Introduction
The Big Five model proposed nowadays by Paul Costa, Jr. and Robert McCrae among others, focuses on describing the five basic factors of personality. These descriptions are derived from common words used to speak about personality, a lexical approach, supported by factor analysis of tests completed by the observed. The subjects can assess their levels of these qualities via a self-report questionnaire, the NEO-PI. The five factors are Openness, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism (Cloninger, 2013).
Each of these qualities will be analyzed as seen in a friend’s personality, in a separate body paragraph of this report, with a conclusion summarizing the information. This paper consists of an analysis of Andrew’s personality according to the Big Five theory, supported by observances from the subject’s daily life as evidenced by the writer.
Extraversion
Andrew possesses a high degree of Extraversion, as observed by the writer. He has no difficulties with public speaking and does not get tired by populous gatherings, being quite sociable, and enjoying a large circle of friends of which the writer is one. For all that, he has never been perceived as narcissistic or attention-seeking, to the best of the writer’s knowledge. His talkativeness has been at times tiring for the writer, who is a somewhat introverted person, but Andrew is not one for small talk, his monologues are informative and full of insights. Andrew is passionate about his interests, as evidenced by his video blog on environmental protection and the support of animal rights. He has also been active in peaceful protest actions in support of these causes and was not afraid to state his views in front of the cameras.
Openness
Andrew can be seen as possessing a high degree of Openness, as evidenced by the scope of his interests. They include jazz music, of which he is an avid listener and collector, though he does not play a musical instrument. He is an enthusiastic pursuer of sustainable living and lives by the Reduce Reuse Recycle motto. Andrew is artistic, as evidenced by his drawings, and the placards he designed were featured in several protest actions. In his pursuit of sustainable living, he has undertaken various projects, such as growing his own greens and herbs and creating a recycling and reusing system for his family’s home. He has significantly contributed to the writer’s personal growth, as with his recommendations guided by a love of foreign cinema, the writer has broadened his cultural horizons.
Agreeableness
Andrew is usually quick to resolve conflict, as he is quite agreeable and friendly, and does not wish for anyone to feel bad. Nonetheless, when he perceives those he cares about to be hurt, especially discriminated against, he might hold a grudge for some time but will talk to the guilty party to ensure understanding and responsibility. There is, however, no possibility of him avoiding conflict in the instances of animal abuse, the writer has observed him being extremely difficult in forgiving these. On the other hand, Andrew enjoys helping others in need, people and animals alike, and has been perceived as soft-hearted because of it. Overall, he can be seen as having “more interactions with his family and very few open conflicts” (Cloninger, 2013, p. 243).
Conscientiousness
Andrew is moderate in his Conscientiousness, as, though he is extremely responsible as to environmental issues, going as far as becoming a vegetarian, the writer could not consider him ambitious and career-oriented, as his projects are rather small-scale. At times, he neglects his home and school duties in favor of helping at an animal shelter and is thus regarded as irresponsible by his parents. Therefore, he could be considered hardworking only while his interests and passions are directly concerned.
Neuroticism
Regrettably, the writer can not state that Andrew is high on the scale of emotional stability. His moderate Neuroticism can be observed in anxiety as to the state of the environment; the feeling is heightened by the news reports. He worries as well about the rescue animals’ life with new owners and is quite emotional when saying goodbye to the pets. Nevertheless, he is not particularly vulnerable and is usually calm in other stressful situations, such as school tests or a pet suddenly getting sick. The writer does not see him as depressed, “having low self-esteem, irrational perfectionistic beliefs or pessimistic attitudes” ( McCrae et al., 1999, p. 164).
Conclusion
The writer’s friend Andrew is an extraverted individual, loved and valued by his circle of friends, and active in his interests. Open to new knowledge, he is creative in his varied pursuits, with his drawings showing his artistic side. Highly agreeable, he is friendly to the point of neglecting his own duties for the benefit of helping others but will enter into open hostility when people are discriminated against or animals abused. Thus, it could be stated that he is only moderately conscientious, as the writer has not noticed him having any grand ambitions. Andrew is moderately neurotic, taking to heart solely those issues that mean most to him, and is not depressed to the best of the writer’s knowledge.
References
Cloninger, S. C. (2013). Theories of Personality: Understanding Persons (6th Ed). Boston, MA: Pearson.
McCrae, R. R., and Costa Jr, P. T. (1999). A five-factor theory of personality. In O. P. John, R. W. Robins & L. A. Pervin (Eds.) Handbook of personality: Theory and research, (3rd Ed), 159-181. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.