The Big 5 Model - Understanding online personalities

The Big 5 Model - Understanding online personalities

Alex Wilson | 22/09/2009

The 'big five' factors of personality are used to define human personality at its highest level.

While looking at this model, I found numerous correlations to that of how users interact with websites. Personality obviously has multiple facets, but this 5 spoke model is rather interesting when designing a website to a multitude of users - is there a way to appeal to all personality types? I think it is near impossible but interesting none the less.

The five factors of personality are:

1. Neuroticism
2. Extraversion
3. Openess to experience
4. Agreeableness
5. Conscientiousness

Neuroticism

People in this category tend to easily feel unpleasent emotions when visiting websites, they are easy to aggrevate and are anxious when using websites.

Extraversion

Extraverted website users tend to have higher energy, feel a sense of urgency when using websites and have a tendency to seek stimulation through the design of the website.

Openess to experience

These users appreciate the websites look and feel, are more creative and artistic in nature. They have a strong sense of curiousity and do not mind a variety of experiences within a website.

Agreeableness

Agreeable users tend to acknowledge the website as a unique offering, accepting the way the menus and design is set out. Often they will have the patience and cooperation to actually fulfill a transaction online.

Conscientiousness

These website users plan their behaviour online. 'I will go online an buy an iPhone tonight from the most secure provider'. They are not spontaneous and from recent experience tend to hold the majority vote on users who use ecommerce websites.

Interesting to see that personality traits translate online. I feel that most people will be able to easily categorise themselves into atleast one of the above categories - which one are you?

tags: Online Marketing ,  User Experience