4.1 The Big Five factors

understand ourselves, help us get along with others, and help us solve important social problems and resolve conflicts” (Guerra 2015). They are important not only for relating in the social and work context but also increasingly for their role in the development and use of cognitive skills (oeCD 2018a). one of the most widely used frameworks for socioemotional skills is the Big Five model described in box 4.1 (oeCD 2015). This model categorizes socioemotional skills into five broad traits: (1) extraversion (engaging with others); (2) agreeableness (collaboration); (3) conscientiousness (task performance); (4) emotional stability (emotional regulation); and (5) openness to experience (open-mindedness). Grit, also known as persistence or determination, is another widely acknowledged socioemotional skill that fits neatly into the Big Five categories. Together, these skills form the bedrock of the discussion around socioemotional skills and their value in twenty-first-century life and workplace.

A subset of these socioemotional skills, known as the PRACTiCe skills, are the ones that employers value (Guerra, Modecki, and Cunningham 2014). The eight PRACTiCe skills are Problem-solving, Resilience, Achievement motivations, Control, Teamwork, Initiative, Confidence, and Ethics. The PRACTiCe framework draws on and is consistent with frameworks such as the Big Five model. However, the PRACTiCe framework was specifically designed to provide guidance for labor market–oriented, skill-building policies and programs and to frame the socioemotional skills dialogue in a language that is consistent with intervention programs to promote job-oriented noncognitive skills. Table 4.1 shows how these skills relate to the Big Five personality traits and presents their neurobiological foundations as well. key markers of neurobiological and psychosocial readiness for the development of socioemotional skills appear at different stages of childhood and early adulthood (Guerra, Modecki, and Cunningham 2014). PRACTiCe skills are therefore developed at different stages of a person’s lifetime—from early childhood through adulthood—and any effective investment in socioemotional skills enhancement policies and programs requires a sound understanding of the

BOX 4.1

The Big Five factors

The Big Five factors is a classification system of personality that distinguishes five basic dimensions:

1. Extraversion—gregariousness, assertiveness, activity, adventurousness, enthusiasm, warmth 2. Agreeableness—trust, straightforwardness, altruism, compliance, modesty, sympathy 3. Conscientiousness—efficiency, organization, dutifulness, achievement striving, self-discipline, deliberation 4. Emotional stability—anxiety, irritability, depression, self-consciousness, impulsiveness, vulnerability (also known as neuroticism) 5. Openness to experience—curiosity, imagination, aesthetics, actions (wide interests), excitability, unconventionality

extraversion is perhaps the most widely used and most familiar factor. Agreeableness may be characterized by traits such as being caring, modest, and trusting. Conscientiousness denotes dutifulness, striving to achieve, and acting in a goal-directed manner. emotional stability refers to the ability to deal with negative emotional experiences and stressors and is central to managing emotions. Finally, openness refers to the ability to be open to new experiences.

Source: OECD 2015.