What is the general factor of personality?
Quick answer: The general factor of personality (GFP) is a proposed single, higher-order trait sitting above the Big Five, capturing the shared variance among socially desirable traits. Introduced by Musek in 2007, a high GFP reflects being agreeable, conscientious, emotionally stable, extraverted, and open at once — though its existence remains debated among researchers.
The idea behind one big trait
Personality science usually describes people using five broad dimensions — the Big Five: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. The general factor of personality asks a bolder question: do those five share something in common that sits above all of them?
Psychologist Janek Musek proposed the GFP in a 2007 paper, arguing that the "good" poles of the Big Five tend to cluster together. Someone high on the GFP is, on average, warmer, more organized, calmer, more sociable, and more curious. Researchers sometimes nickname it the "Big One."
The GFP is often compared to the g factor in intelligence research — a single general dimension extracted from many correlated abilities. The GFP tries to do the same for personality.
Why some researchers accept it and others don't
The GFP is genuinely contested. Understanding both sides helps you read it critically.
Arguments for the GFP:
- The Big Five are not perfectly independent; their "desirable" ends correlate modestly.
- A GFP predicts outcomes like emotional intelligence, popularity, and job performance.
- Some evolutionary psychologists argue it reflects a general "social effectiveness" or fitness dimension.
Arguments against the GFP:
- Critics (notably Ashton, Lee, and colleagues) argue the correlations are largely artifacts of evaluative bias — people rating themselves in a flattering, socially desirable way.
- When measurement bias is controlled, much of the general factor shrinks or vanishes.
- Frameworks like HEXACO explain the same overlap through its Honesty-Humility factor without needing a single super-trait.
How the GFP sits in the trait hierarchy
Personality is often described as a nested hierarchy, and the GFP would sit at the very top.
| Level | Example | Number |
|---|---|---|
| General factor (GFP) | The "Big One" | 1 |
| Metatraits | Stability, Plasticity | 2 |
| Broad domains | Big Five / OCEAN | 5 |
| Facets | e.g. NEO PI-R facets | ~30 |
The two-metatrait level (Stability and Plasticity, proposed by DeYoung) is a widely accepted middle ground between the five domains and the single GFP.
What this means for you
For everyday self-understanding, the practical takeaway is modest: your five-factor profile carries far more useful detail than any single "how good is your personality" number. Traits describe tendencies, not worth. There is no morally best score, and every profile has strengths and trade-offs.
This is a research-and-education topic, not a health one, so no medical caveat is needed. But if reading about "high" and "low" personality leaves you feeling judged or anxious, remember that traits are neutral descriptors — and support is available if you want to talk it through.
Related questions
- How many personality traits are there really?
- What is trait theory of personality?
- Who created the big five personality model?
- What is the dark triad personality?
- The HEXACO model explained
Explore your actual profile
Instead of a single score, Helel maps you across every major dimension with a free, clinically grounded assessment (Big Five, HEXACO, NEO PI-R). Then you meet a live video AI companion that adapts to your measured personality — a genuinely personal way to explore what makes you you. Take the free personality test.
Frequently asked questions
Is the general factor of personality widely accepted?
No, it remains debated. Some researchers see it as a real higher-order trait predicting social effectiveness, while others argue it mostly reflects socially desirable responding rather than a substantive dimension. Both interpretations have empirical support.
Who proposed the general factor of personality?
Slovenian psychologist Janek Musek proposed the modern GFP concept in a 2007 paper in the Journal of Research in Personality, showing that the desirable poles of the Big Five traits tend to correlate and load onto one broad factor.
How is the GFP different from the Big Five?
The Big Five are five broad, largely independent trait domains. The GFP is a single higher-order factor proposed to sit above them, summarizing the shared variance among their socially desirable ends into one general dimension.