When someone is conscientious, they are able to exerciseself-disciplineand self-control to pursue and ultimately achieve their goals.
People who are high in conscientiousness tend to be very responsible, goal-directed, organized, and responsible.
They make decisions carefully, are high-achieving, and stick to their commitments.
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Conscientiousness is a continuum; you might be high, low, or somewhere in the middle.
If you want to become more conscientious,setting goalsand getting organized can help.
Each trait is viewed on a continuum.
you might be high, low, or somewhere in the middle when it comes to each trait.
One study found that conscientious people tend to be more empathetic and score higher on agreeableness.
They also tend to score lower on measures of neuroticism.
They are responsible, reliable, organized, and hard-working.
They also pay attention to detail to confirm they deliver on their promises.
Someone who is conscientious will rarely make impulsive or careless decisions.
Words often used to describe a conscientious person include:
How do highly conscientious people act?
They tend to plan carefully and are considerate of other people’s time.
They follow up on their commitments and stick to their goals.
Conversely, people who are low in conscientiousness tend to prioritize having fun in the moment.
They are often described as casual, laid-back, and relaxed.
They are less likely to follow schedules and aren’t prone to extensive planning.
You might say about yourself:
How Prevalent Is Conscientiousness?
These inventories usually contain statements in which test-takers must decide to what extent they agree or disagree.
Because conscientiousness is measured through self-inventory, it’s difficult to determine its prevalence within the general public.
What’s more, each person has some level of conscientiousness that exists along a continuum.
So, people can be very high in conscientiousness, very low, or somewhere in between.
This makes the act of measuring this personality trait and understanding its prevalence even more complex.
They also tend to be able tocontrol their impulses.
Within the trait of conscientiousness, there are six facets or sub-traits that further describe personality.
Consequently, they are often extremely ambitious and tend to have lofty goals.
Meanwhile, those that score lower in conscientiousness may sometimes be viewed aslazy.
They may be more content with doing minimal work or skimping on their responsibilities.
They tend to think most things through and consider the consequences before finally acting.
Conscientious people often analyze situations and weigh the pros and cons before moving forward.
People with low scores, on the other hand, tend to beimpulsiveand take greater risks.
They honor their commitments and follow through on their promises.
Leaders with this trait have higher ratings in integrity and accountability.
People who score low in conscientiousness tend to view rules and regulations as restricting, limiting, and confining.
They may not feel responsible for anyone other than themselves.
Consequently, low scorers may be viewed as irresponsible and insubordinate.
They may enjoy list-making and are often punctual with their time.
Many times, people with this trait will describe themselves as self-starters who are both orderly and neat.
Conversely, someone low in conscientiousness may appear more disorganized or feel scatterbrained.
Self-Disciplined
People scoring high in conscientiousness are often very self-disciplined.
They tend to persevere even when things get difficult or unpleasant.
Some refer to this as having grit, which is closely connected to conscientiousness and self-discipline.
Prone to Self-Efficacy
When someone scores high in conscientiousness, they often have highself-efficacy.
Self-efficacy means having complete confidence in their ability to reach their goals and be successful.
Conversely, people who score low in conscientiousness tend to feel ineffective.
They also often believe that they haveno controlover their lives.
What Causes Conscientiousness?
Research has shown that some aspects of conscientiousness tend to change at different periods of development.
Conscientiousness tends to be lower in younger people but increases during adulthood.
Pros and Cons of Conscientiousness
Like all personality traits, there are pros and cons to conscientiousness.
For instance, people who are conscientious can become too serious.
Therefore, they may need some help lightening up and having fun.
A highly conscientious person can also become overly rigid or inflexible and struggle to be spontaneous.
In extreme cases, they may struggle withperfectionismandobsessive-compulsive disorder.
This can be a benefit in situations that require creativity or an immediate response.
Ways to Increase Conscientiousness
Do you wish you had more of this personality trait?
Instead of putting things off until later,take care of them when they first arise.
This keeps your to-do list from getting too long while also helping you work on your self-control.
Consider Decisions Carefully
You may be tempted to act on a decision quickly when faced with it.
However, take the time to consider your options if it’s possible for you to.
This can stop you from being impulsive, helping you act more cautiously.
Create a Weekly Schedule
Take time once a week to plan the following week.
Put scheduled events on your calendar and note the tasks that you want to get done each day.
Get Organized
Look for ways that you’re able to becomemore organized.
File paperwork away, clean your closets, and organize your drawers.
Come up with a place for all your things and get rid of the items you don’t need.
Set Goals
Conscientious people are goal-oriented.
So, take the time to set goals for yourself.
Next, develop a plan for meeting them.
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You still have other traits that help round you out.
Jackson JJ, Hill PL.Lifespan development of conscientiousness.Handbook of Personality Development.
Relations between facets of conscientiousness and grit.Eur J Personal.
2021;16(7):e0252275.
