Understand Myself

Personality Assessment Report

Prepared for Catalin Prisacaru

The Understand Myself personality assessment and report is based on the Big Five Aspects

Scale, the scientific model that describes your personality through the (Big Five) factors and
each of their two aspects. This report describes where you stand in comparison to others in

the general population on the these traits and aspects.

understandmyself.com
my scores

Agreeableness 8
Extraversion 1
Conscientiousness 41
Openness 68
Neuroticism 74

The traits and aspects of the Big Five personality model are:

Agreeableness: Compassion and Politeness

Conscientiousness: Industriousness and Orderliness

Extraversion: Enthusiasm and Assertiveness

Neuroticism: Withdrawal and Volatility

Openness: Intellect and Aesthetics

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In the original Big Five Aspects Scale model, the openness factor was entitled "Openness to

Experience," and its aspects were called "Intellect" and "Openness". For the sake of clarity, we

have deviated from this, and use "Openness" or "Openness to Experience" to refer to the
factor level trait and "Intellect" and "Aesthetics" to refer to its aspects.

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 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).

Your scores are presented as percentiles. A percentile indicates where you stand on a

particular trait with respect to the population. A percentile score of, say, 63, indicates that your
score is as high or higher than 63% of the population.

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 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.

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Agreeableness: Very Low

You are very low in agreeableness, which is the primary dimension of interpersonal

interaction in the Big Five personality trait scientific model. The two aspects of agreeableness
are compassion and politeness.

Your score puts you at the 8th percentile for agreeableness. If you were one of 100 people in

a room, you would be lower in agreeableness than 91 of them and higher in agreeableness

than 8 of them.

Agreeableness
Very Low
8

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.

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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.

People with very low levels of agreeableness are seen by others as markedly competitive,
colder, tougher and very much less empathic. They do not easily see the best in others, and

are not particularly tolerant (an attitude that is much valued by agreeable people). They are

very much less concerned about the emotional state of others, are uncommonly willing to
engage in conflict, and will happily sacrifice peace and harmony to make a point or (if

conscientious) to get things done. People may find them painfully straightforward and blunt.

They tend very strongly towards dominance, rather than submission (particularly if also below
average in neuroticism).

People with very low levels of agreeableness do not easily forgive. They are not accepting,

flexible, gentle or patient. They don’t easily feel pity for those who are excluded, punished or

defeated, and tend to attribute such problems to weakness. They are also very unlikely to be
taken advantage of by disagreeable, manipulative or otherwise troublesome people, or those

with criminal or predatory intent. Their high levels of skepticism play a protective role,
although it may often interfere with their ability to cooperate with or trust others whose

intentions are genuinely good. They are also less likely to reward good behavior or to give

credit where it is due. They can cooperate, when cooperation is in their clear self-interest, but
very much appreciate competition, with its well-defined losers and winners. They do not easily

lose arguments (or avoid discussions) with anyone, and can forthrightly enjoy the battle.
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They can be very good at bargaining for themselves, and at negotiating for more recognition

or power, and are likely to have higher salaries and to earn more money, in consequence.

People very low in agreeableness are therefore less likely to suffer from resentment or to
harbour invisible anger. They let you know what they think, when they think it. In addition,

because of their tendency to engage in conflict, when necessary, people low in agreeableness

tend not to sacrifice medium- to long-term stability and function for the sake of short-term
peace. This means that problems that should be solved in the present are often solved, and

do not accumulate counterproductively across time, although people close to those very low

in agreeableness may often experience them as overbearing and uncaring.

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.

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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.
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Compassion: Exceptionally Low

You are exceptionally low in compassion. Compassion is an aspect of agreeableness. The

other aspect of agreeableness is politeness.

Your score puts you at the 2nd percentile for compassion. If you were one of 100 people in a

room, you would be lower in compassion than 97 of them and higher in compassion than 2 of
them.

Compassion
Exceptionally Low
2

Exceptionally less compassionate people are not at all oriented towards the problems of other
people or other living things. They are not swayed or emotionally engaged by helplessness or

cuteness. They are very willing, even happy, to make other people experience negative

emotion by engaging in conflict and competition.

