Extraversion Personality Trait
Extraversion is the Personality Trait for seeking fulfillment from sources outside the self.
In everyday language, we often use the label introvert to describe people who are low in extraversion.
Still, personality researchers generally talk about low versus high extraversion rather than about introverts and extraverts.
Partly that's to avoid thinking of extraversion and introversion as if they're personality types and to avoid the confusion that introversion is somehow the opposite of extraversion, which it isn't.
Introverts fall at the lower end of the normal distribution of extraversion scores.
For instance, introverts may prefer fewer social interactions than extraverts, does not mean they dislike interacting with other people altogether.
In addition, introverts may be less assertive than extraverts are, but they aren't necessarily nonassertive or submissive.
Traits
The traits associated with Extraversion are:
- Sociableness
- Assertiveness
- Merriness
- Outgoing nature
- Energy
- Talkativeness
- Ability to be articulate
- Fun-loving nature
- Tendency for affection
- Friendliness
- Social confidence
People Those high in these traits are outgoing and tend to gain energy in social situations. Those who are low in this trait are called introverted.
Sociability
The higher people score in extraversion, the more they enjoy interacting with others.
Compared to people who are low in extraversion, people who are high in extraversion are more gregarious, enjoy social gatherings more—including large parties—and seek out opportunities to interact with others more often.
And, as you would expect, when they're in social situations, people who are high in extraversion are more talkative than people low in extraversion.
People high in extraversion are so highly motivated to interact with others that they sometimes search just for somebody to talk to when alone for a long time.
Some of the best evidence for behaviors associated with low and high extraversion has examined people's behavior during everyday life.
In one study, participants completed a measure of extraversion and then wore an electronically activated recorder as they went about their daily lives.
This recorder was programmed to turn on for a few minutes randomly throughout the day, providing objective data about what the participants were doing.
Analyses of the recorded data showed that participants who scored higher in extraversion were much more likely to interact with other people when the recorder was activated than participants who were lower in extraversion.
The Genetic Connection
According to a study by genetic specialist Dean Hamer of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, our tendency for extraversion is genetic.
Extraversion has 54% genetic influence.
The gene D4RD is more prolonged and less sensitive to dopamine in extraverts.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in our brain responsible for feelings of excitement and motivation.
This is why extraverts need more external stimuli to maintain their drive, compared to introverts who have shorter D4RD and find too many external stimuli overwhelming.
Another study showed that the amount of blood that passes through some brain regions determines extraversion/introversion.
Extraverts have more blood flowing through their temporal lobes, the part of the brain involved with emotional and sensory experience.
Introverts have more blood flow in their frontal lobes, which deals with problem-solving and internal processing.
Facets of Extraversion
1. Warmth- High Score – Tends to be friendly and shows interest in others.
- Low Score – Tends to be reserved and does not open up to people immediately.
- High Score – Enjoys and prefers the company of others rather than solitude.
- Low Score – Prefers a small group of trusted people and quiet time alone.
- High Score – Likes to be popular / Expresses themselves forcefully.
- Low Score – Prefers not to be the center of attention. Keeps thoughts and feelings to themselves.
- High Score – Thrives at large social gatherings. More prone to boredom when alone.
- Low Score – Prefers solitary activities such as reading, fishing, writing, computer games, etc.
- High Score – Seeks novelty and needs external stimuli.
- Low Score – Prefers low-key activities. Self-sufficient. Finds too much stimulation overwhelming.
- High Score – A higher tendency to experience positive emotions, even alone. Easily pleased. Attracts more life circumstances which leads to more positive effects.
- Low Score –Does not feel rewarded by external stimuli. Gets their rewards from reflective activities. Requires more positive reinforcement to be happy.
High Extraversion
You get your energy by interacting with others, and spending too much time alone seems draining.
Others often describe you as friendly and energetic.
You constantly seek ways to be around people at work or a party.
You don't mind being the center of attention, and your friends love being around you because you are the life of the party!
When working through problems, you enjoy talking them through with others.
You often think best when you are having a discussion with others rather than sitting alone and thinking.
Concepts seem more real to you when they are discussed with others.
While being assertive may make others uncomfortable, you have no problem voicing your opinion. You often talk before you think.
This can be beneficial at times but sometimes gets you into trouble.
People who score high in extraversion do well in careers that allow them to build relationships with others, whether their clients or coworkers.
Extraverts are well-suited for salespersons, doctors/nurses, lawyers, or teachers' jobs.
Common Traits:
- Enjoys being the center of attention
- Likes to start conversations
- Enjoys meeting new people
- Has a wide social circle of friends and acquaintances
- Finds it easy to make new friends
- Feels energized when around other people
- Say things before thinking about them
Medium Extraversion
This means you get your energy from being around others, but at other times, you get your point from being alone.
Life is all about balance, and for you, it’s important to spend time alone and with others.
You don’t mind being the center of attention at times, but you don’t seek out ways to be the center of attention, either.
Because you have traits of both an introvert and an extravert, you know when to speak up and stay silent.
You can recognize when you need to speak up and be assertive and can find the courage to have those difficult conversations when necessary.
Jobs for moderately extraverted people include those that allow building relationships with others and enable periods to work alone.
The best jobs for these individuals include counseling, human resources, or being a director.
Low Extraversion
While enjoying time with others, you get your energy by yourself.
Spending too much time around others leaves you feeling tired.
Others describe you as thoughtful and quiet. However, being the center of attention usually makes you feel uncomfortable.
You may not be a social butterfly, but you do a fantastic job building relationships with others.
You find that you typically have a few friends with whom you are very close rather than many acquaintances.
The relationships you have with others are usually very long-lasting.
Others would describe you as very detail-oriented.
You listen more than you speak and are thinking about whatever you say.
In stressful situations, you always seem calm and level-headed.
Introverts do best in jobs that allow them to spend most of the day alone.
If put into a job requiring too much time spent with others, introverts leave work completely exhausted.
The best jobs for introverts include those involving art, technology, or science – such as a photographer, lab worker, or computer programmer.
Common Traits:
- Prefers solitude
- Feels exhausted when having to socialize a lot
- Finds it difficult to start conversations
- Dislikes making small talk
- Carefully thinks things through before speaking
- Dislikes being the center of attention