About this tool
- •The TIPI is a 10-item, free, validated Big Five personality measure — five dimensions in under 2 minutes.
- •The Big Five model (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Emotional Stability) is the most-validated personality framework in psychology — used in thousands of peer-reviewed studies.
- •Each dimension is scored 1-7 from the average of two items (one positively-keyed, one reverse-keyed). The TIPI gives a profile across all five rather than a single severity score.
- •For mental-health context, the dimension that matters most is Emotional Stability — high neuroticism (low Emotional Stability) is the personality trait most strongly associated with depression and anxiety risk.
- •This is NOT a clinical diagnostic tool. It's a self-report personality snapshot. The TIPI trades depth for speed — for richer profiles, longer instruments like the BFI-44 or IPIP-NEO are available.
- •TIPI was developed by Gosling, Rentfrow, and Swann (2003) and is in the public domain.
Take the TIPI (Big Five)
For each statement, indicate how much you agree or disagree. I see myself as someone who is…
0 of 10 answered
Your answers are processed in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent to anyone — including Tovani — until you choose to.
Frequently asked
How is the Big Five different from Myers-Briggs (MBTI)?
The Big Five is the scientifically validated personality model used in research; MBTI is popular but not strongly supported by evidence. The Big Five measures continuous dimensions (you can be 4.2 out of 7 on conscientiousness); MBTI forces binary categories. Most personality psychologists use the Big Five for research and clinical work; MBTI is more common in corporate workshops.
Is the TIPI accurate?
The TIPI is a fast, validated short form — but it trades depth for speed. Two items per dimension is enough to give a rough profile, but not enough to capture nuance. For more accurate profiles, the BFI-44 (44 items), NEO-FFI (60 items), or IPIP-NEO-120 (120 items) give richer pictures. For most purposes, the TIPI is sufficient to know your general profile.
I scored low on Emotional Stability. Should I be worried?
Not worried — but worth understanding. Low Emotional Stability (high neuroticism) is the personality dimension most strongly associated with depression and anxiety risk over a lifetime. It doesn't mean you have either condition. It means stress hits you harder than average and the emotional response lasts longer. Skills-based approaches (CBT, mindfulness, structured exercise, sleep regulation) can help reduce emotional reactivity over time. If depression or anxiety symptoms are actually present, the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 screenings on this site can give a more direct clinical signal.
Can personality predict whether ketamine will work for me?
There's emerging but limited evidence that personality factors — particularly high Openness and low Emotional Stability — may predict greater response to ketamine therapy. The mechanism likely relates to how the dissociative experience is integrated psychologically: more openness = more comfort with the unusual experience, more skillful integration. This isn't a clinical screening tool, though — the question of whether ketamine is right for you depends on your specific clinical picture, not personality alone.
My personality has changed over the years. Is that normal?
Yes. The Big Five dimensions are relatively stable but do shift over a lifetime — typically conscientiousness and agreeableness increase with age, while neuroticism decreases. Trauma, therapy, medication, and major life events can all produce measurable changes. A TIPI score today is a snapshot, not a fixed identity.
References
- Murrough JW et al. 2013, American Journal of Psychiatry. Ketamine RCT in treatment-resistant depression — relevant for high-neuroticism (low Emotional Stability) patients who have the highest baseline depression risk. PMID 23982301
- Sanacora G et al. 2017, JAMA Psychiatry. APA consensus on ketamine in mood disorders — including patients whose personality profile (high neuroticism, low Emotional Stability) contributes to chronic depressive patterns. PMID 28249076