Why Are the Big Five Not the Big Twelve, the Big

question 98

Multiple Choice

Why are the Big Five not the Big Twelve, the Big Eight, or the Big Seventeen?

• A) Although twenty trait dimensions have been reliably identified, it's simpler to look at a smaller set of five.
• B) Five dimensions encompass all possible personality traits.
• C) Clusters of related traits that reliably emerge from factor analytic studies identify five core dimensions.
• D) Four traits are generally recognized, but a fifth is in dispute; it's easier to include the last for now.

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Definitions:

Narcolepsy

A chronic sleep disorder characterized by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden attacks of sleep.

Jet Lag

A physiological condition resulting from alterations to the body's circadian rhythms caused by rapid long-distance transmeridian travel.

Sleep Spindles

Sudden bursts of oscillatory brain activity visible on an EEG that occur during stage 2 sleep, associated with learning, memory consolidation, and neurological development.

REM Sleep

A unique phase of sleep characterized by rapid eye movements, increased brain activity, and vivid dreaming, considered important for emotional and cognitive health.