with others in other circumstances, they tend to be liberal in values, ad -
mitting that what is right and wrong for one person may not be applica -
ble in other circumstances.
Facets of A and C
The original NEO-PI did not measure specific facets of Agreeableness
and Conscientiousness; only global domain scales were included. Butthe NEO-PI-R (Costa & McCrae, 1992a; Costa, McCrae, & Dye, 1991)was expanded to include six facets for A and C. By now there has beenconsiderable research on these facets, including a 6-year longitudinalstudy (Costa, Herbst, McCrae, & Siegler, 2000) that we consider in alater chapter.
Agreeable people are trusting, believing the best of others and
rarely suspecting hidden intents. Age changes in T rust would be of par-
ticular interest because Erikson (1950) regarded this as the earliest andmost fundamental outcome of psychosocial development. According tohis views, those who do not develop trust can never really advancetoward industry , identity , and intimacy . Just as agreeable people trustothers, so they are themselves trustworthy , marked by candor andStraightforwardness . The selflessness of agreeable people is seen in their
considerateness and desire to help others—a facet we call Altruism .
Agreeable individuals are meek, deferring to others rather than aggres-sively pushing for their own ends. This facet is called Compliance , a nod
toward Friendly Compliance , an old label for the Agreeableness domain
(Digman & Takemoto-Chock, 1981). Agreeable people are humble,showing Modesty in their assessment of their own abilities and impor -
tance. Low scorers on this facet might be considered narcissistic.
Attitudinally , agreeable people exhibit T ender-mindedness and sentimen -
tality , and may be an easy touch for charities and good causes.
Conscientious people are rational, informed, and generally think of
themselves as being high in Competence . Part of their success results
from their organization and Order , which makes them efficient in work.
In some respects, conscientious people are inhibited, adhering scrupu -
lously to their moral precepts; like Admiral Horatio Nelson, they have a
strong sense of Dutifulness (Costa & McCrae, 1998a). They are high in
Achievement Striving , pursuing excellence in everything they do; and
they are necessarily high in Self-Discipline to be able to accomplish their
goals. Finally , they are characterized by Deliberation , making plans in50 PERSONALITY IN ADULTHOOD