Personality models have become essential tools in psychology, business, and personal development for understanding how individuals behave and relate to others. Two of the most prominent models are the Big Five personality traits (also known as the Five-Factor Model) and the HEXACO model of personality structure. While both aim to map the major dimensions of human personality, they differ significantly in how they conceptualize traits such as honesty and trust.
Understanding the Two Models
What is the Big Five?
The Big Five model includes five broad dimensions: Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism (or Emotional Stability at the opposite end). This model has dominated personality research and is widely adopted across cultures due to its empirical support and simplicity.
In the context of honesty and trust, the Big Five treats those features primarily as part of the Agreeableness dimension (which includes trust, straightforwardness, altruism) and Conscientiousness (which includes reliability, self-discipline).
What is the HEXACO model?
The HEXACO model builds on and slightly re-frames the Big Five by adding a sixth dimension: Honesty-Humility. Its six factors are: Honesty-Humility (H), Emotionality (E), Extraversion (X), Agreeableness (A), Conscientiousness (C) and Openness to Experience (O).
The addition of Honesty-Humility is deliberate: it captures traits like sincerity, fairness, modesty, avoidance of greed—elements that many argue are not explicitly captured in the Big Five.
In simpler terms: while the Big Five lumps trust and straightforwardness under Agreeableness, HEXACO gives a distinct domain to those ethical / moral dimensions.
Why Honesty & Trust Matter
Honesty and trust are foundational to relationships—whether personal, professional or institutional. Someone who is honest and trustworthy is less likely to engage in deception, manipulation or unethical behavior. They contribute positively to team dynamics, organizational integrity and social capital. If a personality model can better predict these behaviors, it becomes far more valuable for hiring, risk-assessment, counselling and personal development.
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Which Model Predicts Honesty & Trust Better?
Evidence from Meta-Analysis & Research
One comprehensive meta-analysis found that the Honesty-Humility trait in HEXACO displayed separable predictive value beyond Big Five traits. For example, the meta-analysis titled “The discriminant validity of honesty-humility…” concluded that although modest variance overlapped with Big Five Agreeableness, Honesty-Humility showed unique relationships with dark traits such as Machiavellianism.
Another study comparing Big Five and HEXACO found that HEXACO “outperformed the B5 model in predicting essential criterion variables, such as manipulativeness, delinquency, or materialism.”
In one applied context (workplace deviance), research noted that “HEXACO model was 1.5 times better at predicting workplace deviance than the Big Five model” and identified the Honesty-Humility dimension as the strongest predictor.
Interpreting the Evidence
From the research above, HEXACO appears to have a distinct advantage when it comes to predicting honesty, humility, anti-manipulative behavior and trust-related outcomes. That is likely because the Big Five simply did not isolate those traits as clearly; they were embedded within broader constructs like Agreeableness. In many cases, Honesty-Humility appears to cover ethical/moral dimensions more directly and robustly.
However, it’s worth noting that the Big Five still performs very well overall, and in some domains (e.g., emotional wellbeing) may even outperform HEXACO.
Where the Models Are Similar — And Where They Differ
Similarities
Both models share major domains: Extraversion, Conscientiousness, Openness (though name/rotation may vary).
They both aim to explain large swathes of individual differences in personality and behavior.
Both have demonstrated cross-cultural validity and utility in applied settings (team building, hiring, counselling).
Key Differences
Honesty-Humility factor: Only HEXACO has this explicit dimension. Big Five lacks a dedicated honesty/humility domain.
Agreeableness and Emotionality rotation: In HEXACO, the Agreeableness and Emotionality factors differ slightly from the Big Five versions; some anger/temper facets are shifted to Agreeableness, some anxiety/fear to Emotionality.
Predictive validity for ethics/trust: As above, HEXACO’s Honesty-Humility improves prediction of manipulative or deceitful behavior; Big Five doesn’t always pick that up as clearly.
Adoption and familiarity: Big Five is far more widely used (in organizations, research, mainstream personality tests). HEXACO is growing but less common.
Practical Implications: Which Should Be Used When?
How to Read Test Results: Honesty & Trust Insights
Here are key things to check when using these models:
In a HEXACO-based assessment, a high Honesty-Humility score often means: strong fairness, modesty, sincerity, low likelihood of manipulation or cheating.
In a Big Five assessment, a high Agreeableness score may indicate trust and cooperation—but it may not fully capture the honesty/humility dimension explicitly.
Also check Conscientiousness in either model: reliability, dependability and self-discipline often correlate with trustworthy behavior.
Cross-referencing low Honesty-Humility (or low Big Five Agreeableness + low Conscientiousness) may flag increased risk of unethical behavior or decisions.
Another Must-Read: Building a Trusting Relationship With Yourself: Learning to Listen and Control
Call to Action
If understanding personality better is on your radar—whether for team building, hiring decisions, or personal growth—consider taking or offering assessments like the quizzes in Personality Peek. Share this article with colleagues or on social media, comment below with your thoughts or experiences of personality tests and subscribe to receive weekly insights into how personality research can help you unlock higher honesty, trust, and performance in life and work.
Ending Thoughts
When it comes to predicting honesty and trust, the HEXACO model holds a distinct advantage, thanks to its dedicated Honesty-Humility dimension and stronger empirical prediction for ethical behavior. However, the Big Five remains a robust, well-researched framework for general personality profiling. The best practical path often lies in combining the two: use the Big Five as a broad foundation and add HEXACO insights when trust and integrity matter most. By doing so, individuals and organizations can harness the strengths of both models and make more informed, effective decisions about character, behavior and success.
See Also: Top 5 Most Accurate Personality Tests (2025): What the Science Actually Says
