The Science Behind HEXACO
A personality model built on cross-cultural lexical research, measuring six fundamental dimensions of human personality.
What is the HEXACO Model?
Developed by Kibeom Lee (University of Calgary) and Michael C. Ashton (Brock University), the HEXACO model emerged from analyzing personality-descriptive words across dozens of languages — including Korean, French, Italian, German, and Hungarian.
Published in peer-reviewed journals since 2000, the model has accumulated over 1,000 academic citations and identifies six core dimensions that appear consistently across cultures.
The Six Dimensions
Honesty-Humility
Sincerity, Fairness, Greed Avoidance, Modesty
High — Genuine, fair, uninterested in manipulating others for personal gain
Low — More willing to bend rules, flatter strategically, or pursue wealth and status
Emotionality
Fearfulness, Anxiety, Dependence, Sentimentality
High — Stronger emotional responses, seek support from others, form deep emotional bonds
Low — Emotionally detached, self-reliant, less affected by stress
Extraversion
Social Self-Esteem, Social Boldness, Sociability, Liveliness
High — Confident in social settings, enjoy group activities, generally upbeat
Low — Prefer solitary activities, feel less need for social interaction
Agreeableness
Forgivingness, Gentleness, Flexibility, Patience
High — Willing to compromise, give others the benefit of the doubt
Low — Tend to hold grudges, criticize shortcomings, more stubborn
Conscientiousness
Organization, Diligence, Perfectionism, Prudence
High — Disciplined, detail-oriented, deliberate in decision-making
Low — More spontaneous, comfortable with ambiguity and disorder
Openness to Experience
Aesthetic Appreciation, Inquisitiveness, Creativity, Unconventionality
High — Drawn to art, ideas, and novel experiences
Low — Prefer the practical and conventional
How 64 Types Are Derived
Each dimension is scored as High or Low. With 6 dimensions and 2 values each, this produces 64 distinct personality profiles — each with a descriptive name reflecting its unique blend of traits.
HEXACO vs MBTI vs Big Five
| Feature | HEXACO | MBTI | Big Five |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 6 | 4 | 5 |
| Types | 64 | 16 | N/A |
| Honesty-Humility | Yes | No | No |
| Scoring | Continuous | Binary | Continuous |
| Test-retest reliability | High | Moderate | High |
| Cross-cultural validation | 20+ languages | Limited | Extensive |
| Academic citations | 1,000+ | Limited | 10,000+ |
| Theoretical base | Lexical studies | Jung's theory | Lexical / statistical |
The most significant difference is HEXACO's inclusion of Honesty-Humility — a strong predictor of workplace behavior, ethical decision-making, and interpersonal trust that neither MBTI nor the Big Five explicitly measures.
Brain Type: Multiple Intelligences
Based on Howard Gardner's theory (Frames of Mind, 1983), our Brain Type test identifies your dominant intelligence among eight types. While HEXACO reveals how you behave, Brain Type reveals how you think.
References
Lee, K., & Ashton, M. C. (2004). Psychometric properties of the HEXACO Personality Inventory. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 39(2), 329–358. DOI
Ashton, M. C., & Lee, K. (2007). Empirical, theoretical, and practical advantages of the HEXACO model. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 11(2), 150–166. DOI
Ashton, M. C., & Lee, K. (2009). The HEXACO–60: A short measure of the major dimensions of personality. Journal of Personality Assessment, 91(4), 340–345. DOI
Ashton, M. C., Lee, K., & Goldberg, L. R. (2007). The IPIP–HEXACO scales. Personality and Individual Differences, 42(8), 1515–1526.
Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Basic Books.
For more information, visit hexaco.org and ipip.ori.org.