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They want to win, period, and will engage in the confrontation necessary to do so. They are

therefore very much less concerned about helping other people. They make certain their own

needs and interests are attended to, and are extraordinarily unwilling to sacrifice for the sake
of other people’s comfort. This can make them harsh and unsympathetic. People might turn

to them for the blunt, cold, hard truth, but never for a soft, patient, eternally-listening ear.

They are remarkably less empathetic and caring. However, because they are not primarily
other-oriented, they can negotiate expertly on their own behalf, and get at least what they

deserve (and perhaps more). In consequence, they are unlikely to harbor feelings of

resentment or hidden anger. They find it difficult to trust, however, even when such trust
would be productive, and other people are likely to find them callous and unfeeling.

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.

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Politeness: Moderately Low

You are moderately low in politeness. Politeness is an aspect of agreeableness. The other

aspect of agreeableness is compassion.

Your score puts you at the 32nd percentile for politeness. If you were one of 100 people in a

room, you would be lower in politeness than 67 of them and higher in politeness than 32 of
them.

Politeness
Moderately Low
32

People who are moderately low in politeness are not particularly deferential to authority – nor
are they markedly obedient. They can be respectful, but only to people who clearly deserve it,

and they are willing to push back when challenged. They are not particularly uncomfortable

confronting other people.

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People moderately low in politeness are not particularly motivated to avoid conflict, or to steer

clear of conflict or fights.

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.
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Conscientiousness: Typical or Average

You are typical or average in conscientiousness, which is the primary dimension of dutiful

achievement in the Big Five personality trait scientific model.

Your score puts you at the 41st percentile for conscientiousness. If you were one of 100
people in a room, you would be higher in conscientiousness than 41 of them and lower in

conscientiousness than 58 of them.

Conscientiousness
Typical or Average
41

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. The two aspects of
conscientiousness are industriousness and orderliness.
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People of average conscientious levels generally do their duty, although they are not sloggers.

They are reliable, but waste some of their time and have some proclivity to procrastinate

(particularly if they are also above average in neuroticism). Most of the time, however, a
person of average conscientiousness will deliver what he or she promises, and usually close to

or on time and schedule. They are reasonably decisive, neat, organized, future-oriented, and

reliable. They can maintain focus, but have some trouble fighting off distraction.

Typically conscientious people tend to obtain more moderate grades in academic settings
(unless they are also highly intelligent). They make reasonably competent administrators and

managers. Their performance in such situations would be improved by more diligence and

focus, and through the use of careful scheduling. They mildly prefer to have everything in its
proper place, but are by no means obsessed with detail.

Typically conscientious people are not particularly prone to guilt (although they may let things

slide to the point where they have something to feel guilty about), and they are relatively free

of shame, self-disgust and self-contempt.

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Individuals who are typically conscientious do not react too negatively to failure. They can let

themselves off the hook, and tend not to be too judgmental about their own faults, or those of

others. They will suffer some shame and guilt when unemployed or otherwise unoccupied,
particularly when that occurs through no fault of their own. People of average

conscientiousness are reasonably committed to personal responsibility, but also believe that

there is more to life than diligence, orderliness and duty. They think that those who work hard
should and usually will be rewarded, but also note that luck and chance play their role. They

are not excessively preoccupied with hygiene, moral purity or achievement, and are unlikely to

be micro-managers or over-controlling.

People with typical levels of conscientiousness are no more likely to be political conservatives
or liberals (although they will tilt towards the former if low in openness and the latter if high).

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.

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Industriousness: Moderately Low

You are moderately low in industriousness. Industriousness is an aspect of conscientiousness.

The other aspect of conscientiousness is orderliness.

Your score puts you at the 32nd percentile for industriousness. If you were one of 100 people

in a room, you would be lower in industriousness than 67 of them and higher in

industriousness than 32 of them.

Industriousness
Moderately Low
32

People who are lower in industriousness are 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 are likely to be regarded as underachievers.

