Openness in the Big Five: what high and low scores mean

What does a high Openness score look like?

A high score means you look for variety, complexity and fresh angles. Anything unfamiliar quickly makes you curious. You read a long article on a subject you have no practical use for, simply because it grabs you. On holiday you would rather pick a city where you don't speak the language than return to last year's hotel.

In conversation you easily link things that seem unrelated at first. The question "why do we actually do it this way?" comes to you naturally. A film, a poem or a striking view can stay with you for days.

This side has its flip side too. Repetition bores you sooner than it bores others. You enjoy starting something new, and finishing what is already underway can feel less exciting. The practical part of a plan, who does what and when, often interests you less than the idea itself.

What does a low Openness score look like?

A low score means you prefer the tried and tested, and things you can see working. You think in practical, concrete terms and you like clarity. When someone at work proposes a new system, your first question is what it will actually deliver. Often that is exactly the question nobody had asked yet.

You know what you like and where you feel at home. A regular route to work, a favourite restaurant, a method that has proven itself for years: these give you calm and leave room to focus on the content. You don't get swept along by every new trend, which often makes you the level-headed voice in a team.

This side has a flip side as well. You may dismiss something unfamiliar too quickly and let an opportunity pass. Big changes, such as a new way of working or a house move, take more out of you than they do for someone who draws energy from them.

A low score says nothing about how clever you are or how much you know. It says something about where your preferences lie.

What does a score near the middle mean?

A score between 40 and 60 is just above or just below the middle: you recognise something of both sides. You combine curiosity with a preference for what has proven itself. A new idea appeals to you as soon as you see what it brings.

Scores like this are common, because most people are not at either extreme. In a room full of innovators you may be the one asking whether it will work. In a more traditional group you may be the one bringing in a new idea.

Keep in mind that every measurement has a small margin of error. Someone who scores 47 today could just as easily score 53 on another occasion. Near the middle, the difference between "just above" and "just below" tells you very little.

What does research say about Openness?

Research shows that, across groups of people, Openness is linked with creativity, with intelligence and with age. These are always averages, never a prediction for one person.

Creativity. A meta-analysis of research on creative people found that artists and scientists are, on average, more open to new experiences than comparison groups ^[1]. That does not mean you need a high score to make something creative. Someone with a low score can be an excellent craftsperson or designer.

Intelligence. Of the five traits, Openness has the strongest link with intelligence, but the link is modest ^[2]. So there are plenty of very bright people with low scores, and plenty of people with high scores who come out average on an intelligence test. Openness is about what you like to do with your mind, not about what your mind can do.

Age. In studies that followed people over many years, Openness rose on average during adolescence and declined again in old age ^[3]. At the same time, personality becomes more stable over the years: the older people are, the more their position relative to others stays the same over several years ^[4]. You can read more in does personality change with age?

Which misunderstandings about Openness are common?

The most common misunderstanding is that a high score is better than a low one. It isn't. A high score brings an appetite for the new; a low score brings focus and realism. A team often benefits from both: someone who sees new paths and someone who asks whether they lead anywhere.

A second misunderstanding is that being open means being honest or sharing a lot about yourself. In the Big Five, Openness is about ideas and experiences. How easily you make contact belongs to Extraversion; how warm and accommodating you are towards others belongs to Agreeableness.

A third misunderstanding is that a low score means narrow-mindedness. Choosing what works is a judgement call, not a lack of imagination. Many people with low scores are particularly good at the craft that comes with a familiar approach.

Finally, people sometimes assume Openness is fixed. Your position relative to others is fairly stable, but not set in stone, and on average the trait shifts over a lifetime.

How does DepthFive measure Openness?

DepthFive measures Openness with a questionnaire about how you see yourself, and compares your score with more than 100,000 people. If you give your age and gender, you also see a second number compared with people like you. The free 20-question test gives you a result on all five traits straight away, with no email or account.