The Psychology of Personality – Bringing your Characters to Life

February 20, 2023 | By | Reply More

The Psychology of Personality – Bringing your Characters to Life

When you meet someone for the first time you may notice certain things about them: how they look, how they speak, what they say. These are the things we see and hear that tell us something about the person and help us form an impression of what makes them tick. But what sits behind this? 

Psychologists who study personality have identified 5 key ‘traits’  that can distinguish one person from another. Traits are the building blocks of personality; fairly consistent ways of thinking and behaving that can help us describe a person.

These traits have been named The Big Five: 

Recent research has suggested a sixth:

  • Honesty-humility.

We are all somewhere on the continuum for each of these traits. Some of us are at the extremes of high or low. Others somewhere in the middle, without a strong preference varying our responses depending on the circumstance. 

We can use these qualities to help us think about ourselves and the characters we create in our fictional works. Let’s look at each trait in turn. (You may wish to tick off the descriptors that describe your protagonist as you read.)

OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE

People who are high on this trait are curious and enjoy exploring new experiences and ideas – think Sherlock Holmes or Alice in Wonderland. They ask questions and show a wide range of interests. At the other end of the continuum are those who are less interested in new ideas and cope less well with change, taking security from the familiar. At the extreme think of Miss Haversham in ‘Great Expectations’.

HIGH LOW
Creative, artistic, inventive

Wide range of interests

Enjoys change and variety

Open-minded, questioning

Curious, inquisitive

Intellectual, philosophical

Seeks new experiences

Unconventional, original

Down-to-earth; grounded

Focused range of interests

Finds it hard to adapt

Set ways of thinking

Takes things at face value

Literal, factual

Likes stability and routine

Conventional, traditional

CONSCIENTIOUSNESS

Those high on conscientiousness will be reliable, doing what they promise when they say they will. They are organised and good time-managers. Think Mary Poppins. At the other end of this quality, the low scorers are unreliable, fail to meet their commitments and let others down. Think Billy Liar.

HIGH LOW
Organised, ordered

Plans ahead

Dependable, conscientious

Self-disciplined, persistent

Thorough, attends to details

Neat, tidy

Punctual, reliable

Disorganised, unstructured

Lives in the moment, impulsive

Doesn’t do as promised

Distracted, inattentive

Careless, overlooks details

Messy, misplaces things

Late, misses deadlines

EXTRAVERSION

Those who score highly on extraversion are outgoing and sociable. They enjoy a busy social life and lots of activities. Think Samantha Jones from ‘Sex and the City’, or Ron Weasley from ‘Harry Potter’. At the lower end, introverted people like to spend time alone and find too much company or stimulation draining. They are quiet in groups, preferring to observe and listen than to be in the spotlight. Think Jane Eyre or Mr Darcy. Or Jonathan Byers in ‘Stranger Things’.

HIGH LOW
Sociable, outgoing, gregarious

Likes to have lots going on

Warm, enthusiastic, friendly

Talkative, lively

Outspoken, assertive

Likes solitary activities, loner

Enjoys quiet, minimal stimulation

Withdrawn, introspective, passive

Quiet, holds back, reserved

Observes before participating

AGREEABLENESS

The people who score highly on Agreeableness are cooperative, kind, thoughtful to others and easy to get along with. Think Mother Theresa and Nelson Mandela. Those who score low on this trait are competitive, combative, and callous. Think Tom Ripley in ‘The Talented Mr Ripley’, or Professor Snape in ‘Harry Potter’.

HIGH LOW
Altruistic, helpful, considerate 

Trusting, cooperative

Accepting, liberal, live & let live Sympathetic, empathic Compassionate

Kind, thoughtful, patient

Seeks harmony, team player

Modest, shows integrity

Unhelpful, self-centred

Competitive, uncooperative

Critical, judging, bullying, rude

Lacks empathy, hard-hearted

Ruthless, manipulative

Unkind, cruel, impatient

Competitive, challenging, 

Egotistical, boastful,

NEUROTICISM

Those who score highly on this trait are sensitive and emotionally volatile. Typically unhappy or anxious, they are quick to blame themselves (or others). Think Woody Allen in ‘Annie Hall’, or Lisbeth Salander in ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’. 

People at the low end of the trait are stable, resilient, and manage their emotions. Think James Bond.

HIGH LOW
Volatile, has mood swings

Prone to dwell and ruminate 

Low confidence, avoidant 

Self-conscious, self-blaming

Temperamental, irritable, angry

Unhappy, anxious, fearful

Negative thinking

Emotionally stable, even-tempered

Resilient, bounces back

Has self-esteem, confident

Comfortable in own shoes

Self-controlled, manages emotions

Generally content and happy

Positive thinking

HONESTY-HUMILITY

People high on this trait will be open, genuine and straightforward in their dealings with others; they are honest and trustworthy. Think Atticus Finch in ‘To Kill a Mocking Bird’.

At the other end of the scale, people are dishonest and cannot be trusted. Think every James Bond villain. 

HIGH LOW
Sincere and honest

Fair, equitable 

Shows integrity

Not concerned with wealth

Shows modesty

Sees people as on a par 

Dishonest and insincere

Cheat to get ahead

Take advantage of others

Concerned with status & wealth

Brags and shows off

Feels they are special & above others 

Your character’s personality will impact their beliefs and values, how they behave, the way they interact with others, and how they go about reaching their wants and needs. 

Once you’ve created a profile for your protagonist against these traits, consider:

What does your protagonist do that shows these characteristics?

What beliefs and values do they hold that reflect their profile?

Are there circumstances where they behave differently? Why?

What similarities/differences are there to other characters?

What’s in their backstory that illustrates how these traits developed?

 

Happy writing! 

If you’d like more information DM me on Twitter @JulesTake3 or Instagram @Julia.Stone.Writer

Julia Stone is author of the psychological suspense novels Her Little Secret and The Accident.

Julia has a professional background in business psychology and psychotherapy. Following cancer treatment, she decided to take a break from the business world and direct her energies towards her creative side, studying art and ceramics, then film script and novel writing. She now runs her own coaching and therapy business part-time, where she helps other creative people work on the emotional challenges and limiting beliefs that get in the way of their writing or artistic ambitions. 

Julia attended Faber Academy in 2017. She has been shortlisted for a number of writing competitions and in 2018 won The Blue Pencil First Novel award. Her debut was published in 2021.

She lives on a small holding in Suffolk with her partner and varying numbers of ducks, muntjac and rabbits.

http://JuliaStoneWriter.com

https://twitter.com/JulesTake3

THE ACCIDENT

Thrown together by fate. Entwined by lies…

The police ruled it as misadventure. A young woman falling from a bridge onto Janice Thomason’s car was not an act of suicide or murder, it’s just an accident. But for Janice, it feels like fate has thrown them together.

As a genealogist, Janice is used to tracking down clues – is even a little obsessive, one might say… The police know so little about the Jane Doe that fell on her car that she decides to start her own investigation into the victim and the people she knew. Surely someone must be to blame?

Sometimes the only way to uncover the truth is to lie… and for Janice, living a lie comes all too easily.

Gripping and chilling, The Accident is a psychological thriller perfect for fans of Amanda Robson and Shari Lapena.

BUY HERE

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