Which personality trait describes the tendency to experience negative emotions and the degree to which those experiences affect someone?

• A. Neuroticism
• B. Conscientiousness
• C. Extraversion
• D. Agreeableness

Answer: (A)

This trait measures how much a person tends to experience negative emotions and how strongly those feelings affect their thoughts and behavior. Neuroticism is about emotional reactivity and sensitivity to stress. People high in this trait tend to experience anxiety, moodiness, and worry more often, and those emotions can color their reactions and daily functioning. People low in neuroticism are more emotionally stable and less susceptible to negative emotions, so they’re generally calmer under stress. The other traits—conscientiousness (self-discipline and organization), extraversion (sociability and energy), and agreeableness (cooperativeness and warmth)—describe different patterns of behavior and social interaction, not the frequency and impact of negative emotions.