What Is The Agreeableness Personality Trait?

By Olivia Reed •

Agreeableness is one of the five fundamental dimensions of the widely-accepted Five Factor Model (FFM) of personality, also known as the Big Five. The Big Five traits - Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism - describe broad personality dimensions that shape our patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving.  

Definition and Key Characteristics

Agreeableness describes individual differences in people's concern for cooperation and social harmony. Agreeable people value getting along with others. They are considerate, helpful, generous, and willing to compromise their own interests for others. Low scorers on Agreeableness (called "Disagreeable") put their own interests above getting along with others. They are often suspicious of others' intentions and competitive rather than cooperative.

Key facets or elements of Agreeableness include:

  • Altruism and Kindness: Highly agreeable people have a prosocial orientation. They are altruistic, enjoying helping others and contributing to their welfare. Less agreeable people are more self-focused and less likely to go out of their way for others.
  • Cooperation and Compliance: Agreeableness is associated with a preference for cooperation over competition. Agreeable people dislike confrontations and are willing to compromise or deny their own needs to get along with others. Disagreeable people are more likely to compete than cooperate.
  • Modesty and Humility: High scorers on Agreeableness tend to be modest and unassuming. They don't like to draw attention to themselves or be the center of praise. Low scorers are more comfortable with self-promotion.
  • Sympathy and Concern: Agreeable individuals are sympathetic and concerned about others. They are easily moved by others' suffering and emphasize with their difficulties. Disagreeable people are more hardened and less empathetic.  

So in essence, Agreeableness captures the extent to which we balance our own interests with those of others. It describes how kind, cooperative, modest and sympathetic we tend to be. Agreeable people prioritize social harmony while disagreeable people prioritize self-interest.

Origins and Stability

Both genes and environment shape Agreeableness. Twin studies estimate the heritability of Agreeableness at around 40%, suggesting both nature and nurture are important.

Agreeableness becomes increasingly consistent over the lifespan. It is moderately stable in childhood but grows more so through adolescence and adulthood. By late adulthood, differences in Agreeableness are largely enduring. However, change remains possible at all ages.

In terms of how Agreeableness changes over time, people tend to become more agreeable with age. Agreeableness increases the most during young adulthood but continues rising slightly into the 60s. However, individual trajectories vary considerably.

Outcomes and Implications

Research has tied Agreeableness to various important life outcomes:

  • Relationship Quality: Highly agreeable people tend to have happier and more satisfying relationships. They engage in more constructive communication patterns and experience less conflict with friends, family and romantic partners. 
  • Prosocial Behavior: Due to their kind and empathetic nature, agreeable people are more likely to volunteer, donate to charity, and spontaneously help others in need. They contribute to a more cooperative social environment.
  • Workplace Performance: Although sometimes seen as pushovers, agreeable employees tend to perform well in roles that require cooperation and customer service. They work well in teams and handle conflict constructively.
  • Physical Health: Agreeableness predicts better physical health and longevity, likely because agreeable people smoke less, eat healthier, and have more satisfying relationships - all of which promote health.

In summary, Agreeableness is a key personality dimension that captures how we balance self-interest with concern for social harmony. It has widespread effects on relationship quality, helping behavior, work performance and even physical health. While highly agreeable people are sometimes exploited and sacrifice their own needs, their cooperative nature fosters a more trusting society. Conversely, while disagreeable people are often seen as rude, their self-focus helps them advance their own interests. Both agreeable and disagreeable styles have costs and benefits.

Explore other Big Five personality trait models: 

References:

Graziano, W. G., & Tobin, R. M. (2009). Agreeableness. In M. R. Leary & R. H. Hoyle (Eds.), Handbook of individual differences in social behavior (pp. 46-61). The Guilford Press.

Habashi, M. M., Graziano, W. G., & Hoover, A. E. (2016). Searching for the prosocial personality: A Big Five approach to linking personality and prosocial behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 42(9), 1177-1192. 

Jensen‐Campbell, L. A., & Graziano, W. G. (2001). Agreeableness as a moderator of interpersonal conflict. Journal of personality, 69(2), 323-362.