There are five big personality traits known as OCEAN that explain who you really are

Have you ever wondered exactly how your brain works and why you're the way you are?

Well, thanks to personality tests, we now have more of an insight into our minds than ever.

The American Psychological Association defines personality as 'the enduring characteristics and behaviour that comprise a person’s unique adjustment to life', which includes your interests, traits and values.

Which is just a long-winded way and scientific of way of saying its the reason some people are loud while others are much more reserved.

If you're interested in delving deeper into the inner workings of your brain, then a quick google search will bring up thousands of tests which are just a click away.

Famous examples include the Myers Briggs personality test (which is your INTJ ESTJs and so on) and the DISC Assessment.

But what if you've exhausted several tests and don't feel like any of them are the right fit? Why not try the 'OCEAN' personality test.

Curious about why your brain is the way it is? Then why not take a test (Getty Stock Images)

What is the OCEAN personality test?

Also known as the 'Big Five' personality test, the theory was William McDougall in the 1930s, before being later developed by Robert McCrae and Paul Costa.

OCEAN is an acronym for five different ways which psychologists have defined personality. These are:

• Openness - measures a person's creativity, curiosity and willingness to try new things.
• Conscientiousness - measures a person's ability to excise self-control, organisational skills and reliability.
• Extraversion - measures how outgoing and assertive a person is.
• Agreeableness - measures a person's willingness to co-operate as well as empathy and compassion.
• Neuroticism - measures how a person experiences emotions such as depression, anxiety and moodiness.

Each person receives a ranking on the spectrum for each of the above categories which provide an insight into how you are as a person.

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For example, a person who ranks highly in the agreeableness category would likely be seen as caring and kind, while someone who ranks highly in conscientiousness would be goal-orientated and dependable.

The 'OCEAN' or 'Big Five' test groups your personality into five pillars (Getty Stock Images)

There are numerous sites offering online version's of the OCEAN test as well, which means deeper insights into your personality are just a couple of clicks and entering your email away.

How does it differ from other personality tests?

The difference between the Big Five traits and other tests is that it operates as a spectrum, rather than categories. VeryWell Mind also notes that it's a more simplified than other tests, such as Raymond Cattell's 16 traits, allowing people a broader insight into their personality.

The site also has a pretty straightforward form of the test, which you can try out here.