Big Five traits · the N in OCEAN
Neuroticism
Neuroticism is the Big Five trait that describes how often and how strongly you feel negative emotions such as worry, anger and sadness. High scorers react more to stress and take longer to settle; low scorers are calm and even-tempered. It is a normal personality trait, not a disorder.
The low end is called emotional stability, and some tests score the trait that way round. It is the N in OCEAN.
By the Personality Test editorial team · Updated · 8 sources
The six facets of neuroticism
In the IPIP-NEO-120, the questionnaire this site uses, neuroticism splits into six narrower facets of four statements each. Other Big Five questionnaires divide it in slightly different ways. Two people with the same neuroticism score can differ a lot facet by facet.
N1Anxiety
A tendency to worry, feel tense and expect things to go wrong. Low scorers rarely feel nervous.
N2Anger
How quickly you get irritated or frustrated. It measures how angry you feel, not whether you show it.
N3Depression
How often you feel sad, discouraged or low on energy as part of everyday life. It is a personality tendency, not a test for clinical depression.
N4Self-consciousness
Sensitivity to what others think: embarrassment, shyness and fear of being judged.
N5Immoderation
Difficulty resisting cravings and urges, such as eating, spending or scrolling more than you meant to, especially when upset.
N6Vulnerability
How well you hold up under pressure. High scorers feel overwhelmed more easily; low scorers stay composed in a crisis.
High vs. low neuroticism
Neuroticism is a scale, not a type. Most people score somewhere in the middle, and both ends come with strengths and costs.
Low neuroticism
Calm, steady and slow to get upset.
- Stays relaxed under pressure
- Recovers quickly from setbacks
- Rarely feels anxious or down for long
- Can underestimate real risks or other people’s distress
High neuroticism
Emotionally reactive and quick to feel stress.
- Worries about what could go wrong
- Feels setbacks and criticism strongly
- Mood shifts with circumstances
- Often notices problems early and takes risks seriously
What neuroticism is linked to
Neuroticism is the personality trait most strongly linked to lower well-being. People who score higher report less life satisfaction and more negative mood on average (Steel et al., 2008), and in a meta-analysis of job satisfaction it was the trait with the strongest link (Judge, Heller & Mount, 2002).
Higher neuroticism also goes with a higher risk of later anxiety and depressive disorders and of some physical health problems, which is why researchers describe it as a public health issue (Lahey, 2009; Kotov et al., 2010). A higher risk is not a prediction for any one person, and many high scorers never develop a disorder.
Neuroticism has upsides too. Sensitivity to threat can mean careful preparation, attention to detail and empathy for others who are struggling.
Does neuroticism change with age?
For most people it falls: emotional stability increases through adulthood, mostly between about 20 and 40 (Roberts et al., 2006). Life experience, therapy and stress-management skills can all lower day-to-day reactivity.
Neuroticism at work and in relationships
High scorers feel pressure sooner and take longer to recover from it, so jobs with constant unpredictability or conflict can wear them down. Their sensitivity to risk can also be an asset where spotting problems early matters, such as quality, safety or planning. Low scorers tend to stay steady in a crisis, though they may miss warning signs that others pick up.
In relationships, high neuroticism often shows up as worry about the relationship itself and strong reactions during arguments, and people tend to be less satisfied with partners who score high (Malouff et al., 2010). Naming stress early, before it builds, and taking a pause before replying in a heated moment are simple habits that help.
How the test measures neuroticism
The IPIP-NEO-120 uses 24 statements, four per facet, such as "I worry about things" and "I get irritated easily" (Johnson, 2014). Your answers are compared with a large online sample to give a percentile from 1 to 99. Some tests report the same trait as emotional stability, so a high neuroticism score equals a low emotional stability score.
Find your neuroticism score
The free Big Five test scores neuroticism and the other four traits in about 12 minutes, with no sign-up. You get each score as a percentile right away; your six neuroticism facet scores are in the optional full report. See a sample report
Questions about neuroticism
A neuroticism score is not a diagnosis. If worry, low mood or anger is hard to manage, or has affected your sleep, work or relationships for two weeks or more, consider talking to a doctor or a licensed mental health professional. In the U.S., you can call or text 988 at any time to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Is a high neuroticism score bad?
It means you feel stress and negative emotions more readily than most people, which can be hard. It doesn’t mean something is wrong with you, and it comes with sensitivity and caution that are useful in many situations.
Is this a test for anxiety or depression?
No. Neuroticism is a broad personality trait. Its anxiety and depression facets measure everyday tendencies, not clinical conditions. Only a qualified professional can assess an anxiety or depressive disorder.
Can you lower your neuroticism?
Yes, to a degree. It usually declines with age, and approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy, regular exercise, good sleep and mindfulness practice can reduce how strongly stress affects you.
How do I take a neuroticism test?
Take the free Big Five test on our homepage. It takes about 12 minutes and gives your neuroticism percentile along with the other four traits; the optional full report adds your six facet scores.
Sources
Written by the Personality Test editorial team from published research. We don’t claim clinical credentials. This page is for education and self-reflection, not a medical or psychological diagnosis.
- Steel, P., Schmidt, J., & Shultz, J. (2008). Refining the relationship between personality and subjective well-being. Psychological Bulletin, 134(1), 138–161. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.134.1.138
- Judge, T. A., Heller, D., & Mount, M. K. (2002). Five-factor model of personality and job satisfaction: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(3), 530–541. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.87.3.530
- Lahey, B. B. (2009). Public health significance of neuroticism. American Psychologist, 64(4), 241–256. doi:10.1037/a0015309
- Kotov, R., Gamez, W., Schmidt, F., & Watson, D. (2010). Linking "big" personality traits to anxiety, depressive, and substance use disorders: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 136(5), 768–821. doi:10.1037/a0020327
- Malouff, J. M., Thorsteinsson, E. B., Schutte, N. S., Bhullar, N., & Rooke, S. E. (2010). The Five-Factor Model of personality and relationship satisfaction of intimate partners: A meta-analysis. Journal of Research in Personality, 44(1), 124–127. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2009.09.004
- Roberts, B. W., Walton, K. E., & Viechtbauer, W. (2006). Patterns of mean-level change in personality traits across the life course: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Psychological Bulletin, 132(1), 1–25. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.132.1.1
- Johnson, J. A. (2014). Measuring thirty facets of the Five Factor Model with a 120-item public domain inventory: Development of the IPIP-NEO-120. Journal of Research in Personality, 51, 78–89. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2014.05.003
- National Institute of Mental Health: Help for mental illnesses nimh.nih.gov