AB5C Duo Types

Experimental Pattern Types

These "pattern types" are based on Hofstee, De Raade, and Goldberg's AB5C model of personality and were included in the original version of the narrative report generated. A person's two most extreme scores (high or low) determined their pattern. Currently these descriptions do not appear in the narrative report.

Example of how to apply this: Here are the big 5 scores for a typical PDB user: O 86, C 39, E 31, A 53, N 65. The two most extreme scores here (furthest from 50%) are O 86 and E 31. A person with these scores would therefore be the RXXXI type, which is the "Bookwormish" type. Use this method to figure out the AB5C duo type for the person you are analysing.

PERSONABLE TYPE (SXXAX)
Personable Types enjoy interacting with other people. Personable individuals frequently experience and express positive emotions and are therefore typically well-liked by others. They derive satisfaction from helping, and are well-suited for careers in the helping professions (counselling, teaching, nursing, human services). They are described by others as cheerful, confident, sociable, vigorous, enthusiastic, and friendly.

DOMINEERING TYPE (SXXEX)
Domineering Types enjoy exerting power and influence over others and strive to control them without taking their feelings into account. They are seen by others as critical, self-centered, stubborn, and bossy.

HUMBLE TYPE (RXXAX)
Humble Types are peace-loving, somewhat timid, and seek social acceptance by going along with what others want. These individuals are described by others with terms such as calm, agreeable, cooperative, composed, warm, preserving, and submissive.

DISTANT TYPE (RXXEX)
Distant Types show an active disinterest in other people. They are detached, sceptical, cynical loners who find little joy in human relations. They are described by others as solitary, depressed, worried, introverted, and shy.

ENTERPRISING TYPE (SXOXX)
Enterprising Types strive for success as defined by conventional social standards. They are ambitious, competitive, achievement-oriented, purposeful, leaderlike, and willing to move into positions of authority. Their probability of success in leadership roles will increase with higher scores on Agreeableness and Openness and lower Neuroticism scores.

IMPULSIVE TYPE (SXUXX)
Impulsive Types are exhibitionists who act outrageously in order to attract attention from others. Often rather unconventional, risk- taking, flamboyant, they also need and enjoy social stimulation. They are described by others as talkative, outgoing, changeable, blunt, and outspoken.

INDUSTRIOUS TYPE (RXOXX)
Industrious Types are business-like, self-disciplined, orderly workers who prefer to achieve on their own effort than as part of a team. They have great respect for rules and social conventions, and can be counted on to work productively without close supervision. They are described by others with terms such as learned, conscientious, persevering, tactful, cooperative, conservative, reserved, and predictable.

APATHETIC TYPE (RXUXX)
Apathetic Types lack energy and direction in life. They are described by others with terms such as passive, unenergetic, unambitious, sluggish, indecisive, aimless, and wishy-washy.

SOCIALLY SELF-CONFIDENT TYPE (SCXXX)
Socially Self-Confident Types are extraverts with high levels of energy and self-confidence. Their personality traits make them well-suited for leadership and supervisory roles. They are seen by others as enterprising, vigorous, self-assured, sociable, and active.

MOODY-MANIC TYPE (SLXXX)
Moody-Manic Types are high-strung, emotional extraverts who have difficulty keeping their feelings in check. Their moods fluctuate up and down unpredictably. Others describe them with terms such as changeable, unorthodox, explosive, undependable, excitable, and volatile.

SATISFIED TYPE (RCXXX)
Satisfied Types who feel they have risen above the problems of living and are content with things as they are. They see little point in getting involved in a rat-race to struggle to the top of the heap. They see stability and security as more important than getting ahead and are likely to be content with a respectable job in their home town, earning just enough money to make a living. They are described by others with terms such as sedate, tranquil, placid, ethical, responsible, unexcitable, and unassuming.

