The New "Big Five": An Expanded Personality Model

Send us Fan MailRead the article on SubstackPerhaps the most interesting revelation is that there's no statistical support for a single, overarching "general factor of personality"—no master trait that ties everything together. Instead, what emerged is a complex three-tiered hierarchy: 28 specific facets at the base, six broader traits in the middle, and three meta-traits at the top.This isn't just academic hair-splitting. This is like discovering that what we thought was a simple ranch house actually has a basement full of secret rooms and an attic with entirely different architectural principles.Three completely new personality traits have emerged from this analysis, and they're fascinating.References:  Revisiting the IPIP-NEO personality hierarchy with taxonomic graph analysisThis is Heliox: Where Evidence Meets EmpathyIndependent, moderated, timely, deep, gentle, clinical, global, and community conversations about things that matter.  Breathe Easy, we go deep and lightly surface the big ideas. Support the showDisclosure: This podcast uses AI-generated synthetic voices for a material portion of the audio content, in line with Apple Podcasts guidelines. We make rigorous science accessible, accurate, and unforgettable.Produced by Michelle Bruecker and Scott Bleackley, it features reviews of emerging research and ideas from leading thinkers, curated under our creative direction with AI assistance for voice, imagery, and composition. Systemic voices and illustrative images of people are representative tools, not depictions of specific individuals.We dive deep into peer-reviewed research, pre-prints, and major scientific works—then bring them to life through the stories of the researchers themselves. Complex ideas become clear. Obscure discoveries become conversation starters. And you walk away understanding not just what scientists discovered, but why it matters and how they got there.Independent, moderated, timely, deep, gentle, clinical, global, and community conversations about things that matter.  Breathe Easy, we go deep and lightly surface the big ideas.Spoken word, short and sweet, with rhythm and a catchy beat.http://tinyurl.com/stonefolksongs