Big Five Personality Traits and Sexual Orientation: A Focus on Conscientiousness in Gay Men

Abstract

Background: Research into the intersection of personality and sexual orientation remains relatively sparse, despite the established centrality of the Big Five model in differential psychology. Conscientiousness, encompassing, self-discipline, orderliness and goal-directed behavior have received particular theoretical interest as a trait potentially modulated by minority stress and identity management processes in sexual minority men. Objectives: To examined whether self-identified gay men differ significantly from heterosexual men on measures of Conscientiousness and the broader Big Five personality profile, and explored potential mediating roles of minority stress, identity concealment, and community connectedness. Methods: A community-based sample of 412 adult men (204 gay, 208 heterosexual) in the United Kingdom completed the NEO-PI-R, the Minority Stress Scale, and the Gay Identity Questionnaire via an online platform. Between-group comparisons, multiple regression, and mediation analyses were conducted. Results: Gay men scored significantly higher on Conscientiousness (M = 61.4, SD = 9.2) relative to heterosexual men (M = 56.8, SD = 10.1; t (410) = 4.87, p <.001, d = 0.48). They also scored higher on Agreeableness and Openness to Experience. Minority stress partially mediated the Conscientiousness difference (indirect effect β = 0.14, 95% CI [0.07, 0.23]. Community connectedness emerged as a positive moderator. Conclusions: Gay men demonstrate elevated Conscientiousness compared to heterosexual male peers, a pattern partially explained by adaptive responses to minority stress. Findings contribute to a growing literature linking social identity processes to dispositional self-regulation, with clinical and public-health implications for understanding protective personality factors in sexual minority populations.