How to know if you tend towards introversion or extraversion

Nice, cheeky people, shy, social... They are adjectives that we often use when talking about the social dimension of people. However, many of these concepts are not only found in popular lore: science has also studied them.

One of the most interesting topics is the relationship between introversion and extraversion, as well as the study of the biological bases of it.

The precedent: analyzing introversion and extraversion

Carl Jung he was the first author to work with the concepts of introversion and extraversion in a systematic way. In his book Psychologische Typen (Psychological Types), Jung speaks of two types of attitudes that define the person: one whose interests are focused outside and the sphere of the social, 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 archetype of Apollonian (introspection, rationality, moderation) while the psychological type of extraversion corresponds to

dionysian (the disorder, the search for the new and the interest in the world of sensations).

It seems clear that Jung tried 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 relate to the world, about our way of inhabiting reality.

Eysenck's theory

The German Psychologist Hans eysenck He was another of the scholars in approaching the subject, although he stuck to the scientific method, although working from categories very similar to those of Jung. 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 which is expressed through our way of adapting to the environment. Therefore, it raises the introversion-extraversion relationship as a dimension of the temperament present in all people and is defined from physiology by levels of excitation and inhibition (the denial of excitement) before the stimuli that we live. High or low levels of arousal can be measured by indicators such as sweating, electrical conductivity of the skin, and brain wave reading.

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 that 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 less. From these tendencies, which in some way would be programmed in the genes of each person, the human being seeks to balance these levels of activity in his interaction with the environment.

Someone whose brain activation is relatively low (due to inhibition in this internal environment) worries about acting seeking 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, extroverts have been defined as prone to boredom. Someone in need of exciting situations could be upset if he experiences only personal relationships based on repetition and the everyday.

On the other hand, according to Eysenck, someone who is introverted is because they already live in a permanent alertness, although not in the sense of being very focused on what happens around him voluntarily, since It is an involuntary propensity and it does not depend on where the attention is focused on each moment. Simply, the introvert is more sensitive to what is happening around him, and that sensitivity is biological. As arousal already predominates in his internal environment, he tends to be socially inhibited: he acts rather avoiding experiences that make his level rise even more. of activity, looking for more stable or predictable environments and, although he is sociable in that he can enjoy relationships with others as much as extroverts, these relationships are characterized by not being very demanding socially (the idea can be expressed with the phrase "I need my own space").

Qualifying

As has been seen, although shyness and introversion may seem the same, it really is a superficial resemblance. Shyness refers rather to a state of mind that can be explained as a learned behavior by estimating that the relationship 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 investigation whether the patterns of brain arousal are due only to genetic load.

The data given so far are indicative and may be useful for oneself to reflect on one's own tendencies towards introversion or extraversion. However, also there are descriptive tests and models of personality that contemplate these two extremes. Some of the best known are the model of the Big five, the 16PF or Eysenck's original PEN model, although the effectiveness of these is subject to continuous debate.

The importance of context

Finally, you cannot lose sight of the contextual factor. On the one hand, the different levels of significance that we assign to different contexts make us behave differently in each of them. Someone we might consider an introvert, for example, can 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 more if he is dealing with a topic that he believes that dominates. In the same way, it is absurd to think that extroverts positively value all situations that require alertness, above any "ordinary" situation. Drawing a line between introversion and extroversion can be practical in academia, but reality always overwhelms any category.

Ultimately, the quest for arousal / inhibition balance is another form of individual adaptation to the environment, and the latter, the patrimony of all of us, is precisely that: the ability to act in non-stereotyped 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.