In this video, we'll begin our discussion of personality by reviewing one of the most widelyused and best approaches to categorizing and conceptualizing people's personalities: the Big 5 (OCEAN). After reviewing the Big 5 Personality Traits, we'll touch on how personality changes over the lifespan as well as cultural differences in personality.

Personality: An individual’s characteristics, emotional responses, thoughts and behaviors that are relatively stable over time.

Big 5 Personality Traits: A dimensional, trait approach to understanding and quantifying personality; seeks to boil down personality to its elemental parts by breaking down personality into five dimensions (“OCEAN”).

Openness: The tendency to enjoy new experiences and ideas.

Conscientiousness: One's sense of duty, discipline, and orderliness.

Extraversion: Tendency to seek stimulation and company; extraversion (vs. introversion) is defined and determined by whether social interaction energies or drains you.

Agreeableness: Degree to which you are willing to upset others.

Neuroticism: Tendency to experience and express unpleasant emotions.