Characteristics of Personality
In psychology, personality refers to the relatively stable patterns of thought, emotion, and behaviour that distinguish one person from another. Unlike astrology's symbolic framework, this definition is built from decades of empirical research, and psychologists generally describe personality through the following defining characteristics.
Last updated: 8 September 2026
Key characteristics
Consistency over time
Personality traits tend to remain relatively stable across a person's adult life; someone who is highly conscientious at 25 is statistically likely to still be relatively conscientious at 55, even as specific behaviours and circumstances change.
Consistency across situations
A trait shows up as a general tendency across many different contexts, not just in one specific setting, which is what separates a personality trait from a one-off reaction to a particular situation.
Individual uniqueness
While broad traits are shared across people, the specific combination and intensity of traits in any one person is distinct enough that no two individuals have identical personality profiles.
Measurable through behaviour
Psychologists infer personality traits from patterns in observable behaviour, self-report questionnaires, and, increasingly, other data sources, rather than from any single act or statement.
Organised into broad trait dimensions
Modern personality psychology, most notably the Big Five model, organises personality into five broad dimensions: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism, each of which exists on a spectrum rather than as a fixed category.
Influenced by both biology and environment
Twin and adoption studies suggest personality is shaped by a substantial genetic component alongside environmental factors such as upbringing, culture, and life experience, rather than being determined by either alone.
Capable of gradual change
While broadly stable, personality traits can shift gradually over time, particularly in response to major life events, therapy, or deliberate effort, rather than being permanently fixed at any single point in life.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between personality and character?
Personality generally refers to a person's characteristic patterns of thought, emotion, and behaviour, while character more specifically refers to moral qualities, such as honesty or integrity, that are often judged rather than simply described.
What are the Big Five personality traits?
The Big Five, one of the most well-supported models in personality psychology, are openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism, often remembered by the acronym OCEAN.
Is personality the same as a personality type, like an MBTI type?
Not exactly. Trait models like the Big Five treat personality as continuous spectrums with no hard categories, while type-based frameworks like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator sort people into a small number of fixed categories. Trait models generally have stronger scientific support in personality psychology research than type-based frameworks.