DISCOURAGED TYPE (RLXXX)
Discouraged Types are not happy with their present life situation but feel there is no way out because they lack the ability to improve their life circumstances. They are perceived by others as unambitious, unenergetic, shy, solitary, passive, introverted, cowardly, pessimistic, insecure, and fearful.

DEBONAIR TYPE (SXXXI)
Debonair Types are intelligent extraverts. In their worldliness they can be quite witty and charming. They have a flair for the dramatic, and can be histrionic and theatrical. People are naturally attracted to debonair types, but if a debonair type dislikes somebody, he or she can swiftly cut that person to the quick. Therefore, this type is generally described with positive terms such as enterprising, eloquent, forward-looking, confident, and sexy, but can also be described as critical, candid, and intense.

INDISCRETE TYPE (SXXXN)
Indiscreet Types are extraverts who impulsively talk and boast without knowing what they are talking about. They are pompous and full of bluster. Talkativeness and ignorance is an unfortunate combination not tolerated well by others. Indiscreet types are described as unlearned, unlettered, anxious, quitting, rule-avoiding, and self-centred.

BOOKWORMISH TYPE (RXXXI)
Bookwormish Types are highly intellectual, introspective, self- examining loners. Although they keep to themselves, their level of intelligence and learning garners them respect for others. They are described by other persons as learned, well-read, persevering, rule- abiding, calm, and industrious.

LETHARGIC TYPE (RXXXN)
Lethargic Types lack the energy to meet people or get involved in new things, and consequently tend to live in the past. They lack imagination and self-direction, preferring to go along with others or simply repeating their past patterns of behaviour. Others describe them as agreeable, unambitious, reminiscent, and worried.

COMPROMISING TYPE (XXOAX)
Compromising Types are oriented toward getting along with others. Valuing interpersonal harmony, they are more likely to compromise than confront in a difficult situation. They are described by other people as cooperative, persevering, composed, trustworthy, empathic, agreeable, traditional, simple, old-fashioned, predictable, down-to- earth, and preserving.

OTHER-DIRECTED TYPE (XXUAX)
Other-Directed Types are easy-going, somewhat lazy drifters who lack strong opinions and principles. They prefer simply to hang out with their social crowd. They are described by others as relaxed, outgoing, and unlettered.

MORALISTIC TYPE (XXOEX)
Moralistic Types are rule-oriented achievers who sometimes ignore the feelings of others in order to get the job done. Principles are more important than people to moralistic types, and they can be equally hard on themselves. This achievement-oriented, hard-driven type has great initiative and moves readily into positions of authority. They believe in working with and through the system and in advancing upward through hard work. They are unlikely to take risks, and their leadership style is likely to be seen as no-nonsense and instrumental. They are described by others as well-read, tense, and reserved.

SELF-CENTERED TYPE (XXUEX)
Self-Centered Types are indifferent to both conventional rules and the feelings of others, acting instead on their own self-interest. Depending upon their degree of self-centeredness, they may be simply impolite or can be downright abusive. They are described by others with terms such as unorthodox, stubborn, moody, unreliable, inconsiderate, uncooperative, disrespectful, egotistical, and conceited.

PLEASANT TYPE (XCXAX)
Pleasant Types are full of positive emotions and free from negative emotions. They are almost universally liked. They are described by others as confident, cheerful, relaxed, tolerant, composed, calm, good-natured, poised, persevering, vigorous, enterprising, extraverted, warm, trustworthy, empathic, conscientious, cooperative, simple, traditional, predictable, and down-to-earth.

EMOTIONAL TYPE (XLXAX)
Emotional Types--whether male or female--are stereotypically feminine. They are in touch with both positive and negative feelings. Others describe them with terms such as sentimental, affectionate, sensitive, soft, passionate, romantic, feminine, emotional, and gullible.

UNEMOTIONAL TYPE (XCXEX)
Unemotional Types--whether male or female--are stereotypically masculine. Regarding emotions as a sign of weakness, they see themselves as strong, stable, and unaffected by emotions. Others describe them with terms such as insensitive, unaffectionate, passionless, nonreligious, unemotional, and masculine.

