The Sixth Personality Trait

Prevalence in the general population:10%.

According to the well-established framework of the Five Factor Model (FFM) — often referred to as the “Big Five” — personality fits neatly into five broad personality dimensions or traits, each representing a continuum: conscientiousness (high among task focused and orderly individuals), openness to experience (high among individuals with a broad range of interests, sensitive to art and beauty, and who prefer novelty over routine), agreeableness (high among cooperative and polite individuals), extraversion (assertive and sociable), and neuroticism(also thought of as the opposite of emotional stability).

Besides the “Big Five”, a distinct personality trait has been long-known but often overlooked: alexithymia.

The prevalence of alexithymia in the general population is estimated to be about 10%, and seems to be normally distributed in the population for both genders.

Identified in the mid-seventies, alexithymia translates from the Greek to mean “no words for emotions”.

Historically, alexithymia was intended to reflect the personality of the “boring” patient in psychotherapy, unable to put feelings into words, and with whom the conversation boils down to an enumeration of a few physical complaints before drying up very quickly.