MCode vs Big Five
People are too unique and nuanced to be judged by personality traits alone. That’s why MCode evaluates intrinsic motivation — what drives a person’s thoughts, decisions, and actions, and what powers their strengths and unique value.
Meaningful questions and answers
Rather than presenting statements and asking for an accuracy ranking, MCode asks individuals to share personal stories of achievement and fulfillment, then asks questions about how they felt/feel about those lived experiences.
- Every question asked is about the stories shared and the role an individual played in each story.
- Questions address different parts of their stories and experiences, and answers rank satisfaction levels on a scale of 1-10.
With every question and answer specific and meaningful to the person taking the MCode assessment, results are deeply personal, highly relevant, and, as we’re told, scary accurate.
Reliable and consistent results
Workplace assessments are used to support critical hiring and personnel decisions, which means results must be reliable, accurate, and trustworthy. That’s why assessments measuring personality traits can be problematic.
- Personality can change over time and with experience. Personality can also shift depending on the environment or situation.
- Reliance on self-reporting of traits can lead to inaccurate results, as most answers are aspirational or based on perceived expectations.
Because MCode assesses an individual’s motivational drivers, which are proven to remain consistent throughout life, results are consistent, accurate, and dependable. MCode results are also highly applicable in the workplace because motivation is what drives engagement, productivity, and high performance.
Actionable insights and resources
For an assessment to be valuable, results must go beyond “that’s nice” or “this part is sort of like me” and deliver insights that are not just relevant to their work and life but also immediately actionable. With MCode individuals will:
- Confirm what they know to be true and gain language to clearly communicate who they are to others.
- Gain new insights that explain what drives their best work and leads to showing up at their best.
- Get personalized insights and resources that make applying their MCode faster, easier, and more fun.
MCode doesn’t tell someone a little about who they are and leave them to figure out what to do with their results. Each custom MCode report is designed to help an individual use their newfound knowledge.
MCode vs Big Five Features Comparison
The science behind the Motivation Code assessment and the Big Five personality test reflects two distinct approaches to understanding human behavior. Both personality frameworks are grounded in psychological research but focus on different aspects of personality and motivation.
MCode
Big Five
Assessment framework
8 Dimensions shaped by a stacked ranking of 32 Motivations.
5 Personality Traits.
Assessment creation
Result of continuous research started in the 1950s and first used with NASA in the early 1960s.
Originally developed in 1949. Expanded on by other researchers in 1967, 1981, and 1987.
Assessment science
Motivation-based. Focused on drivers of behavior and performance; what propels someone toward personal and professional fulfillment.
Trait-based. Focused on broad personality descriptors and adjectives, and understanding general behavioral tendencies.
Assessment research
Rooted in narrative psychology and the study of personal stories of achievement and fulfillment.
Rooted in psychological research, factor analysis, and the categorization of personality characteristics.
Assessment experience
Individuals share personal stories and answer questions about their experiences using a 1-10 ranking of satisfaction.
Individuals self-report personality traits by reading general statements and ranking accuracy on a scale of 1-5.
Assessment consistency
The Motivation Code assessment experience is always the same and only available through Motivations AI.
Many companies offer versions of Big Five and your experience, results, and report vary from company to company.
Assessment application
Applicable in personal growth, career development, and team dynamics.
Applicable in clinical, social, and personality psychology.
Assessment results
Provides an understanding of how an individual is motivated to engage and why they behave the way they do at work and throughout life.
Provides an understanding of an individual’s general disposition and how they might behave across different contexts.
Assessment challenges
Individuals may find it difficult to come up with or decide which four stories to share.
Personality traits aren’t always consistent in personal and professional situations.
MCode
Big Five
Assessment framework
8 Dimensions shaped by a stacked ranking of 32 Motivations.
5 Personality Traits.
Assessment creation
Result of continuous research started in the 1950s and first used with NASA in the early 1960s.
Originally developed in 1949. Expanded on by other researchers in 1967, 1981, and 1987.
Assessment science
Motivation-based. Focused on drivers of behavior and performance; what propels someone toward personal and professional fulfillment.
Trait-based. Focused on broad personality descriptors and adjectives, and understanding general behavioral tendencies.
Assessment research
Rooted in narrative psychology and the study of personal stories of achievement and fulfillment.
