Actions (Openness facet)

Actions captures behavioural openness — the practical, in-the-world side of Openness. High scorers try new restaurants, take unusual routes home, change hobbies, travel adventurously, and update routines often. Low scorers stick to what they know works.

This facet is partly independent of intellectual Openness (Ideas). A person can love new ideas but eat the same lunch every day, or be intellectually conservative but a relentless experiential traveller.

Actions is one of the most predictive Openness facets for career transitions: it correlates strongly with mid-career pivots, geographic relocations, and willingness to retrain.

Source: Costa & McCrae (1992). NEO-PI-R Professional Manual.