If you are prepping for the Psych/Soc section of the MCAT, you’ve probably seen the term “OCEAN” pop up more than once. OCEAN refers to the Big Five Model of Personality, one of the most widely accepted frameworks in psychology. Understanding the Big Five Personality Traits and how they relate to human behavior can help you tackle both concept-based and passage-based questions on the MCAT Psych/Soc section.
What Are the Big Five Personality Traits?
The Big Five Personality Model proposes that our personalities can be described along five broad dimensions:
- Openness to Experience
- Conscientiousness
- Extraversion
- Agreeableness
- Neuroticism
Each dimension represents a spectrum, meaning that everyone falls somewhere between the two extremes for each trait.
Let’s look at each one in turn.
OCEAN = MCAT Mnemonic
Openness to Experience refers to how curious, imaginative, and willing someone is to try new things. Someone high in openness tends to enjoy exploring new ideas, art, or unfamiliar places. Someone low in openness usually prefers routine, structure, and familiar experiences.
Conscientiousness captures how organized, disciplined, and dependable someone is. People high in conscientiousness are careful planners who follow through on commitments. Those low in this trait may be more spontaneous and less detail-oriented.
Extraversion measures how outgoing and energetic someone is. Highly extraverted people enjoy being around others and thrive in social environments. People low in extraversion, sometimes called introverts, tend to prefer quiet settings and smaller groups.
Agreeableness describes how cooperative, kind, and empathetic a person is. Someone high in agreeableness is friendly and easy to get along with. Someone lower in agreeableness might be more competitive or skeptical of others’ motives.
Neuroticism reflects how often a person experiences negative emotions like anxiety, anger, or sadness. A person with high neuroticism might be easily stressed or moody, while someone with low neuroticism tends to stay calm and emotionally stable.
How OCEAN Might Show Up on the MCAT
On the MCAT, the Big Five Personality Traits could appear in both discrete and passage-based questions. You may be asked to identify which trait is being described or to connect personality traits to behaviors, health outcomes, or life satisfaction.
Here’s an example of what that might look like:
Sample MCAT Psychology Question
A researcher finds that individuals who are organized, reliable, and goal-driven tend to earn higher academic grades. Which Big Five trait best explains this relationship?
A) Openness
B) Extraversion
C) Conscientiousness
D) Neuroticism
Answer: Conscientiousness. It captures self-discipline and a strong sense of responsibility, which are both related to academic success.
Other common question types might ask which trait is most associated with emotional instability (neuroticism) or which trait describes someone who seeks new ideas and creative experiences (openness).
To master these questions, be ready to match trait descriptions to behaviors and outcomes rather than memorizing definitions in isolation.
Further Reading
💻 Navigating the Interdisciplinary Nature of MCAT Passages
Tips for Studying OCEAN for the MCAT Psych/Soc Section
- Use Flashcards. Write each of the five traits on one side and their key qualities on the other. Repetition will help you recall them quickly during the exam.
- Make It Personal. Connect each trait to a real-life example. Think of someone you know who embodies each trait. It helps anchor the concept in memory.
- Know the Correlates. Remember which traits are linked to specific outcomes. For example, high conscientiousness is associated with better job and school performance, whereas high neuroticism can correlate with increased stress and poorer health outcomes.
- Practice Identifying Extremes. The MCAT may describe someone as “preferring routine” or “thriving on novelty.” You should be able to recognize whether those descriptions represent high or low scores on a trait.
- Focus on Application. You won’t just see definitions. Expect short passages describing a person’s behavior and be ready to infer which trait is being discussed.
- Use the OCEAN Mnemonic. It’s a simple but reliable way to keep the five traits in order.
- Understand the Bigger Picture. The Big Five is part of the “trait perspective” in personality psychology, which sees personality as a set of consistent, measurable characteristics rather than temporary moods or states.
Final Thoughts
By connecting the Big Five Personality Traits to real-world examples and practicing applied reasoning, you’ll be ready to handle any OCEAN question the MCAT throws your way. This is one of those topics that’s small in scope but still high-yield, soeasy points if you truly understand the logic behind each trait.
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