Personality – Introverts, Extroverts and the Big Five

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? You might have an answer to that question as it relates to a well-known and important aspect of personality. But what does it really mean? Is it even the right question? And what other personality traits are there?

Introversion and extroversion relate to how social situations affect you. Introverts are more likely to enjoy doing things alone or having one-to-one conversations. They may often enjoy spending time with others, but they’re likely to feel tired more easily, especially in larger groups. In contrast, extroverts feel energised by being around people and are likely to feel bored more easily when they’re alone.

The question in the introduction might be better phrased as: Are you more of an introvert or more of an extrovert? Introversion-Extroversion is usually measured on a continuum, like the one below. Each person falls somewhere on that line, with most people being closer to the middle.

          Introvert ——————————————————— Extrovert

Also, Introversion is not the same as shyness. Shyness is about feeling nervous around people or worrying what they think of you. Introversion is more about how the brain responds to stimulation. One theory is that introverts’ brains are more sensitive to different kinds of stimulation. This means that, in the same situations, they will tend to experience more mental arousal than extroverts. This might explain why they often prefer quieter, calmer situations to keep the arousal at a level that feels good. In contrast, extroverts may seek more stimulation to increase the level of arousal to one that feels good. 

Introversion and extroversion are part of a larger model of personality called the Big Five. It’s one of the most widely-used measures of personality. It includes five main traits, each one on a continuum from low to high.

• Openness – Do you like new ideas and experiences? People high in openness tend to enjoy trying new things and may be more imaginative and creative.
• Conscientiousness – Do you care about doing the right thing and doing things well? People high in conscientiousness tend to be careful, responsible and organised.
• Agreeableness – How much do you care about other people’s feelings? People who are high in agreeableness tend to be more helpful, considerate and cooperative and care more about social harmony.
• Extroversion (see above).
• Neuroticism – How much do negative emotions affect you? How stable is your mood? People high in neuroticism tend to get upset more easily, experience more sadness, and worry more about small problems.

The Big Five is a Western model of personality, and it’s not clear whether it’s sufficient to explain all aspects of personality in all cultures. Some research suggests it is; other research doesn’t. A personality assessment developed in China by psychologist Fanny Cheung measures four traits. Three are similar to The Big Five, but the fourth is different: it’s about understanding other people and your place in society, and managing social harmony.

Your personality traits, as measured by The Big Five, can affect both job satisfaction and career success. For example, people high in conscientiousness tend to do well in a range of occupations. Agreeable people might do well in jobs that involve teamwork, while people high in openness might enjoy jobs in which creative ideas are important. How introverted or extroverted you are will likely affect how much you enjoy working alone or with others.  

Personality traits also have a significant impact on personal relationships. According to Noam Shpancer, high levels of conscientiousness and agreeableness are connected to greater relationship satisfaction. In contrast, people high in neuroticism are likely to experience more problems. It’s less clear whether having a partner with a similar personality has a positive effect on relationships – some studies say yes, but some studies say no, he says.

While the Big Five traits provide a useful framework for understanding personality, they don’t tell us everything about who we are. Psychologist Dan McAdams believes that there are actually three levels of personality. The first level includes the Big Five traits. The next level is your values and the things you want in life; these are more flexible than traits and might change as your life situation changes. And the third level is what he calls narrative identity – that’s the story you tell yourself about who you are, and that one is really important too.