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They don’t focus on work as much as others and are more likely to procrastinate, miss

deadlines, or fail to complete assignments or projects completely. They have a tendency to put

off responsibilities, concentrating more on fun, worry, relationships, excitement or creative

endeavour. They aren’t particularly concerned with schedules, timelines or efficiency, and may

have to be supervised excessively before their tasks will be completed. They lack focus and are

easily distracted.

People moderately low in industriousness are not judgmental to themselves or others. They
tend to let people, including themselves, off the hook. They are less likely to believe that

people fail because they don’t apply themselves or work hard, assuming that chance and luck

play the determining roles. They are not prone to guilt, self-disgust or self-contempt, and have
a laissez-faire, whatever-will-be-will-be attitude toward life.

Those who are liberal and those who are conservative 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.

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Orderliness: Typical or Average

You are typical or average in orderliness. Orderliness is an aspect of conscientiousness. The

other aspect of conscientiousness is industriousness.

Your score puts you at the 54th percentile for orderliness. If you were one of 100 people in a

room, you would be higher in orderliness than 54 of them and lower in orderliness than 45 of
them.

54 Orderliness
Typical or Average

Typically orderly people are neither particularly disturbed nor disgusted by mess and chaos.
They keep everything moderately tidy and organized. They don’t think in terms of simple black

and white; in their world, there are many shades of grey. They don’t rely overmuch on

schedules, lists or routines, preferring to take things as they come.

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They are not overly oriented toward detail, rigidly rule-abiding or judgmental.

They like routine and predictability, under some circumstances, but don’t mind if such things

are disrupted. They can manage complex, sensitive processes when supervised properly and

carefully, but may have to be reminded to pay proper attention and maintain focus. They can,
however, tolerate the mess, disruption and intervening periods of chaos that may accompany

creative endeavor.

Those who are average in orderliness are no more likely to be political conservatives or

liberals, although they will tend toward the former if low in openness and the latter if high.

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.
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Extraversion: Exceptionally Low

You are exceptionally low 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. The two aspects of extraversion are enthusiasm and assertiveness.

Your score puts you at the 1st percentile for extraversion. If you were one of 100 people in a

room, you would be lower in extraversion than 98 of them and higher in extraversion than 1
of them.

Extraversion
Exceptionally Low
1

Since extraversion and introversion are poles that denote the ends of the spectrum for this
trait, you can also think of yourself as exceedingly introverted.
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People with exceptionally low levels of extraversion are extraordinarily less enthusiastic,

talkative, assertive in social situations, or gregarious. They find social contact rapidly draining

and tiring, and uncontrollably crave time alone to recharge. They rarely plan parties, tell jokes,
make people laugh, or volunteer for community activities. They are much more likely to be

depressed and to have lower levels of self-esteem (particularly if they are high in neuroticism).

They are generally much more pessimistic about the past, present and future.

People exceptionally low in extraversion keep almost everything to themselves, feeling no

compulsion to share their general thoughts with other people. They are not at all self-

disclosing, either, and warm up very slowly to other people. They are markedly uncomfortable

in group-oriented situations, much preferring one-to-one interactions (again, particularly

when high in neuroticism). They are very much less likely to speak up in meetings, will almost

never speak first, and must be prodded for an opinion. They are remarkably less likely to

captivate and convince, especially in groups, and will very rarely be the first to act in an
ambiguous situation.

Those exceptionally low in extraversion are much more suited to occupations that require

working alone or with a few other well-known individuals (such as computer programming or
accounting). Jobs involving sales, persuasion, working in groups and public speaking do not at

all appeal to them, and they are very unlikely to be successful at such things (particularly if

they are also high in neuroticism and/or low in conscientiousness).

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People exceptionally low in extraversion are, however, very rarely impulsive, even when

offered the opportunity to do something particularly exciting or fun. They very rarely choose

to sacrifice the future to the present, when something social or group-oriented beckons. They
would much rather be alone to study and work. They do not find opportunities to chat, joke

and socialize distracting. This is particularly the case if they are also high in conscientiousness.