Rooted in psychological research, factor analysis, and the categorization of personality characteristics.
Assessment experience
Individuals share personal stories and answer questions about their experiences using a 1-10 ranking of satisfaction.
Individuals self-report personality traits by reading general statements and ranking accuracy on a scale of 1-5.
Assessment consistency
The Motivation Code assessment experience is always the same and only available through Motivations AI.
Many companies offer versions of Big Five and your experience, results, and report vary from company to company.
Assessment application
Applicable in personal growth, career development, and team dynamics.
Applicable in clinical, social, and personality psychology.
Assessment results
Provides an understanding of how an individual is motivated to engage and why they behave the way they do at work and throughout life.
Provides an understanding of an individual’s general disposition and how they might behave across different contexts.
Assessment challenges
Individuals may find it difficult to come up with or decide which four stories to share.
Personality traits aren’t always consistent in personal and professional situations.
Personality test vs. Motivational assessment
The Big Five personality assessment evaluates individuals based on 5 personality traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. Also referred to as OCEAN or CANOE, Big Five results can lead to a better understanding of work habits and social interactions.
The MCode assessment reveals an individual’s ranking of 32 Motivations across 8 Motivational Dimensions: Achiever, Driver, Influencer, Learner, Optimizer, Orchestrator, Relator, and Visionary. It directly addresses work-related scenarios, such as performance, leadership styles, work environment fit, team collaboration, and personal fulfillment.
Breadth vs. Specificity:
Big Five offers a broad overview of personality that influences general patterns of behavior. In contrast, MCode’s 8 Dimensions are more specific and focus on the underlying motivations that drive behavior and actions in particular situations.
Trait vs. Motivation:
Big Five assesses 5 personality traits that describe how people generally interact with the world. MCode, however, identifies the reasons behind people’s actions, providing insights into why they act, work, and maintain relationships in the ways they do.
Predictive vs. Prescriptive:
While Big Five can predict potential behavior based on personality traits, MCode offers a more prescriptive approach, suggesting how individuals can align their actions with their core motivations for greater fulfillment and effectiveness.
Is MCode a Big Five alternative?
Big Five assessments offer a broad overview of personality traits but don’t address the motivations that drive human behavior. The MCode assessment fills this gap by revealing the intrinsic Motivations that propel a person’s engagement and performance. Together, these assessment tools offer a comprehensive understanding of who someone is and how they approach their work, which enhances personal growth, team dynamics, leadership effectiveness, and organizational success.
Use MCode and Big Five together for…
Holistic Self-Awareness:
Big Five outlines general personality traits and MCode reveals a stacked ranking of 32 Motivations mapped across a spectrum of 8 Motivational Dimensions. This blend provides a complete picture of the strengths and motivations that make each person unique and drive their thoughts, decisions, and actions.
Enhanced Recruitment:
Personality traits identified by Big Five are relevant to job fit, while MCode examines how someone derives satisfaction and fulfillment from their work. Adding MCode ensures candidates’ motivators align with organizational values and role requirements, to create happier team members and improved retention.
Tailored Development Plans:
Big Five highlights personality-based strengths but someone can be using a strength and still not be engaged or interested in their work. MCode adds game-changing motivational awareness that allows leaders to tap into motivation to create personalized development plans that drive peak performance.
Improved Team Building:
Big Five helps leaders and teams understand personality-driven interactions. MCode enhances this relational awareness by highlighting motivational concentrations and gaps, and predicting how team members who are motivated differently will work well together and where they may encounter friction.
Strategic Leadership:
Leaders use Big Five to describe personality, which isn’t predictive of how people think about work, make decisions, or behave in specific contexts or when interacting with specific people. Adding MCode’s motivational insights empowers leaders to tailor their approach to each individual and increase effectiveness.
Experience the MCode difference
The MCode assessment uses personal stories, lived experiences, and satisfaction levels to uncover the Motivations that move you, explain why you do what you do, reveal the work that energizes/drains you, and ensure every MCode report is accurate, relevant, and actionable.
No arbitrary personality typing.
No sticking you in a predefined box.
No answering subjective questions.
No settling for sort-of-accurate results.
Get deeply personal insights that can be immediately applied to support you at your best, experiencing work at its best, and life at its best.
