Do the “Big Five” personality traits control our behaviors and biases? If so, can we change?
In different communities, reactions to diversity vary dramatically. Some people welcome differences with open arms, celebrating cultural, religious, and personal differences, while others feel uneasy or resistant. Recently, scientists believe these tendencies may come from our personalities.
Psychologists have long studied how personality shapes human behavior. Over time, researchers have developed models to understand what makes us who we are. One of the most widely accepted is the Big Five personality traits, also known as OCEAN: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. (Learn more about the Big Five and take a survey to find out more about your personality.)
Importance of “openness”
Out of these, openness to experience stands out as a powerful indicator of how we respond to people who are different from us. People who score high in openness tend to be curious, imaginative, and comfortable with new ideas and ways of life. This can lead to a more welcoming attitude towards cultural, racial, religious, and gender diversity. People low in openness tend to see themselves as practical and more comfortable with established routines, and they may feel more cautious about social change.
Research backs this up. High openness is linked with greater support for multiculturalism, immigration, and LGBTQ rights. Lower openness is more often tied to resistance to change or discomfort with unfamiliar groups. But this doesn’t mean someone is stuck being close-minded.
Can people change?
“But it is true that in a millisecond, we can switch our personalities if we switch modes,” said psychologist Angela Duckworth in an episode of the Freakonomics podcast called ‘Can you change your personality?’
Vivien Affeldt, a junior at Minnehaha Academy, recently took an online version of the Big Five personality test and scored especially high in openness.
“I wasn’t really surprised,” she said. “I love trying new things. I like talking to people from different backgrounds, and even when I don’t agree with someone, I want to know why they think the way they do.”
For Affeldt, learning her personality results was less about putting herself in a box and more about understanding how she interacts with the world around her.
“It helped me realize that being open-minded is a strength, but it also comes with a responsibility,” she said. “Just because I’m comfortable with change doesn’t mean everyone else is, and that’s something I need to be patient with.”
She said the test gave her words to understand not only herself but her friends and classmates.
“One of my friends is way more traditional than I, and we used to but heads over stuff like politics,” Affeldt said. “But now I kind of get that it’s not necessarily wrong, it’s just that we see the world in different ways.”
Importance of “agreeableness”
Other traits also play a part. Agreeableness, for example, is about empathy and kindness. People who score high here tend to care about others and want to be together. This means they are usually more accepting of different people, even if their openness is lower. People lower in agreeableness may be more focused on their own opinions or needs and less motivated to understand others.
The rest of the Big Five, conscientiousness, extraversion, and neuroticism, don’t directly predict someone’s attitudes towards diversity, but they still shape how we act. Conscientious people often follow rules and aim for high achievement, but they can also be pretty strict. Extraverts are outgoing and energized by people; introverts tend to be more reserved. High neuroticism means a person may be more sensitive to stress or anxiety.
Being open to experience sounds great, and often it is. But like all traits, openness has its risks. High openness is can be linked to a higher likelihood of risk-taking, including experimenting with drugs. That doesn’t mean every curious person will go down a dangerous path, but it shows how no personality trait is all good or all bad.
Many people question: “Can we change?” The short answer is yes, you can. While personality traits are relatively stable, they are not set in stone. Long-term studies have shown that people can and do change. Often through intentional efforts, therapy, or life experiences.
“Yes, anyone can increase their ability to be open or dismantle rigid thinking,” said Paulita Todhunter, the director of diversity at Minnehaha Academy.
Todhunter as the director of diversity facilitates workshops and coaching conversations that help examine the origin of their ideas about cultural differences and similarities.
One of the strategies she teaches is metacognition, thinking about how you think.
“Looking for signs of black and white thinking overgeneralizations, or confirmation bias, which are common in rigid thinking styles,” she said. “Regularly ask yourself, ‘Why do I believe this?’ Or ‘What assumptions am I making?’ Before judging others.”
The value of diverse relationships
Another way to shift perspective is through structured exposure to diversity, interacting with people from different backgrounds in settings with shared goals, like volunteering, sports teams, or community projects. This reflects the Contact Hypothesis, a well-studied theory showing that meaningful, cooperative interaction can reduce prejudice under the right conditions.
“If direct exposure is difficult, try watching documentaries, reading biographies, or listening to podcasts about people from different backgrounds,” she said. “This fosters empathy and perspective taking.”
She also recommends intentional empathy exercises, like imagining a day in the life of someone from a group you’re less comfortable with.
“Even brief exercises like this have been shown to reduce prejudice, especially in people lower in agreeableness.”
That is especially true during your teen years, when your brain and beliefs are still developing. Education and media also play a big role in shaping how we see others, not just what we know, but how we react.
Understanding that our openness to others may be part of our personality doesn’t excuse harmful behavior, but it does offer a chance to better understand ourselves and to grow.
The Big Five isn’t a test that labels you “good” or “bad”. It’s a way to reflect. If you’re in lower openness, maybe you challenge yourself by visiting a new place or talking to someone who sees the world differently than you. If you have higher openness, maybe you start to pause and think before leaping into every new trend, and think more about the consequences. No matter where you fall, the key is knowing yourself. Because the more we understand, the more we understand our minds, the better we can connect with others.