MOODY TYPE (XLXEX)
Moody Types tend to report experiencing many negative emotions and few positive emotions. They are described by others as complex, changeable, worried, depressed, tense, impatient, moody, anxious, irritable, nervous, quitting, unenergetic, unambitious, introverted, cold, unreliable, self-centered, negligent, and stubborn.

TOLERANT TYPE (XXXAI)
Tolerant Types are open to, and accepting of, differences in other people. They care about the feelings of others and tend to take their opinions into account when making decisions. Their social skills are reasonably well-developed and they normally relate well to others in both co-worker and supervisory roles. They are described by others with such terms as good-natured, empathic, genial, tactful, diplomatic, calm, and poised.

GULLIBLE TYPE (XXXAN)
Gullible Types follow the crowd rather than thinking for themselves. They are described by others with such terms as simple, down-to-earth, dependent, easy-going, and servile.

INDIVIDUALISTIC TYPE (XXXEI)
Individualistic types consider themselves to be unique and more intelligent than most people around them. In extreme cases they might be regarded as eccentric, but in most cases they are perceived by others as complex, well-read, imaginative, and industrious.

NARROW-MINDED TYPE (XXXEN)
Narrow-minded Types are independent, self-contained, and openly willing to express annoyance with others. Others may find this difficult to deal with. They tend to be intolerant of persons who are different from them, and, in extreme cases, may be prejudiced or bigoted. They are described by others with such terms as irritable, self-centered, anxious, callous, tactless, and curt. Their brusqueness may be relatively unimportant to persons employed in menial or technical work, but may tend to limit performance in supervisory roles and in relations with others.

PERSISTENT TYPE (XCOXX)
Persistent Types are hard-working, stable individuals who perform well in structured, rule-governed environments. They are described by others as rule-abiding, composed, persevering, conscientious, trustworthy, cooperative, traditional, predictable, simple, and down-to-earth.

FUSSY TYPES (XLOXX)
Fussy Types are perfectionists who crave structure and order but who never seem to be able to achieve the order and predictability they desire. Their own emotional instability fosters a self-defeating pattern. They are described by others with terms such as particular, well-read, shy, and introverted.

CAREFREE TYPE (XCUXX)
Carefree Types are folksy, simple, happy-go-lucky persons. They are unconcerned about rules, schedules, and routines, but are not actively antisocial or hostile to authority. They are described by others with terms such as informal, self-assured, extraverted, and unlettered.

SCATTERED TYPE (XLUXX)
Scattered Types show emotional instability that affects both their thinking and their social relationships. Internally they are inconsistent, erratic and forgetful; in groups they can be impulsive, nosy, gossipy, and self-indulgent. On the job, their unpredictability may annoy co-workers and supervisors. Others describe them as unorthodox, changeable, complex, imaginative, rule-avoiding, moody, quitting, negligent, unreliable, stubborn, self-centered, and unreflective.

CULTURED TYPE (XXOXI)
Cultured Types are imaginative and resourceful in their thinking but conforming and traditional in their behavior. They use their intellectual skills to contribute to the common good. They may have a dignified, refined, and somewhat reserved air about them. Their perceptive and analytical abilities allow them to see through complex issues rapidly and accurately, allowing them to find quickly the most effective means of achieving desired ends. They are successful perfectionists, well suited for work that requires close concentration, self-control, and attention to detail. Others describe them as rule-abiding, persevering, learned, well-read, empathic, trustworthy, industrious, leaderlike, traditional, silent, and reserved.

CONVENTIONAL TYPE (XXOXN)
Conventional types are tradition-oriented persons who always "go by the book" rather than improvising, innovating, or thinking for themselves. They are quite responsible and can be relied on to follow directions and get the job done. They are described by others as agreeable, simple, and down-to-earth.

