Big-Five Aspects Scale (BFAS)*

The Big-Five Aspects Scale (BFAS) was developed by DeYoung, Quilty, and Peterson in 2007 to measure the Big Five personality traits (Neuroticism, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, and Openness/Intellect), each broken down into two aspects. The research proved the existence of 2 distinct (but correlated) aspects within each of the Big Five, representing an intermediate level of personality structure between facets and domains. The authors characterized these factors in detail at the item level by correlating factor scores with the International Personality Item Pool (Goldberg, 1999). These correlations allowed both the construction of the 100-item BFAS and demonstration of its reliability and validity.

You will receive information about an individual’s position along each of the Big Five dimensions: Extraversion (associated with positive emotion), Neuroticism (negative emotion), Agreeableness (the primary dimension of care for others), Conscientiousness (associated with duty, precision, and responsibility) and Openness (interest in ideas and aesthetics). That five-dimensional description will be further expanded upon and developed for each of the ten aspects of the Big Five:

• Openness to Experience:
  Openness (creativity and aesthetic sensitivity) and Intellect (interest in abstract concepts and ideas).
• Conscientiousness:
  Industriousness (the ability to engage in sustained, goal-directed effort) and Orderliness (the tendency to schedule, organize and systematize).
• Extraversion:
  Enthusiasm (spontaneous joy and engagement) and Assertiveness (social dominance, often verbal in nature).
• Agreeableness:
  Compassion (the tendency to empathically experience the emotion of others) and Politeness (the proclivity to abide by interpersonal norms).
• Neuroticism:
  Withdrawal (the tendency to avoid in the face of uncertainty) and Volatility (the tendency to become irritable and upset when things go wrong).

For Individuals:

• Deeper understanding of one’s strengths, weaknesses, and preferences
• Making informed decisions, setting realistic goals, and nurturing healthy relationships
• Enhancement of emotional intelligence, adaptability, and overall well-being

For Companies:

• Gaining valuable insights into prospective employees
• Identification of individuals whose traits align with specific job requirements, team dynamics, and organizational culture
• Making informed hiring decisions, optimizing team compositions, and fostering a harmonious and productive work environment
• Employee development, targeted coaching and training opportunities based on individual personality profiles.

The Big-Five Aspects Scale (BFAS) provides a comprehensive framework for understanding individual personalities, enabling personal growth and informed decision-making, while offering valuable insights for companies to optimize hiring, team dynamics, and employee development.

* We use the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) for our testing approach. It’s a collection of items managed by the Oregon Research Institute, freely available to the public. This tool helps us assess personality traits, and because it’s open-source, it promotes broad research and practical use.