However, when people are very introverted and conscientious, they are less productive than
when extraverted and conscientious, perhaps because they have lower levels of energy. When

very introverted and comparatively unconscientious, however, they are more productive than

when extraverted and unconscientious.

People exceptionally low in extraversion are much less dominant in social situations,
particularly when they are also high in agreeableness. Less agreeable extraverts tend to be

self-centered – something that can be made worse if they are also low in conscientiousness.

Uncommonly introverted people are protected against such tendencies.

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.

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Enthusiasm: Exceptionally Low

You are exceptionally low in enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is an aspect of extraversion. The other

aspect of extraversion is assertiveness.

Your score puts you at the 0th percentile for enthusiasm. If you were one of 100 people in a

room, you would be lower in enthusiasm than 99 of them and higher in enthusiasm than 0 of
them.

Enthusiasm
Exceptionally Low
0

Individuals who are exceptionally low in enthusiasm are very quiet and remarkably un-
excitable. They can be extremely hard to get to know, as they are neither chatty nor bubbly.

When they do talk – and they do so rarely – it tends to be about things in which they find

exceptional interest.
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They open up to other people with great difficulty, particularly in larger social gatherings or

parties. They laugh very much more rarely than others. They clearly prefer solitude and find it

difficult to enjoy themselves around other people. At most, they can handle social contact in
tiny doses. They are extremely private people, on the loner side of the distribution, and are

neither positive nor optimistic. They very actively avoid the spotlight and, if creative, may find

performing aversive and draining. They seek out stimulation, excitement, activity or fun
extraordinarily rarely (and, if they do so, very much prefer quieter activities). People

exceptionally low in enthusiasm are highly solitary, finding it uncommonly difficult to generate

a felt sense of excitement when offered the opportunity to engage in something that others
might find engaging or entertaining.

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.

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Assertiveness: Low

You are low in assertiveness. Assertiveness is an aspect of extraversion. The other aspect of

extraversion is enthusiasm.

Your score puts you at the 18th percentile for assertiveness. If you were one of 100 people in

a room, you would be lower in assertiveness than 81 of them and higher in assertiveness than
18 of them.

Assertiveness
Low
18

People low in assertiveness are not known to be “take charge” types. They put their own
opinions forward rarely and with reservation, and do not typically attempt to dominate and

control social situations. Such people tend not to be captivating in social groups.
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They manifest much less of the communication style that is often associated with leadership.

This can be a handicap when they are knowledgeable, competent and able, but causes less

trouble when they aren’t. Those low in assertiveness are much less likely to be people of
spontaneous action. They don’t leap in heedlessly and, in consequence, tend to allow others

to lead the way. They are much less impulsive, in consequence, and hardly ever act without

thinking.

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.
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Neuroticism: Moderately High

You are moderately high in 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. The

two aspects of neuroticism are withdrawal and volatility.

Your score puts you at the 74th percentile for neuroticism. If you were one of 100 people in a

room, you would be higher in neuroticism than 74 of them and lower in neuroticism than 25 of
them.

74 Neuroticism Moderately High

People with moderately high levels of neuroticism are somewhat more likely to think that
things have gone wrong in the past, are going wrong now, and will continue to go wrong into

the future.
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They are also a bit more likely to be unhappy, anxious and irritable when just thinking or

remembering, and when they encounter a genuine problem. They have lower than average

levels of self-esteem, particularly when they are also low in extraversion. Neuroticism is a risk
factor for anxiety disorders and depression.

Moderately high levels of neuroticism may interfere somewhat with both success and

satisfaction in relationships and career, with the strongest effect on relationships. Moderately

high levels of neuroticism are associated with slightly more concern about mental and physical
health, as well as more physician and emergency room visits, and higher than average levels of

absenteeism at work and at school (particularly if accompanied by below average levels of

conscientiousness).

