Amity Institute of Psychology & Allied Sciences

Alternative Five Factor Model

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Introduction:
The alternative five model of personality is based on
the claim that the structure of human personality traits is best
explained by five broad factors called impulsive sensation
seeking (ImpSS), neuroticism–anxiety (N-Anx),
aggression–hostility (Agg-Host), sociability (Sy), and activity
(Act). The model was developed by Marvin Zuckerman and
colleagues as a rival to the well-known Five factor model of
personality traits and is based on the assumption that "basic"
personality traits are those with a strong biological-evolutionary
basis.
Amity Institute of Psychology & Allied Sciences
Amity Institute of Psychology & Allied Sciences
 Amity Institute of Psychology & Allied Sciences

The Alternative Five Factor Model

The aim of Zuckerman and colleagues in developing the alternative five model was to identify
the "basic" factors of personality. Zuckerman argued that basic factors have a
biological-evolutionary basis as evidenced by comparable traits in non-human species,
biological markers, and moderate heritability.

The model was developed by administering research participants a large number of pre-existing
personality questionnaires and subjecting the results to factor analysis.

Markers of 'culture', 'intellect', and 'openness' were deliberately excluded on the basis that these
traits are not present in non-human species. The researchers compared models with three to
seven different factors. They found that both three and five factor solutions were acceptable, but
argued that the five-factor solution was preferable due to greater specificity.
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• Nature of the five factors

• Neuroticism–anxiety: measures anxiety, fear, general emotionality, psychasthenia, and

inhibition of aggression. The factor is also associated with obsessive indecisiveness, lack of
self-confidence, and sensitivity to criticism.

• Aggression–hostility vs. social desirability: measures aggression, hostility, anger, lack of

inhibitory control, and low social desirability. The factor is associated with rudeness,
thoughtless and antisocial behaviour, vengefulness, quick temper and impatience.
 Amity Institute of Psychology & Allied Sciences

• Impulsive sensation-seeking: measures low socialisation, and high psychoticism, impulsivity,

and sensation-seeking. The impulsivity items assess lack of planfulness and a tendency to
act without thinking. The sensation seeking items describe a liking for thrills and excitement,
novelty and variety, and unpredictable situations and friends.

• Sociability: measures affiliation, social participation, extraversion. Assesses liking for big
parties and interactions with many people, as well as a dislike of isolation in sociable people
versus a liking for the same in unsociable people

• Activity: measures energetic behavior and persistence. This factor is associated with need to
keep active and feelings of restlessness when there is nothing to do.
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• Omission of openness to experience

Zuckerman has argued that openness to experience does not meet the criteria
for a truly "basic" factor of personality.[1] Zuckerman stated that the personality
factors in the alternative five model have an evolutionary basis and can be
identified in non-human species but this is not the case for openness.
Additionally, of the six facet scales used to define openness, only one of them
(Actions) pertains to behaviour. The sensation-seeking scales on the other hand
are more behavioral in content, and sensation-seeking does not have a clearly
defined relationship to the five factor model, suggesting it is related to an
independent basic factor.
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Critical Analysis:

The decision by Zuckerman and colleagues to deliberately omit markers of

openness to experience from their analysis was strongly criticised by Costa and
McCrae, proponents of the five factor model (FFM). Costa and McCrae
reanalysed the data used by Zuckerman and colleagues and found that
equivalents of all five factors in the FFM, including openness emerged in their
factor analysis. Even though Zuckerman and colleagues had deliberately
attempted to omit all markers of openness, Costa and McCrae argued that
"cognitive structure" (dislike of ambiguity or uncertainty in information) is a valid
marker of (low) openness.
Amity Institute of Psychology & Allied Sciences