FANCIFUL/IMAGINATIVE TYPE (XXUXI)
Fanciful/Imaginative Types are unconventional nonconformists who pride themselves on being different from others. They are not so much openly antisocial and disruptive in their behavior as they are fanciful, impractical, and unconcerned about the general welfare of others. They are described by others as complex, imaginative, and critical.

IMMATURE TYPE (XXUXN)
Immature Types have a history of problems with self-discipline and self-control. As young students they were likely to be restless and unable to concentrate in the classroom, and therefore performed poorly. As adults they are therefore regarded as rough and uncouth as well as impulsive. They like thrills, adventure and action and would find working behind a desk to be frustrating and boring. They are described by others as unorthodox, talkative, outgoing, rule-avoiding, quitting, unlearned, unlettered, self-centered, and unreliable.

CLEAR-THINKING TYPE (XCXXI)
Clear-thinking types are well-adjusted, intelligent individuals. They approach problems in a matter-of-fact way, and feel confident about their ability to solve problems. They are described by others with such terms as intelligent, poised, forward-looking, innovative, ingenious, persevering, and enterprising.

DOWN-TO-EARTH TYPE (XCXXN)
Down-To-Earth types avoid anxiety by not thinking and reflecting on things very often. They focus on what is happening in their own local area, and adhere to the values and ways of thinking that are typical for their locality. Their neighbors probably regard them as down-to-earth and full of common sense, but outside of their local area they may be regarded as unreflective, unsophisticated, imperceptive, and provincial.

SENSITIVE TYPE (XLXXI)
Sensitive types are very bright but emotionally sensitive. They pay attention to, and are strongly affected by, things that happen in the world around them. They open themselves to their environment; consequently they enjoy many positive sensory experiences, but on the other hand they are vulnerable to having their feelings hurt. They are described by others as complex and imaginative.

MUDDLED TYPE (XLXXN)
Muddled types tend to be anxious about things that lie beyond their limited scope of understanding. They protect themselves by living in the past and showing contempt for novel or foreign ideas They are described by others as irritable, anxious, nervous, reminiscent, apathetic, unambitious, self-centered, unreliable, and negligent.

The Appropriateness of Big 5 as typology

This typological approach to the big 5, categorising people based on their two strongest traits, can be regarded as a sort of compromise between the big 5 "Primary" approach (categorising people solely on their most extreme trait) and the SLOAN approach (categorising people purely in terms of whether they score above or below 50% for each trait). The SLOAN method does a good job of quickly capturing a person's entire personality, but is flawed in that it totally fails to acknowledge the degree to which people's scores can vary hugely within the specified range (e.g. a person who scores 51% and a person who scores 100% for Openness can be classified as the same type despite having an impossible to ignore difference for that trait). The big 5 primary method recognises the fact that a person's most extreme trait tends to have an outsized influence on their overall personality but fails to represent any of the other traits (e.g. |S|COAI and |S|LUEN would be listed as the same type despite sharing virtually no traits in common).

The Duo Type method offers a compromise, simultaneously acknowledging the importance of identifying the subject's most pronounced traits and also acknowledging 2/5 traits, rather than just 1/5. This Duo Type method is probably the least intuitive of these three approaches, but there is a case to be made that it does a better job of concisely and accurately capturing the personalities of real people than either the "Primary" or the "SLOAN" methods. It manages to be more comprehensive than the "Primary" method, without undervaluing the significance of the Primary trait. It may not cover as much ground as the SLOAN method but it is fair to say that one's least pronounced trait will typically be quite close to 50% and won't actually tell us much that is useful. We see this as an issue with users who, for example, score 50% for agreeableness and find that both RLUEI and RLUAI categories capture them equally well, but not entirely satisfactorily. Some categorisation method that captures 2-4 traits is likely to be superior to methods that only capture 1 trait or that try to utilise all 5. The above resource is perhaps the most appropriate typological lens for the big 5, although the validity of viewing the big 5 through any such lens is debatable. Readers may also be interested to read about the "Clustering" big 5 type theory, found elsewhere in this volume.