People with moderately high levels of neuroticism appear to be somewhat risk-averse, which
means they will be less likely to pursue or enjoy recreational, career, financial and social

situations where the possibility of loss is high. Such people appear to be concerned with

maintaining their current status, rather than enhancing it. Perhaps this is a good strategy in
genuinely dangerous or uncertain times.
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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.

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Withdrawal: High

You are high in withdrawal. Withdrawal is an aspect of neuroticism. The other aspect of

neuroticism is volatility.

Your score puts you at the 86th percentile for withdrawal. If you were one of 100 people in a

room, you would be higher in withdrawal than 86 of them and lower in withdrawal than 13 of
them.

86 Withdrawal High

Individuals high in withdrawal may feel above average levels of anticipatory anxiety. This
makes it much more challenging for them to approach new, uncertain, unexpected,

threatening or complex situations. They are instead substantially more likely to avoid or

withdraw in the face of the unknown and unexpected.

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People high in withdrawal much more frequently feel sad, lonesome, disappointed and grief-

stricken. They have higher than average levels of doubt and worry, become embarrassed

easily, are self-conscious and strongly tend to get discouraged in the face of threat and
punishment. Their anticipatory anxiety is likely to be general. They are sensitive to social

rejection, and can be relatively easily hurt. Once hurt, frightened, or anxious, as well, it takes

them longer to recover. They can be argumentative and lose their composure. They can be
provocative in a dispute (particularly if also low in agreeableness). Perhaps people high in

withdrawal are concerned that something bad might happen, while people high in volatility

(the other aspect of neuroticism) get upset if something bad does happen. Technically,
withdrawal has been associated with activity in the brain systems that regulate passive

avoidance.

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.

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Volatility: Typical or Average

You are typical or average in volatility. Volatility is an aspect of neuroticism. The other aspect

of neuroticism is withdrawal.

Your score puts you at the 53rd percentile for volatility. If you were one of 100 people in a

room, you would be higher in volatility than 53 of them and lower in volatility than 46 of them.

53 Volatility
Typical or Average

Individuals average in volatility tend not to vary abnormally in their mood. They are not

particularly irritable, and feel no more than typical levels of disappointment, frustration, pain
and social isolation.
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They express their frustration, disappointment and irritability reasonably and not excessively

often. Even when stirred up and upset or angry or irritated, they calm down relatively quickly.

They are no more argumentative than average and infrequently lose their composure.

If provoked in a dispute, a person of average volatility may react in kind (particularly if also low
in agreeableness). However, such people generally 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 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.

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Openness: Moderately High

You are moderately high in openness, which is the primary dimension of creativity, artistic

interest and intelligence (particularly verbal intelligence) in the Big Five personality trait
scientific model. Openness is a measure of interest in novelty, art, literature, abstract thinking,

philosophy as well as sensitivity to aesthetic emotions and beauty. The two aspects of

openness are intellect and aesthetics.

Your score puts you at the 68th percentile for openness. If you were one of 100 people in a
room, you would be higher in openness than 68 of them and lower in openness than 31 of

them.

68 Openness Moderately High

People with moderately high levels of openness are somewhat more likely than average to be

characterized by others as smart, creative, exploratory, intelligent and visionary.

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They tend to be more interested in learning and in acquiring new abilities and skills. They are

curious and exploratory. They find themselves interested in abstract thinking, philosophy, and

the meaning of belief systems and ideologies. They attend cultural events such as movies,
concerts, dance recitals, plays, poetry readings, gallery openings and art shows. They are likely

to enjoy writing. They enjoy complex, abstract ideas more than the average person, and like to

confront and solve problems.

They are likely to be readers, with a wider range of interests. They have a broader and deeper
vocabulary. They can think and learn quite quickly. They are comparatively proficient at

formulating new ideas, and tend to be articulate (particularly if average or above in

extraversion). People moderately high in openness can sometimes see old things in new ways.
They can formulate problems in a diverse range of ways, and can typically generate a

reasonable number of problem-solving solutions. They enjoy change, often to make things

better, but also just for the sake of change.

