I feel that an interesting aspect of this past chapter was the idea of the big five model of categorizing personality. I think it realistically portrays the various, diverse traits that compose an individual, in a more accurate way than simply measuring the dislikes or likes about basic concepts. The Big five personality model helps to explain the social situation of different individuals in different situations by showing the complexity and intensity of the feeling directed towards a specific action. I think it's incredibly interesting how applicable the ideas said to be the main categories determining major personality attributes are to my life and many of the qualities displayed in the people around me. It is proposed that certain attributes can determine certain outcomes given specific situations but I feel that there are many contradictions to what is often predicted or stereotyped. The five basic personality traits are said to be the tendency to be open to new experiences typically seen through the ability to seek out situations bringing unusual outcomes, the ability/ tendency to be responsible or steadily work towards a cautious or achievable goal, and the possibility of being outgoing in a situation with other individuals. The factor of being agreeable and willing to adapt constantly, to 'go with the flow' is also able to be measured through this theory along with the tendency of an individual to worry or feel anxiously tense about certain situations. Personally, I feel I have experienced all of these aspects said to compose a personality, and to an extent, I feel they do impact the predictability of feelings and reactions to some people, things or events. To illustrate my point i found an article describing the applicability of many of these aspects making up the big five model. This article discusses differences in gender for entrepeneurs but also many interesting concepts regarding psychological well-being. At one point the article says, "People with high self-esteem are more likely to take risks and enter difficult and unconventional occupations because they believe in their abilities. This is an important part of the adjustment factor as it relates to stability and confidence (Ellis & Taylor, 1983; Hollenbeck & Brief, 1987)." Things like these really interest me about the overall study of psychology and are incredibly applicable to everyday life.
Sources Cited: textbook references and http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb6005/is_1-2_9/ai_n29064696/
