with average or typical levels of neuroticism are able to experience the consequences of success and to be appropriately satisfied in relationships and career. Average levels of neuroticism are associated with no more than average concern about mental and physical health, a typical number of physician and emergency room visits, and an expected degree of absenteeism at work and at school (unless accompanied by very low levels of conscientiousness).

People with average levels of neuroticism appear to neither seek risk out, nor avoid it. They are interested in security, but can also handle recreational, career, financial and social situations where the possibility of loss is higher. Such people appear to be concerned both with maintaining their current status, as well as enhancing it. This is a reasonable strategy in genuinely dangerous or uncertain times and better times alike.

Neuroticism is not a powerful predictor of political belief, either conservative or liberal.

Females tend to be higher in neuroticism than males. The typical woman is higher in neuroticism than 60% of the general population of men and women combined. In part, this may be why women report more unhappiness in their relationships, at work, in school and with their health than men, on average, and why women initiate 70% of all divorces. This difference in neuroticism between men and women appears to emerge at puberty. It is largest in countries such as Norway and Sweden, where the most has been done to ensure equality of outcome between the sexes. This provides strong evidence that biological factors rather than environment and learning account for the dissimilarity.

Trait neuroticism is made up of the aspects withdrawal and volatility.



Withdrawal: Moderately High

You are moderately high in withdrawal, which is one aspect of neuroticism. Your score puts you at the 67th percentile for withdrawal. If you were one of 100 people in a room, you would be higher in withdrawal than 67 of them and lower in withdrawal than 32 of them.

Individuals moderately high in withdrawal may feel higher than average levels of anticipatory anxiety. This makes it more challenging for them to approach new, uncertain, unexpected, threatening or complex situations. They are somewhat more likely to avoid or withdraw in the face of the unknown and unexpected.

People moderately high in withdrawal are a bit more likely than average to feel sad, lonesome, disappointed and grief-stricken. They tend to somewhat higher levels of doubt and worry, become embarrassed a bit more easily, are self-conscious and may get discouraged more rapidly in the face of threat and punishment. They feel more anticipatory anxiety than the average person. They are somewhat sensitive to social rejection, and can feel more hurt than might be expected. Once hurt, frightened, or anxious, as well, it takes them somewhat longer to recover. Perhaps people moderately high in withdrawal are concerned that something bad might happen, while people moderately high in volatility (the other aspect of neuroticism) suffer more if something bad genuinely does happen. Technically, withdrawal has been associated with activity in the brain systems that regulate passive avoidance.

WITHDRAWAL
67th percentile

You are higher in withdrawal than 67 of 100 people
Those who are liberal, politically, are slightly higher in withdrawal than conservatives.

Women are higher in withdrawal than men. The mean percentile for women in a general population (women and men) is 60. For men it is 40.



Volatility: Moderately Low

You are moderately low in volatility, which is one aspect of neuroticism. Your score puts you at the 34th percentile for volatility. If you were one of 100 people in a room, you would be less volatile than 65 of them and more volatile than 34 of them.

Individuals moderately low in volatility tend to not to vary much in their mood. They are not particularly irritable, and feel lower levels of disappointment, frustration, pain and social isolation. People find them easy to be around. They express their frustration, disappointment and irritability quite reasonably and not very often. Even when stirred up and upset or angry or irritated, they calm down quickly. They are less argumentative than average and rarely lose their composure.

If overly provoked in a dispute, a person of average volatility may react in kind (particularly if also low in agreeableness). However, such people tend to remain calm and unperturbed, even when stressed. Volatile people tend to get upset if something bad does happen, while people high in withdrawal (the other aspect of neuroticism) tend to be concerned that something bad might happen. Technically, volatility has been associated with activity in the brain systems that regulate fight, flight or freeze.

VOLATILITY
34th percentile

You are less volatile than 65 of 100 people
Volatility is not strongly related to political preference, either liberal or conservative.

Women are higher in volatility than men. The mean percentile for women in a general population (women and men) is 57.5. For men it is 42.5.



Openness to Experience: Very High

You are very high in openness to experience, which is the primary dimension of creativity, artistic interest and intelligence (particularly verbal intelligence) in the Big Five personality trait scientific model. Openness to experience is a measure of interest in novelty, art, literature, abstract thinking, philosophy as well as sensitivity to aesthetic emotions and beauty.

Your score puts you at the 92nd percentile for openness to experience. If you were one of 100 people in a room, you would be higher in openness to experience than 92 of them and lower in openness to experience than 7 of them.

People with very high levels of openness to experience are extremely likely to be characterized by others as uncommonly smart, creative, exploratory, intelligent and visionary. They are strikingly interested in learning, and are constantly acquiring new abilities and skills. They are very curious and exploratory. They are very interested in abstract thinking, philosophy, and the meaning of belief systems and ideologies. They will seek out cultural events such as movies, concerts, dance recitals, plays, poetry readings, gallery openings and art shows. They are unusually likely to enjoy writing (or even to be driven to write). They enjoy complex, abstract ideas and love to confront and solve complex, abstract and multi-dimensional problems.

 OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE
92nd percentile

You are higher in openness to experience than 92 of 100 people
They are uncommonly likely to be prolific readers, with an unusually wide range of interests. They have an uncommonly broad and deep vocabulary. They can think and learn with striking speed. They are frequently proficient at formulating new ideas, and very strongly tend to be articulate (particularly if average or above in extraversion). People very high in openness can see old things in strikingly new ways. They can formulate any single problem in an uncommonly diverse range of ways, and can generate an atypically large number of problem-solving solutions. They will continually seek change, often to make things better, but also just for the sake of change.

