When discussing the Big Five personality model, one factor often gets an outsized amount of attention: neuroticism. However, this dimension is somewhat misunderstood. At its core, neuroticism (or what we prefer to call the “stress quotient”) reflects an individual’s sensitivity to negative emotions and tendency to experience feelings like anxiety, anger, and depression in difficult situations.
Why use the term “stress quotient” instead of neuroticism?
At illumyx, when we first started using the Big Five with clients, we noticed individuals would react when we’d introduce neuroticism. The term “neuroticism” can carry stigma, implying there is something innately “neurotic” or abnormal about someone higher in this trait. Stress quotient was chosen as a more neutral framing and from our standpoint, a more accurate framing. It simply indicates how strongly someone experiences stress. It’s not a measure of how much objective stress exists in their life, but rather the probability of what their emotional response will be as well as the intensity of that response when presented with stress or challenging stimuli.
The Six Facets of Stress Quotient
The stress quotient factor of the Big Five is comprised of 6 subfactors that paint a nuanced picture of how stress is likely to show up in a leader or employee.
Anxiety: Those high in anxiety consistently perceive their environment as threatening and experience fight-or-flight reactions, even to non-dangers. Their minds get caught in loops worrying about what could go wrong.Â
Anger: High scorers here have a low frustration tolerance and are prone to feeling enraged when things don’t go their way. They may lash out verbally or behaviorally.Â
Depression: This subfactor measures tendencies toward sadness, dejection and lack of energy/motivation. Those scoring high are frequently in a melancholic state.Â
Self-Consciousness: The degree to which someone feels they are being watched and negatively judged by others. High scorers are preoccupied by perceived criticism.Â
Indulgence: This facet reflects an individual’s ability to control cravings and desires. High scorers tend to overindulge in behaviors like eating, drinking, spending etc. to cope with negative emotions.Â
Vulnerability: Measuring the extent to which someone feels defenseless and unable to cope effectively in difficult situations. High scorers are prone to overwhelm and tend to have cloudy, chaotic thinking when stressed.Â
The Bright Side of Stress Quotient
While these characteristics may sound undesirable, it’s important to note that everyone exhibits the stress quotient factor to varying degrees. A higher sensitivity to stress quotient factors can be beneficial. For example, an individual scoring high in anxiety may develop a unique ability to anticipate and plan to cope with uncertainty. Depression gone unchecked can be debilitating, but being able to access depressive states, such as sadness and grief, gives an individual a deeper processing of experiences. Problems with negative states like anxiety, anger, depression can arise when they interfere with daily functioning.
Moreover, the stress quotient exists on a spectrum and interacts with other personality factors. Two individuals with the same high score may exhibit very different behaviors based on their levels of extroversion, agreeableness, and so forth. Some may direct their stress inwardly, while others amplify it outwardly.
By understanding the nuances of the stress quotient factor, you can gain deeper self-awareness and insight into your own patterns of negative emotion/stress response. This awareness is the first step in developing constructive strategies to keep your individual stress quotient in check, rather than letting it derail you.
To learn more about Stress Quotient, listen to Episode 7 of the Connecting the Dots podcast with our Founder, Steve Utech, and Ryan Gracyalny. If you want to take a Big Five assessment yourself, check out illumyx’s Behavior & Personality Insights or email us at contact@illumyx.com. Â
