Researchers (mainly from the Trait Perspective on personality) spent decades exploring and measuring personality,
looking for individual differences in enduring characteristics called personality traits.
Five clusters of traits emerged.
Researchers called these clusters personality factors, and named them extraversion,
agreeableness, openness, emotional stability, and conscientiousness.
These factors are often referred to as the Big Five, and form the basis of the five­factor model of personality.
Each of the five factors is considered a continuum from low to high,
and a person’s position on each of the factors provides a comprehensive picture of that person’s personality.