Extraversion/
Introversion

 

Extraversion/introversion is often thought of as being bipolar, but in reality it occurs along a continuum. People who fall at the extremes have clear preferences. Those who fall in the middle are called "ambiverts" and can function well in many different situations.

The definition of this personality trait  is slightly different depending on which personality instrument is being used. Let's take a brief look at four instruments:

Myers-Briggs Type Instrument (MBTI)
Based on Carl Jung's theory of psychological types, the MBTI is the best-known personality instrument, at least among the general public. Introversion/extraversion is one of four dimensions measured by this instrument. Jung viewed extraversion as where we get our energy. Extraverts are energized by being with other people, while introverts are energized by their own minds and find their energy levels rapidly depleted when interacting with others.

Keirsey Temperament Sorter
 Like the MBTI, this instrument is based on Jung's theory. It is a shorter form and easier to administer in the classroom. For example, it can be helpful in small group work.

NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI)
Developed by Paul Costa, Jr., and Robert McCrae, the NEO PI considers extraversion to be one of five major factors of personality. The NEO PI is rapidly gaining in popularity. It views extraversion as consisting of six traits called "facets": warmth, gregariousness, assertiveness, activity, excitement-seeking, and positive emotions.

Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI)
Hans Eysenck believed that the autonomic nervous system determines how one reacts. When the activity of the cortex is inhibited by the brain stem, the person needs more stimulation and becomes extroverted. When the activity of the cortex is excited, there is too much stimulation and the person becomes introverted. Thus, introverts show stimulus aversion, and extraverts stimulus hunger.

A problem occurs in education when learners fall at the extremes. Learning environments that are stimulating enough for extraverts are too stimulating for introverts, and vice versa!

Characteristics of Extraverts:

  • Talk more and tend to take action with less reflection
  • Work better in groups than alone
  • Good at interpreting body language & facial expressions
  • Excel during classes with high levels of activity
  • Respond well to praise and competition
  • Prefer quicker, less accurate approach
  • Good at tasks involving short-term memory
  • Highly resistant to distraction in interference conditions involving divided attention
  • Prefer bright colors, loud music, and excitement
  • Need a lot going on in the outer world

To know if a person is very extraverted, you don't need to encounter that person face to face! Extraverts have been found more likely to engage in "flaming" during computer-mediated communication. They are also more likely to use emoticons, the little smiley faces and other pictorial symbols used to express emotions and create a sense of social presence.  

Our culture and the face-to-face classroom seem to favor extraversion. At least one researcher has suggested that extraverts learning through teleconferencing (i.e., one-way video, two-way audio) may be more likely than introverts to accomplish their distance education goals. (See Pugliese, R.R. [1994]. Telecourse persistence and psychological variables. American Journal of Distance Education, 8 [3], 22-29.)

Videoconferencing, with its high sensory perception and attempt to replicate face-to-face interaction, may be favored by the extravert if the instructor includes social activities such as class discussion and group work.

For extraverts, use:

  • Group work
  • Videoconferencing class discussions
  • Multimedia
  • Chat rooms

Famous Extraverts:

  • Bill Clinton
  • John F. Kennedy
  • Captain James T. Kirk

Characteristics of Introverts:

  • Talk less and reflect more before acting
  • Like to be quiet
  • Better at reflective problem solving and tasks involving long-term memory
  • Like to work independently or with one or two other people
  • Prefer slower, more accurate approach
  • May have trouble establishing rapport with others
  • Oriented toward inner world of ideas and feelings
  • Prefer low sensory input and low levels of activity
  • Excel at focusing attention for long periods of time in situations if there are no distractions
  • Have a lot going on in their inner world

The introvert may be at an advantage with asynchronous computer-mediated communication. One study asked college students to rate their communication style and give perceptions of CMC seminars held through asynchronous conferencing. The more extraverted the students were, the less likely they were to perceive CMC seminars as satisfying, as compared to face to face. The more students preferred to work individually, and the more self-conscious they were, the more they saw CMC as being stimulating and involving. Students who preferred working in groups had lower levels of CMC, as they missed the face-to-face interaction. The researcher concluded that introverted, quieter students benefit the most from CMC. (See Taylor, J. [1998]. Using asynchronous computer conferencing to encourage interaction in seminar discussions. In R. Hazemi, S. Hailed, & S. Wilbur [Eds.], The Digital University: Reinventing the Academy. London: Springer-Verlag.)

For introverts, use:

  • Individual work
  • Reading and writing assignments
  • Asynchronous computer-mediated communication

Famous Introverts:

  • Thomas Jefferson
  • Al Gore
  • Mr. Spock

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