People who are moderately high in openness are somewhat less well adapted to situations or
occupations that are routinized and predictable. They have some trouble fitting in at the

bottom of hierarchies. They are less suited to entry-level, repetitive, rote positions, because
they often think up new ways to do things, and such ideas are seldom welcome from someone

at the bottom. They are creative thinkers. They tend to shake things up a bit, particularly if

they are also disagreeable and assertive, and may be attracted to more revolutionary ideas
(particularly if below average in conscientiousness).
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Individuals moderately high in openness tend to be entrepreneurial in spirit, as well as

smarter and more creative. They have more than average interest in creating new ventures,

sometimes for profit, sometimes for curiosity, and sometimes for personal transformation. At
least moderately high levels of openness 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.

People moderately high in openness tend to be interested in many things. However, they can

still typically settle on a single path in life, to specialize to a necessary degree, and to create an

integrated identity (unless they are very high or above in neuroticism and/or very low or below
in conscientiousness). People characterized by the combination of moderately high openness

and very high or above levels of neuroticism can undermine their own convictions and beliefs

by questioning and making 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 can have some
trouble implementing their ideas.

Openness 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 than conservatives.

Women and men differ very little in openness at the trait level, although there are differences
in the aspect levels.
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Intellect: Typical or Average

You are typical or average in intellect. Intellect is an aspect of openness. The other aspect of

openness is aesthetics.

Your score puts you at the 47th percentile for intellect. If you were one of 100 people in a

room, you would be higher in intellect than 47 of them and lower in intellect than 52 of them.

Intellect
Typical or Average
47

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.
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People typical in intellect can be interested in ideas and abstract concepts. They don't mind

and sometimes enjoy being confronted with novel information, however, even if it is complex.

They are as curious as the average person, and occasionally like to tackle and solve intellectual
problems. They are sometimes compelled to engage in philosophical discussions, and to enjoy

complex books (most frequently non-fiction), but more straightforward issues and topics are

generally sufficient. They are acceptably articulate and can formulate and communicate their
ideas reasonably well (particularly if average or higher in extraversion). They have a

vocabulary of normal breadth and depth, and can enjoy learning new things. Occasionally

they will seek out or generate novel, creative concepts and find and adapt well to new
experiences and situations.

People typical or average in intellect sometimes find complex, rapidly changing occupations

less to their liking and are reasonably likely to do well at them (particularly if they are also high

in conscientiousness and low in neuroticism). They are also well-suited to stable,

straightforward and more traditional occupations, where the rules for success are well-

defined and tend not to change, although they may experience sporadic periods of boredom
in such positions.

Liberals are higher in intellect than conservatives (although the biggest difference between the

two is openness 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 aesthetics, 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.

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Aesthetics: High

You are high in aesthetics. Aesthetics is an aspect of openness. The other aspect of openness

is intellect.

Your score puts you at the 80th percentile for aesthetics. If you were one of 100 people in a

room, you would be higher in aesthetics than 80 of them and lower in aesthetics than 19 of
them.

80 Aesthetics High

In the original Big Five Aspects Scale model, the openness factor was entitled "Openness to
Experience," and its aspects were called "Intellect" and "Openness". For the sake of clarity, we

have deviated from this, and use "Openness" or "Openness to Experience" to refer to the

factor level trait and "Intellect" and "Aesthetics" to refer to its aspects.
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Generally speaking, a person's aesthetics score reflects their creativity. People who are high in

aesthetics love beauty. They need an outlet for their creative ability, or they have difficulty

thriving. They want to be surrounded by art or beautiful crafts. They are sensitive to color and
architectural form. They like to collect things. They are imaginative, and like to daydream and

reflect on things. They are affected comparatively deeply 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 thoroughly immersed in a book, or a movie, or in their own thoughts, and become

somewhat oblivious to the outside world. They respond strongly to beauty, creativity and art.

They 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 creativity
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 aesthetics than conservatives (although the biggest difference between
the two is openness at the trait level).

Women are higher in aesthetics than men. The mean percentile for women in a general

population (women and men) is 56.5. For men it is 44.5.