Big 5 Personality (OCEAN)
The Big 5 Personality Test, also known as OCEAN, is a psychological assessment measuring 5 core traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. These traits are thought to represent the main dimensions of personality. Each trait is scored with a percentage; the higher you score, the more you have the upper end of the trait. Lower scores indicate that your personality falls on the opposite end of the spectrum for the trait. (Neither are "bad"!)
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For my survey, I gathered self-reported OCEAN test results from people with ADHD and some neurotypicals. I'm exploring how the traits compare across different groups to see how personality trends might show up differently depending on mental health and neurodivergence.
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A note on "neurotypical" - I use "neurotypical" to refer to participants without ADHD or autism. While "neurodivergent" includes various neurological and mental health conditions (like anxiety), those participants are categorized as "neurotypical" in my analysis.
More to Learn!
Click here to take the official Big Five Personality Test to compare your results with the data below!
Click here to read my follow-up blog that discusses the survey results.
Click here to view scientific studies related to this survey.
Figures 1a-1e: Comparing Median OCEAN Scores
Fig. 1A: Neurotypicals vs. AuDHD
Comparison of median OCEAN scores between neurotypicals and AuDHDers (those with both ADHD and autism). ​
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Key differences are found in Conscientiousness and Neuroticism. AuDHDers scored significantly lower in Conscientiousness (29) compared to neurotypicals (58), indicating that neurodivergent individuals may have more challenges with organization and self-regulation.
In contrast, ADHD and Autism contributed to higher Neuroticism scores (77 vs. 53), suggesting a tendency toward greater emotional sensitivity.
Scores for Openness, Extraversion, and Agreeableness were relatively similar between groups, indicating that neurodivergence may not greatly affect these traits in this particular sample.
Fig. 1B: Autism vs. ADHD vs. AuDHD
Comparison of median OCEAN scores among people with autism only, ADHD only, and both ADHD and autism (AuDHD). Note: the autism-only group had a very small sample size of 4, so its data may not fully represent broader trends.
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Key differences are seen in Extraversion and Neuroticism. The Autistic group scored lower in Extraversion (17) compared to ADHDers (50) and AuDHDers (42), suggesting that Autistics tend to be more introverted or reserved. Neuroticism scores increased with the combination of neurodivergent traits. AuDHDers scored the highest (77), suggesting that more complex neurodivergence may correspond with heightened emotional sensitivity or instability.
Conscientiousness was significantly lower for both ADHD groups (29), compared to the autism-only group (60.3), possibly indicating more challenges in organization and self-discipline for those with ADHD. Openness and Agreeableness scores showed little variation across cohorts.
Fig. 1C: Depression vs. ADHD
Median OCEAN scores for 4 groups: all participants with Depression, all participants without Depression, ADHDers with Depression, and ADHDers without Depression.
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Depression affects Neuroticism and Agreeableness. Both Depression cohorts scored higher in Neuroticism (79, 77) than their non-depressed counterparts (65), indicating that depression may heighten stress and emotional dysregulation, whether someone has ADHD or not. Agreeableness was lower in depressed groups (67) compared to non-depressed groups (71, 73), likely due to the emotional and mental toll of depression, which can hinder positive interactions.
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ADHD seems to affect Conscientiousness. Both ADHD groups scored lower (29, 30) compared to the general population with and without Depression (31, 35), highlighting potential challenges with impulsivity or organization in ADHDers. Extraversion and Openness scores were fairly stable across cohorts, suggesting that neither depression nor ADHD significantly influences these traits.
Fig. 1D: Anxiety vs. ADHD
Median OCEAN score comparison among 4 cohorts: all participants with Anxiety, all participants without Anxiety, ADHDers with Anxiety, and ADHDers without Anxiety. ​
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Neuroticism and Conscientiousness were both influenced by Anxiety. Both Anxiety groups scored higher in Neuroticism (77) compared to their non-anxious counterparts (62.5), reflecting how anxiety may lead to increased emotional sensitivity and stress reactivity. The ADHD + Anxiety cohort scored lower in Conscientiousness (29) compared to groups without Anxiety (31, 35), suggesting that clinical Anxiety could exacerbate executive dysfunction struggles common in those with ADHD.
