How To Know If You Tend Towards Introversion Or Extraversion
Nice people, cheeky, shy, social… These are adjectives that we often use when talking about social dimension of people However, many of these concepts are not only found in popular knowledge: science has also studied them.
One of the most interesting topics is the relationship between introversion and extraversion as well as the study of its biological bases.
The precedent: analyzing introversion and extraversion
Carl Jung was the first author to work with the concepts introversion and extraversion in a systematic way. in his book Psychological Types (Psychological Types), Jung speaks of two types of attitudes that define the person: the one whose interests are focused outside and the social sphere, and those oriented towards the private sphere They are, respectively, the psychological types of extraversion and introversion. Furthermore, Jung draws a parallel between introversion and the Apollonian archetype (introspection, rationality, moderation) while the psychological type of extraversion corresponds to the Dionysian (disorder, the search for the new and the interest in the world of sensations).
It seems evident that Jung intended to emphasize the relationship of incompatibility and mutual exclusion between these two categories. These are expressly antagonistic attitudes that not only affect our way of relating to others, but go further and speak about our way of relating to others. relate to the world about our way of inhabiting reality.
Eysenck’s theory
The German psychologist Hans Eysenck He was another of the scholars to address the topic, although he adhered to the scientific method, although working from categories very similar to Jung’s. Eysenck talked about personality, paying special attention to the biological bases and genetics of the human being, that which is not learned through experience, but is expressed through our way of adapting to the environment. Therefore, he proposes the introversion-extraversion relationship as a dimension of temper present in all people and that is defined from physiology by levels of excitation and inhibition (the denial of excitement) in the face of the stimuli we experience. High or low levels of arousal can be measured by indicators such as sweating, electrical conductivity of the skin, and brain wave readings.
According to this theory, then, and although it may seem confusing, the introvert lives in a permanent state of excitement or “nervousness”, and that is why the stimuli he experiences leave a greater psychological mark on him, while people extroverts are “assigned” a state of relative chronic inhibition of brain activity , and their reaction to stimuli is lower. Based on these tendencies, which in some way would be programmed in the genes of each person, human beings seek to balance these levels of activity in their interaction with the environment.
Someone whose brain activation is relatively low (due to inhibition in this internal environment) is concerned with acting in search of excitement, and this is achieved by participating in socially demanding activities (speaking before a large group of people, for example) and looking for new situations that require to be alert For this reason, extroverted people have been defined as prone to boredom. Someone with a need for exciting situations could be upset if they only experience personal relationships based on repetition and everyday life.
On the other hand, according to Eysenck, someone who is introverted is because they already live in a permanent state of alert , although not in the sense of being very focused on what is happening around you voluntarily, since it is an involuntary propensity and does not depend on where you are focusing your attention at any given moment. Simply, the introvert is more sensitive to what is happening around him, and that sensitivity is biological. Since arousal already predominates in his internal environment, he tends to become socially inhibited: he acts rather by avoiding experiences that make his level of activity increase even more, seeking more stable or predictable environments and, although he is sociable insofar as he can enjoy relationships with others as well as extroverts, these relationships are characterized by not being very socially demanding (the idea can be expressed with the phrase “I need my own space”).
As we have seen, although shyness and introversion may seem the same, it is really a superficial similarity. Shyness refers rather to a state of mind that can be explained as a learned behavior when considering that relationships with others can have negative consequences, while introversion is a biological disposition that goes far beyond our relationships with others. the rest. Despite this, it is still a matter of research whether brain excitation patterns are due only to genetic load.
The data given so far is indicative and may be useful for oneself to reflect on one’s own tendencies towards introversion or extraversion. However, also There are tests and descriptive models of personality that contemplate these two extremes. Some of the best known are the Big Five model, 16PF or Eysenck’s original PEN model, although the effectiveness of these is subject to continuous debate.
The importance of context
Finally, we cannot lose sight of the contextual factor On the one hand, the different levels of meaning that we assign to different contexts mean that in each of them we behave differently. Someone whom we may consider introverted, for example, may become very comfortable speaking in public if he understands that doing so is a way of verbalizing and putting in order some thoughts that he has been organizing in his mind, and even more so if he is dealing with a topic that he thinks he dominates. Likewise, it is absurd to think that extroverts value positively all situations that require alertness, above any “ordinary” situation. Drawing a line that separates introversion and extraversion may be practical in the academic field, but reality always goes beyond any category.
Ultimately, the search for excitation/inhibition balance is another way of individual adaptation to the environment , and the latter, heritage of all of us, is precisely that: the ability to act in a non-stereotypical way, using creative strategies to pursue a goal and solve problems. No label will say as much about people as their ability to be unpredictable.
