Acting Honestly

 (Honesty-Humility)

Describes the extent to which  a person values and adheres to  ethical and moral standards of  behavior, as well as personal level  of humility

Genuineness

Being sincere and truthful in interactions, appropriately giving others  credit, and acknowledging his or her mistakes

Fairness*

Acting in ways that are intended to be unbiased and fair to everyone

Modesty*

Being humble about achievements, presenting a realistic view of himself or herself, and avoiding boasting or acting superior to others

Keeping an Open Mind

(Openness to Experience)

Describes a person’s level of open-mindedness and curiosity about a variety of ideas, beliefs, people, and experiences

Creativity

Generating original ideas, using existing ideas or things in new ways, and having an active imagination

Curiosity

Seeking out information to better understand a wide range of topic areas and/or obtaining a depth of understanding in one topic area that goes beyond what is required

Flexibility

Adapting to new environments and making adjustments to accommodate changes

Accepting Differences

Being open-minded and accepting of ideas, cultures, and ways of doing things that are different from his or her own

Maintaining Composure

(Emotionality)

Describes the extent to which a person is relatively calm, serene, and able to manage emotions effectively

Stress Tolerance

The degree to which a person can control feelings of anxiety and other negative emotions in order to function effectively in a range of situations

Self-Confidence

A tendency to be self-assured and to make decisions without needing a lot of input from others

Socializing with Others

(Extraversion)

Describes a person’s preferred  level of social interaction, behavior  in interpersonal situations, and  optimism

Assertiveness

Influencing others and preferring to be in charge in social interactions and group activities

Optimism

The degree to which a person expresses a positive mood and a positive outlook

Sociability

Seeking out and enjoying situations involving interpersonal interaction  and building relationships with others

Getting Along with Others

(Agreeableness)

Describes the extent to which a  person interacts positively and  cooperates with others, and is  generally kind, friendly, and tactful

Cooperation

Being respectful, polite, collaborative, and skilled at working through  conflict with other people

Perspective Taking

Identifying, acknowledging, and understanding the emotions of others,  showing concern for others, and considering the audience when providing information

Goodwill

Assuming others have good intentions, trusting others, being able to forgive and not holding grudges

Helpfulness

Helping others and being generous with his or her time and/or resources despite personal cost

Patience

Tolerating frustrations presented by others or by situations without  expressing irritation or hostility

Sustaining Effort

(Conscientiousness)

Describes a person's level of diligence, effort, organization, self-control, and compliance

Dependability

Reliably fulfilling responsibilities, meeting deadlines, and producing quality work

Order

Planning and organizing tasks and materials, creating schedules, monitoring progress, and paying close attention to details

Persistence

Working hard, making progress on relevant tasks, and maintaining focus despite setbacks or difficulties

Rule Consciousness

Following rules and procedures and complying with authority

Goal Striving

Setting challenging goals, doing tasks without being told, and working  to improve or learn new skills

Self-Control

Managing impulses and weighing the consequences of one’s behavior before acting

Persistence is part of the Sustaining Effort domain and includes behavioral skills associated  with working hard, making progress on relevant tasks, and maintaining focus despite setbacks  or difficulties. Persistence is further subdivided into three subcomponents describing  narrower sets of behavior, each associated with more specific behavioral skill examples:  (1) Overcoming Challenges (e.g., working through obstacles in order to complete tasks,  responding to failure by trying harder), (2) Maintaining Effort (e.g., steadily making effort  on tasks over time; putting forth effort on tasks even when he or she finds them boring,  uninteresting, or unimportant), and (3) Focusing (e.g., focusing attention on current task  despite distractions, spending a sufficient amount of time focusing all his or her attention on  the task at hand without moving to a different task).

Cooperation is part of the Getting Along Well with Others domain and includes behavioral  skills associated with being respectful, polite, and collaborative, and with working through  conflict with other people. Cooperation is further subdivided into (1) Respect for Others (e.g.,  using polite and respectful language when speaking to others, not interrupting when others  are speaking), (2) Collaboration (e.g., sharing ideas about potential ways to define tasks  and/or solve problems, actively listening and asking questions when appropriate to better  understand what others are saying), and (3) Conflict Management (e.g., identifying sources  of conflict in the group, compromising with others in order to resolve conflict).