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Extraversion and Agreeableness were fairly stable across cohorts, indicating that, in this sample, neither anxiety nor ADHD significantly influences sociability or cooperative traits. Openness scores were consistent, reflecting minimal impact from either condition.
Fig. 1E: Anxiety vs. Depression
​​Median OCEAN scores among four cohorts: all participants ("all") with Anxiety, No Anxiety (all), Depression (all), and No Depression (all).
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Anxiety and Depression significantly influence Neuroticism and Conscientiousness. The Anxiety group had a higher Neuroticism score compared to those without (77 v. 62.5), indicating more emotional distress in Anxious people. The highest Neuroticism score came from the Depressed group (79), reflecting the profound emotional challenges associated with clinical Depression.
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Regarding Conscientiousness, those with Anxiety had lower scores (31) than those without (35), suggesting that Anxiety may lead to reduced motivation or difficulties with task management. Participants with Depression scored even lower (29), highlighting greater challenges with executive functioning skills among those diagnosed with Depression.
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Openness, Extraversion, and Agreeableness scores were relatively similar across groups, suggesting that, in this sample, neither Anxiety nor Depression has a significant impacts these traits.
Figures 2a-2e: Big 5 Traits across Neurotypes
Fig. 2A: Openness Across Neurotypes
Openness scores show minor differences across neurotypes. Most cohorts have similar patterns, with no significant outliers. The AuDHD cohort (Group 7) has a slightly higher minimum score, potentially suggesting that neurodiversity may slightly increase Openness traits in this sample. Otherwise, Openness remains relatively consistent across neurotypes, indicating that neurotype and certain mental health conditions may or may not have noticeable effects on traits associated with Openness.
Fig. 2B: Conscientiousness Across Neurotypes
Conscientiousness scores are noticeably lower among ADHD groups. Neurotypicals (Group 1) and Autism/No ADHD (Group 2) display higher and more stable upper ranges, while ADHD cohorts exhibit lower overall conscientiousness scores. This may indicate that people with ADHD experience greater struggles with things like consistency and task follow-through.
Those with anxiety and depression (Groups 3 and 4) did not score significantly higher than the ADHD cohorts, but this discrepancy may be explained by the large sample of ADHDers compared to neurotypicals, all of which were included in the calculations for Groups 3 and 4. This is validated by the comparable low scores in their counterparts, Groups 8 and 9.
The variation seen here suggests that ADHD leads to more pronounced difficulties in maintaining Conscientiousness.
Fig. 2C: Extraversion Across Neurotypes
Extraversion scores reveal mild differences in social engagement among neurotypes. Neurotypicals (Group 1) exhibit moderate Extraversion levels, while those in the Autism/No ADHD cohort (Group 2) show significantly lower levels, indicating potential challenges with social interactions in Autistic individuals.
Participants with ADHD - particularly those without accompanying anxiety, autism, or depression - tend to have higher Extraversion scores, suggesting that, in this sample, ADHD can be associated with increased sociability when these other conditions are absent.
Fig. 2D: Agreeableness Across Neurotypes
Agreeableness scores show minimal variation across the neurotypes assessed. Neurotypicals (Group 1) demonstrate moderate Agreeableness levels. The Autism/No ADHD cohort (Group 2) scored slightly higher, reflecting their tendency for greater empathy. The remaining cohorts (3-12) exhibit consistent scores, with no significant differences observed. Overall, there appears to be limited variability in Agreeableness among neurotypes, with only Autistics having a noteworthy increase.
Fig. 2E: Neuroticism Across Neurotypes
Neuroticism scores show key differences among cohorts. Neurotypicals (Group 1) exhibit the lowest levels, indicating that those without ADHD or Autism may have greater emotional stability. Group 2 has slightly elevated neuroticism scores, suggesting that Autistics may experience more emotional challenges than other cohorts. ADHD groups with additional conditions—anxiety, autism, and depression—exhibit higher neuroticism levels compared to ADHDers without these conditions. This demonstrates that, while ADHD may contribute to neurotic tendencies, comorbid conditions amplify them.