Some people can spend an afternoon happily lost in a museum, a strange documentary or an argument about free will. Others find all that a bit much and would rather get something practical done. Neither is better. But the difference between them is one of the most researched in personality psychology.
It's called openness to experience, one of the Big Five personality traits. It shapes what you find beautiful, how you think about ideas and even how you react to music. Here's what it is, what it predicts, and what your own score can tell you.
What is openness to experience?
Openness to experience is the Big Five trait that describes how much you're drawn to novelty, imagination, ideas and aesthetic experience. People high in openness tend to be curious, imaginative and unconventional. People lower in openness tend to be practical, grounded and comfortable with the familiar.
Like every Big Five trait, openness is a dimension, not a category. Most people sit somewhere in the middle. If you're new to the model, our overview of the Big Five personality traits explains how the five fit together.
The two sides of openness
Researchers including Colin DeYoung have argued that openness has two related but distinct aspects:
- Openness (the experiential side): sensitivity to art, beauty, fantasy and emotion. This is the person moved to tears by a piece of music.
- Intellect (the ideas side): enjoyment of abstract thinking, puzzles and debate. This is the person who loves taking an argument apart.
Many people are high on one and only moderate on the other. You might adore poetry but find philosophy tedious, or love maths problems while feeling indifferent to galleries. In some questionnaires these appear under labels such as "openness" and "intellect", or are split into finer facets like imagination, artistic interests and adventurousness. Our guide to the 30 facets of the Big Five goes into that finer detail.
What high and low openness look like
| Higher openness | Lower openness | |
|---|---|---|
| Ideas | Enjoys abstract and theoretical questions | Prefers concrete, practical problems |
| Routine | Gets restless with too much sameness | Finds comfort and efficiency in routine |
| Art and beauty | Seeks out art, music and new aesthetics | Has clear, settled tastes |
| Change | Welcomes new ways of doing things | Values proven, tested approaches |
| Imagination | Rich inner world, frequent daydreaming | Focused on the here and now |
Lower openness is not the same as being closed-minded or dull. People lower in this trait are often reliable, focused and clear about what they like. Many roles and relationships benefit from exactly that steadiness.
Openness and creativity
Openness is the Big Five trait most consistently linked to creativity. People high in openness tend to score higher on measures of divergent thinking, report more creative hobbies and are more likely to work in creative fields.
That said, openness is not the whole story. Creative achievement also tends to require persistence, skill and opportunity, which is where traits like conscientiousness and plain hard work come in. Openness gives you the urge to explore; other qualities help you finish what you start.
The "aesthetic chills" connection
One memorable finding comes from psychologist Robert McCrae, who noted that people high in openness are more likely to report "aesthetic chills": goosebumps or a shiver when hearing moving music or encountering striking art. It's a small, physical sign of how strongly some people respond to beauty.
Openness and intelligence
Openness has a modest positive correlation with measures of intelligence, especially with the intellect side and with verbal ability and general knowledge. That makes sense: people who enjoy ideas tend to seek out more of them, which builds knowledge over time.
But the link is moderate, not strong. Plenty of very bright people are low in openness, and plenty of highly open people are not standout test-takers. Openness reflects what you're drawn to, not how well you reason.
Is high openness always good?
Not necessarily. Like every trait, openness comes with trade-offs.
Possible strengths of high openness:
- Adaptability when circumstances change
- Enjoyment of learning across the lifespan
- Comfort with complexity and ambiguity
- Creative problem-solving
Possible challenges of high openness:
- Boredom with routine or repetitive tasks
- Difficulty committing to one path when many look interesting
- A tendency to chase novelty over follow-through
- Being drawn to unusual ideas without enough critical scrutiny
Lower openness carries its own advantages: consistency, focus, clear preferences and a respect for what already works. The healthiest view is that each end of the trait suits some situations better than others.
Can your openness change?
Openness is fairly stable in adulthood, but it isn't fixed. Large studies tracking people over time suggest openness tends to rise in adolescence and young adulthood, then decline slightly in later life on average.
Life experience can nudge it too. Travel, education, new relationships and creative pursuits may encourage people to become a little more open, while long periods of narrow routine may do the opposite. Our article on whether personality can change explores what the research says about deliberate change.
How openness shows up in everyday life
You can often spot your level of openness in simple choices:
- What you order. Do you try the unfamiliar dish or stick with a favourite?
- How you travel. Do you plan every detail or wander and see what happens?
- What you read and watch. Do you seek out genres you've never tried?
- How you respond to new ideas. Do you feel curious first, or sceptical first?
None of these is a perfect test, but together they paint a picture. If you want a clearer, research-based measure, you can take our free Big Five personality test to see where you score on openness and the other four traits.
The bottom line
Openness to experience is the Big Five trait behind curiosity, imagination and a taste for novelty. It's the trait most strongly linked to creativity and has a modest link with intelligence, but it isn't simply "better" to score high. High openness brings adaptability and creative drive; lower openness brings focus and steadiness. Knowing where you sit helps you choose work, hobbies and relationships that suit you.
FAQ
What does it mean to score high in openness to experience?
A high score suggests you enjoy new ideas, art, imagination and variety, and you're comfortable with change and complexity. It describes your preferences, not your intelligence or worth.
Is openness to experience genetic?
Twin studies suggest openness, like other Big Five traits, is partly heritable, with environment and life experience also playing a substantial role. No single gene determines it.
Are people high in openness more creative?
On average, yes. Openness is the Big Five trait most consistently linked to creativity, although creative achievement also depends on skill, effort and opportunity.
