The Big 5 Personality Factors

A strong consensus has emerged since the mid-1980's about the number and nature of personality traits. Five superordinate factors have emerged, often referred to to as the "Big Five" or the 5-factor model. These presence of these five factors is well supported by a wide variety of research.

Early evidence supporting a 5-factor model was published by Fiske, in 1949. During the 1980s and 1990s a vast array of research combined to support the five factor model. Not everyone however agrees in the naming of the five supertraits.

The 5-factor model is commonly measured by the NEO by McCrae and Costa (2003).

The Big 5 according to the NEO are Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness
to Experience, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness (Remember OCEAN, or NEOAC):

Neuroticism (Emotional Stability)

Extraversion (Introversion)

Openness to experience (Closedness to experiences)

Agreeableness (Disagreeableness)

Conscientiousness (Lack of conscientiousness)
Each Supertrait is measured by 6 facets (or subordinate traits). These are:

N
E
O
A
C

Anxiety
Warmth
Fantasy
Trust
Competence

Angry hostility
Gregariousness
Aesthetics
Straightforward-ness
Order

Depression
Assertiveness
Feelings
Altruism
Dutifulness

Self-consciousness
Activity
Actions
Compliance
Achievement striving

Impulsiveness
Excitement-seeking
Ideas
Modesty
Self Discipline

Vulnerability
Positive emotion
Values
Tender-mindedness
Deliberation


The "big 5" model is not without its criticisms, e.g., see Criticisms (Wikipedia).

References
McCrae, R. R., Costa, P. T. (2003). Personality in adulthood, a five-factor theory perspective (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.