Citation

McCrae RR, Sutin AR. Soc. Personal Psychol. Compass 2007; 1(1): 423-440.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Blackwell Publishing, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1751-9004.2007.00021.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality traits has been widely adopted and applied to a diverse set of issues in psychology and related disciplines. In this article, we identify a number of unresolved questions and propose new directions for research using the FFM. In clinical psychology, research is needed on the optimal ways to utilize personality assessments in psychotherapy. Acculturation studies are crucial for an understanding of the origins of national differences in trait levels. The large literatures on personality and on the self should be better integrated, adding a process perspective to trait psychology. Personality psychology should begin to transcend the individual, examining the consequences of aggregate personality traits in dyads, organizations, and nations. Applications of the FFM appear to be limited only by the creativity and industry of researchers.