Inspired by LindsayR's post about personality types, and intrigued to delve deeper into finding out more about extroverts and introverts, I took a look in our textbook to see what Reeve has to say about the two main personality types.
According to Reeve (2005), happiness is measured in three dimensions - sociability, assertiveness, and adventurousness (p. 364). Because of the nature of extroverts - they are more comfortable being sociable, socially assertive, and more adventurous, it is no wonder that research has found them to measure higher on happiness scales than introverts. Reeve (2005), however, acknowledges this criticism, and other researchers have as well. He notes that extraverts are not only measuring higher in happiness due to how happiness is measured, but that extroverts are more positive in general (p. 364) - they're the type of people who see the glass half full instead of half empty, and always look for the positives in every situation.
In "Unhappy? Try acting like an extrovert" by Fern Garber (found at: http://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20030225/unhappy-try-acting-like-extrovert), research has found that acting like extroverts actually can make you feel happier. In the study, Fleeson et al. (2002) have students write in diaries for two weeks. In the diary, the students discuss when they behave in outgoing, upbeat, sociable manners (extroverted) and when they behave in inclusive, solitary, shy manners (introverted), and their feelings during that time. The research found a strong correlation between reported happiness when acting extroverted. Then, they had students act extroverted for 10 weeks and record their feelings during this second phase of the test. Students again reported feeling more happy during this time. During the final phase, they arranged a group discussion activity. Some of the students acted shy and passively, and some acted enthusiastic and aggressively. Those students who acted in an extroverted manner reported enjoying the activity more than the students who acted in an introverted manner.
Gerber, F. (2003). Unhappy? Try acting like an extrovert. WebMD Health News.
We've all heard of "power of the mind," and in my Social Psych class today we discussed how just smiling can make you feel more positively (and frowning make you feel more negatively). But, according to Reeve (2005), it can be more than just how you're feeling. There are actual biological differences among extroverts and introverts... they "possess differing levels of sensitivity to an underlying biological motivation system, the Behavioral Activating System" (Reeve, 2005, pp. 364-365). Basically, extroverts' brains release more reward feelings, which makes them happier. When good things happen for extroverts, their BAS is stimulated more than when good things (even the same thing) happen for introverts.
What do you guys think? These are two, semi-conflicting views on mood for extroverts and introverts. Research has supported both the "power of the mind" and biological differences. Could both influence mood? Or is one stronger than the other?
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