58 I. THEORETICAL  PERSPECTI vES AND  CONCEPT uAL uNITS
(low on Extraversion) and Enthusiasm (high 
on Extraversion).
Finally, some of the convergent and dis -
criminant relations apparent in Figure 2.2 
can be discerned in Figure 2.3 as well; for 
example, BFI-2 Trust and NEO Trust appear 
close together in the two-  dimensional space, 
as do BFI-2 and BFAS Compassion. How -
ever, the substantial discrimination between 
Compassion and Trust, while so apparent in 
Figure 2.2, is obscured here, partly because 
all these scales share their substantial load -
ing on the Agreeableness factor where they 
belong. More generally, even though two- dimensional plots of factor loadings, like 
that in Figure 2.3, have long been used in 
trait taxonomic and especially circumplex 
work, they seem to offer less specific infor -
mation than the more focused facet profiles 
in Figure 2.2. Their strength is their ability 
to show the presence or absence of clear dis -
criminations between factors, like the fuzzy 
boundaries between the interpersonal fac -
tors and the conceptual drift of the NEO 
Extraversion facets into the Agreeableness 
domain. That strength, however, is offset by 
their limited ability to show discrimination 
among the facets within each factor. Thus, FIGURE 2.3.  The interpersonal circumplex formed by the Big Five domains of Extraversion and Agree -
ableness. The Extraversion and Agreeableness facet scales from three Big Five instruments (BFI-2, 
NEO-PI-R, and BFAS) were jointly factored, and the graph shows the loadings of the 22 facet scales 
in the resulting two-  dimensional space. BFI-2, Big Five Inventory–2; NEO, NEO PI-R; BFAS, Big Five 
Aspect Scales; E, Extraversion; A, Agreeableness.
BFI-2 E
Soci-
ability
NEO E
Assertivenes sBFAS E
Assertive-
nessBFI-2 E
Energy LevelBFAS E
Enthusiasm
BFI-2 E
Assertivenes sNEO E
ActivityNEO E
GregariousnessNEO E
Positive EmotionsNEO E
Warmth
NEO E
Excitement-SeekingNEO A
Altruism
BFAS A
PolitenessBFI-2 A 
Com passi onBFI-2 A
Respectfulness
BFAS A
Com passi on
BFI-2 A
TrustNEO A
Straightfo rwardness
NEO A
Tender-
Mindednes sNEO A
A OENecnailpmoC
Trust
NEO A
Modes ty
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