Personality and Adult Development: Looking Beyond the OCEAN

Abstract

We presented a newly emerging model, called the six-foci model of personality (Hooker & McAdams, 2003), to encourage researchers to look beyond the familiar five-factor model of personality encompassing the big five traits of openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism (OCEAN). Reactions to our six-foci model provided additional issues to consider. We respond to the commentaries by Mrozcek and Spiro (2003), McCrae (2003), and Wagerman, Wright, and Funder (2003), and we note areas of commonality as well as points where we hold differing views. In general, all commentaries agreed that going beyond the trait framework is necessary to move the field of personality and aging forward.