People who are very high in openness to experience are not well adapted to and do not do well in situations or occupations that are routinized and predictable. They do not fit in at all well at the bottom of hierarchies. They are uncommonly ill-suited to entry-level, repetitive, rote positions, because they are always thinking up new ways to do things, and such ideas are seldom welcome from someone at the bottom. They are very radical thinkers. They shake things up, particularly if they are also disagreeable and assertive. They are more likely to be revolutionary rebels (particularly if average or below in conscientiousness).

Individuals very high in openness to experience are entrepreneurial in spirit, as well as smart and creative. They have very much higher than average interest in creating new ventures, sometimes for profit, sometimes for curiosity, and sometimes for personal transformation. Very high levels of openness to experience appear necessary to the formation and leadership of business and other forms of complex organization, although conscientiousness appears required for the attention to detail and process management that such organizations also always need.

Because people who are very high in openness to experience tend to be interested in everything, this can make it hard for them to settle on a single path in life, to specialize to a necessary degree, and to create an integrated identity. This is particularly dangerous if they are high in neuroticism and/or low in conscientiousness. People characterized by the combination of high openness to experience and high neuroticism continually undermine their own convictions and beliefs by incessant questioning and make themselves lost and anxious. Open, unconscientious people tend to be “under-achievers” (particularly if also above average in neuroticism). Such people appear to have the capability to succeed, can learn quickly, and are creative, but they seldom implement their ideas.

Openness to experience is the dimension that best predicts political allegiance (with conscientiousness, particularly the aspect of orderliness, coming in at second place). Those who are liberal, politically, are very much more likely to be high in openness to experience than conservatives.

Women and men differ very little in openness to experience at the trait level, although there are differences in the aspect levels.

Trait openness to experience is made up of the aspects of intellect and openness.



Intellect: High

Note: Do not confuse the personality aspect of Intellect with IQ. Intellect is a measure of interest in abstract ideas, essentially, while IQ is a measure of processing speed, verbal ability, working memory, and problem solving capacity, and is better measured with a formal IQ test. It is perfectly possible to have a high IQ and a low score on the personality trait of Intellect (or the reverse).

You are high in intellect, which is one aspect of openness to experience. Your score puts you at the 86th percentile for intellect. If you were one of 100 people in a room, you would be higher in intellect than 86 of them and lower in intellect than 13 of them.

People high in intellect are quite interested in ideas and abstract concepts. They enjoy being confronted with novel information, even when it is complex. They are substantially more curious and exploratory than average, and frequently like to tackle and solve problems. They will actively engage in and seek out and initiate issue-oriented discussions, and are likely to read, think about and want to discuss idea-centered books (most frequently non-fiction). They are generally articulate and can formulate ideas clearly and quickly (particularly if average or higher in extraversion). They have a wide vocabulary, and actively enjoy learning new things. People high in intellect will often find and generate novel, creative concepts and voluntarily search for and adapt well to new experience and situations.

 INTELLECT
86th percentile

You are higher in intellect than 86 of 100 people
People high in intellect find complex, rapidly changing occupations to their liking and will generally do well at them (particularly if they are also high in conscientiousness and low in neuroticism). However, they are substantially less well-suited to stable, straightforward and more traditional occupations, where the rules don't change, and will experience frequent periods of boredom and frustration in such positions.

Liberals are higher in intellect than conservatives (although the biggest difference between the two is openness to experience at the trait level).

Women are lower than men in intellect (although not in IQ). This is probably a difference in interest: people high in intellect, compared to openness, are more likely to prefer the sciences to the arts. The mean percentile for women in a general population (women and men) is 45. For men it is 55.



Openness: Very High

You are very high in openness, which is one aspect of openness to experience. Your score puts you at the 90th percentile for openness. If you were one of 100 people in a room, you would be higher in openness than 90 of them and lower in openness than 9 of them.

The closest synonym for openness (rather than openness to experience, which encompasses openness and intellect) is creativity. Very open, creative people love beauty. They require an outlet for their creative ability, or they cannot thrive. They need to be surrounded by art or beautiful crafts. They are strikingly sensitive to color and architectural form. They very much like to collect things, now and then to the point of obsession. They are very imaginative, and love to daydream and reflect on things. They are uncommonly affected by music, often of many genres, and may be musical or artistic themselves (both of these are rare in the general population). They can get unusually immersed in a book, or a movie, or in their own thoughts, and become oblivious to the outside world. They respond very strongly to beauty, creativity and art.

 OPENNESS
90th percentile

You are higher in openness than 90 of 100 people
Very open, creative people can be impractical and flighty, however (particularly if low in conscientiousness). It can be extremely difficult to transform creativity into money, or into a career. High levels of openness are, furthermore, necessary for entrepreneurial success, and often prove useful at the top of hierarchies, even in very conservative occupations such as banking, accounting and law, which need creative people in leadership positions to provide new vision and direction.

Liberals are higher in openness than conservatives (although the biggest difference between the two is openness to experience, at the trait level).

Women are higher in openness than men. The mean percentile for women in a general population (women and men) is 56.5. For men it is 44.5.