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Introvert vs. Extrovert: Decoding the differences and key traits


Summary: Introvert and extrovert are two personality types which characterize how an individual processes thought, decision-making, and their social interaction. However, within these two broad traits are sub-types which may shed light on why you are introverted during some social activities and extroverted in others.


Meta description: Introvert and extrovert are two major personality traits which depict how individuals think and act around each other and themselves.


It’s no secret that no two humans are alike. While we certainly have our similarities, the way we interact with others and process thoughts and emotions typically fall into two camps: introvert and extrovert. But there’s a lot more to introverts being classified as shy and extraverts as loud or wanting to be the center of attention. Here are the major personality traits of an introvert and extrovert and how to figure out which one you may be.


How are personality types determined?

Yes, some people are inherently boisterous or reserved, and this may make it easy to pinpoint their personality type. Many people however may not know if they are an introvert or extrovert, or they may exhibit traits of both in certain situations. That’s where personality type tests can come in handy. One of the most widely used self-test questionnaires is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. This test helps individuals find their personality type based off the psychological outlines originally created by Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Carl Jung. The questions in this test guide people to understand how they make decisions, their social preferences, how they respond to certain stimuli, and their viewpoint of the world.  (The Myers & Briggs Foundation, 2021)


What is an introvert?

Being introverted isn’t as simple as it may seem. There isn’t one universal definition for this personality type. In fact, there are four sub-types of introversion: social introversion, thinking introversion, anxious introversion, and inhibited or restrained introversion. It’s possible an individual may exhibit all these traits together, but they may only carry one or two. (Cheek 2011)


Social introversion refers to how comfortable individuals are in certain social situations, such as how and who they celebrate special occasions like birthdays with and whether alone time during the day is important to them (for social introverts, it’s often scheduled into their daily routine). Thinking introverts spend time analyzing themselves and prefer to ruminate thoughts and opinions inward rather than share them with others. (Cheek 2011)


Anxious introversion is based on how a person feels in social situations, and those who have this trait may lack self-confidence in large groups or particularly shy. As for restrained introverts, they make decisions carefully and slowly and tend not to act impulsively, preferring to plan their actions out instead. (Cheek 2011)


What is an extrovert?

Extroverts can often be easy to spot - they have an overwhelming sense of agreeableness, can't stop talking in social settings, or feel comfortable making small talk among strangers in social gatherings but there are some key differences among the extraverted.

There are two broad types: agentic extraversion and affiliative extraversion. These two separate domains determine how high, positive emotions often linked with extroverts are exhibited.(Grodin 2015)

For example, agentic extraversion has a strong link to assertiveness and persistence. Those with agentic extraversion often take on leadership roles and find motivation through incentives, be it in their personal or professional lives. As for affiliative extraversion, this is a trait that is highly social and overly affectionate. They are described as affectionate, warm, or gregarious to others no matter how familiar they are in their surroundings. (Grodin 2015)


Like the sub-types found in introverts, each extrovert group (agentic and affiliative) may have its own sub-types within based on social skills, cognitive processes, anxieties, and inhibitions. So, while overall extroverts display higher levels of positive and outward emotional traits in how they are processed vary based on which type of extrovert an individual may be. (Grodin 2015).


What’s an ambivert?

If you have a hard time putting yourself into the introvert or extrovert box, then you may be an ambivert – someone who has personality traits that are considered introverted and extroverted. And you’re not alone, as research has found over half of the population falls into this middle-of-the-road category. (Georgiev 2014)


Ambiverts may be an introverted person and also exhibit extroverted tendencies depending on the situation. For example, an ambivert may be introverted in social situations, coming off shy or reserved and extroverted in their inhibitions, willing to try something new even if they aren’t the most social while doing it.


It’s not that ambiverts are indecisive in how they want to act or think, or they suffer from imposter syndrome trying their best to be introverted or extroverted. Instead, it all comes down to how our brains are wired, which impacts all personality types. Just like certain parts of the brain are activated in introverts and extroverts, ambiverts experience different brain activation processes, which influences things like cognitive reasoning and behaviors. (Georgiev 2014).

Sources:

The Myers & Briggs Foundation - MBTI® Basics. (2021). Retrieved 2 September 2021, from https://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/

Cheek, J.M., Grimes, J.O., Norem, J.K. (2011). Four meanings of introversion: Social, thinking, anxious, and inhibited introversion. Presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, San Antonio, TX. https://www.academia.edu/7353616/Four_Meanings_of_Introversion_Social_Thinking_Anxious_and_Inhibited_Introversion

Grodin, E., & White, T. (2015). The neuroanatomical delineation of agentic and affiliative extraversion. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 15(2), 321-334. doi: 10.3758/s13415-014-0331-6. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.3758/s13415-014-0331-6.pdf

Georgiev, S., Venelinova, C., et.al. (2014). Ambiversion as independent personality characteristic. Activitas Nervosa Superior Rediviva, 56(3-4): 65-72. Retrieved from http://www.rediviva.sav.sk/56i3/65.pdf