Personality Models: BIG 5 vs HEXACO

An important development in the field of personality psychology occurred at the end of the 20th century, focusing on understanding the importance of personality structure, and especially the ability to predict success in work or academic fields. By the late 1990s, most personality researchers agreed on five independent dimensions that make up personality. Later, this personality model was called the BIG 5 model.

However, in recent years, following linguistic research in languages other than English, additional evidence has been gathered pointing to the feasibility of another model - consisting of six personality dimensions and called the HEXACO model. This model has been tested in studies conducted in 12 languages around the world and significant evidence has been found for its validity (Ashton, M. C., Lee, K. 2007).

So, what's all the fuss about?

A change in an existing paradigm can undermine the previous findings of studies conducted based on that paradigm. A new model allows for more accurate prediction on one hand, and on the other hand poses a threat to the predictions that have been made so far. However, as can be seen in the table, the HEXACO model and the BIG 5 model are quite parallel except for a few changes - the models are similar in the dimensions of Extraversion, Conscientiousness and Openness to Experience (color coding can be helpful) and differ slightly in the dimensions of Emotionality and Agreeableness. In addition to the five dimensions of the Big 5, HEXACO has a sixth axis based on the Honesty-Humility trait that can shed new light on the personality picture of employees as we know it today. https://logipass.net/reports?tab=6

Model	Dimension 1	Dimension 2	Dimension 3	Dimension 4	Dimension 5	Dimension 6
BIG 5	Openness to Experience	Conscientiousness	Agreeableness	Extraversion	Neuroticism	-
HEXACO	Openness to Experience	Conscientiousness	Agreeableness	Extraversion	Emotionality	Honesty-Humility

What is the importance of the Honesty-Humility dimension?

Honesty - separate from humility, is a highly valued trait in employees. Empirical studies have linked internal honesty to employer ratings, and found a positive relationship among over 18,000 participants across 90 independent samples.

Humility - separate from honesty, is a trait that has not yet been sufficiently researched. Theoretically, it contains within it the ability to identify personal boundaries, openness to advice from others, low self-centeredness, and the ability to see others. In Collins' (2011) study, it was found that companies headed by a CEO with a combination of humility and strong willpower went from "good" to "great".

Together, Honesty-humility was found to predict workplace delinquency. Workplace delinquency refers to theft, fraud, alcohol and drug use, as well as ethical and integrity violations. (Lee, K. Et al 2005)

In the study by Johnson, Rowatt, and Petrini (2011), the honesty-humility trait was studied in the context of employer ratings among 269 employees providing medical services. Employee ratings were based on 35 job skills, and in addition to honesty-humility, levels of extraversion, sensitivity, agreeableness, awareness, and openness to experience were also examined. The study found that honesty-humility is related to employers' ratings of overall job quality, and is a unique predictor beyond the other traits examined from the five-factor model.

In summary, research on personality structure shows that the picture is constantly changing and different aspects of personality need to be further revealed in order to get a more accurate perspective on reality. The six-factor model shows how adding more details can strengthen the relationship between personality and desired outcomes in the workplace.

How would you structure your own personality? What are your dominant dimensions? Let us know...

Author: Daniel Danino

References

1. Ashton, M. C., AND Lee, K. 2007. Empirical, theoretical, and practical advantages of the HEXACO model of personality structure. Personality and social psychology review, 11(2), 150-166.
2. Johnson, M. K., Rowatt, W. C., & Petrini, L. (2011). A new trait on the market: Honesty–Humility as a unique predictor of job performance ratings. Personality and Individual differences, 50(6), 857-862.
3. Lee, K., Ashton, M. C., & de Vries, R. E. (2005). Predicting workplace delinquency and integrity with the HEXACO and five-factor models of personality structure. Human performance, 18(2), 179-197.

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