Personality Tests: Finding Out If You Are An Introvert Or An Extrovert

("Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory")

How do you know if you are an introvert or an extrovert?  Sometimes, the role/group that you identify with is quite obvious, if you clearly exhibit the characteristics of an introvert over those of an extrovert, or vice versa.  Other times, however, the distinction is less clear-cut, and the individual may rely on other sources to help in identification.  When it is more difficult to define the individual as an introvert or as an extrovert, scientists and researchers often use personality tests to determine how they should identify the individual.  In doing so, there may be certain behaviors that researchers should be on the watch for, but in addition, there will also be behavioral differences to study as a result of the classification.  Most major accredited personality tests in some manner or another define/classify an individual's level of introversion and extroversion.  Thus, these tests also often exhibit some influence from Carl Jung, the psychologist who designed the principles of introversion and extroversion.  For research purposes, it is crucial to be able to identify the major personality tests and, better yet, to understand what principles they are based on.

A personality test is defined as "a questionnaire or other standardized instruments designed to reveal aspects of an individual's character or psychological makeup."  Three of the most well-known and accredited personality tests, all of which exhibit some sort of Jungian influence and incorporate introversion and extroversion, are the (1) Sixteen Personality Factor (16PF) Questionnaire, the (2) Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, and the (3) Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). 


1. The Sixteen Personality Factor (16PF) Questionnaire

("16PF Questionnaire")
The First Edition of the Sixteen Personality Factor (16PF) Questionnaire was developed by Dr. Raymond Catrell in 1949.  In his era, such test was revolutionary in that he employed a relatively new technique, factor analysis, to measure the whole of the human personality.  Over time, the 16PF Questionnaire has been updated and enhanced so that it accurately reflects society at the given moment and its respective changes.  The 16PF Questionnaire is now in its Fifth Edition, and it is widely employed by businesses (when considering prospective employees), clinical psychologists, counselors, and researchers (when studying and predicting human behavior).  The sixteen personality traits, or "factors," as the test refers to them, that are analyzed are (1) warmth, (2) reasoning, (3) emotional stability, (4) dominance, (5) liveliness, (6) rule-consciousness, (7) social boldness, (8) sensitivity, (9) vigilance, (10) abstractedness, (11) privateness, (12) apprehensiveness, (13) openness to change, (14) self-reliance, (15) perfectionism, and (16) tension.  In addition, when these sixteen primary traits are factor-analyzed by the test, they reveal five "Global Factors," sometimes referred to as the "Big Five" personality traits, which most personality tests attempt to identify.  The five Global Factors that the 16PF Questionnaire uses are (1) extraversion/extroversion, (2) anxiety, (3) tough-mindedness, (4) independence, and (5) self-control, while the related Big Five personality traits that most personality tests focus on are (1) openness, (2) conscientiousness, (3) extraversion/extroversion, (4) agreeableness, and (5) neuroticism.  In identifying the aforementioned five Global Factors/Big Five traits, the test further establishes and demonstrates the degree of relationships among the sixteen primary factors.  This test is used to reveal the implied strengths and weaknesses of the individual (as according to their personalities), as well as their admirable and defective qualities.  It claims to predict work behavior, communication, and performance (all of which relate to introversion and extroversion), and can measure the ability to relate to others, influence and collaboration, thinking style, structure and flexibility, and management of pressure.  Researchers can use these tests to analyze the general population's openness (or lack thereof) to society and company.  Thus, they can measure the levels of introversion and extroversion among individuals and populations, using the Big Five personality traits derived from Jungian psychology.

The organization of the 16PF Questionnaire is structured as a series of statements regarding the individual's activities and behaviors, opinions, and desires, such as "I enjoy my privacy," "I let others make the decisions," or "I seldom feel blue."  With each statement, participants have the option of strongly disagreeing, disagreeing, neither disagreeing nor agreeing, agreeing, and strongly agreeing.  Moreover, most statements are slight variations on others (for example, one statement may be "I seldom feel blue" while another is "I always feel blue").  From my understanding, these responses are quantified (strongly disagreeing earns a 1 whereas strongly agreeing earns a 5; given that some statements are slight variations, inversion of scores may occur, but I am not certain), and these scores are then used to measure/compute one's personality and its emphasis on certain traits.

Like most tests of this caliber, in order to participate in an actual 16PF Questionnaire, an individual must purchase it.  However, if you are interested, I have posted a few links below that lead to imitation 16PF Questionnaires that capture the same essence and that are relatively accurate:

http://personality-testing.info/tests/16PF.php

http://www.psychometrictest.org.uk/16pf-test/

http://similarminds.com/cattell-16-factor.html

("16PF tailored reporting")

2. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory

(Cherry, Kendra)

Developed in the late 1930's by psychologist Starke R. Hathaway and psychiatrist J.C. McKinley at the University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, also known as the MMPI, is primarily used in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness.  However, the MMPI can also be used as an indicator of personality, if the participant chooses to use it in such manner.  In 1989, the MMPI was revised and released as the MMPI-2, and in 2003, it was revised again and released as the MMPI-A.  The most current form of the MMPI, released in 2008, is the MMPI-2-RF.  In most instances, the MMPI is used to determine mental illness in criminal cases, but it can also be used to identify personality and general psychological conditions.  The MMPI assesses participants on ten clinical scales, so termed as "psychological conditions," which often retain overlapping symptoms.  The various psychological conditions/clinical scales include hypochondriasis (scale 1), depression (scale 2), hysteria (scale 3), psychopathic deviation (scale 4), masculinity/femininity (scale 5), paranoia (scale 6), psychasthenia (scale 7), schizophrenia (scale 8), hypomania (scale 9), and introversion (scale 0).  Once again, like the 16PF Questionnaire, some of the fields of focus in this test are related to Jung's theories of introversion and extroversion (especially since introversion is actually one of the fields of focus in this inventory).

Unfortunately, I cannot find any forms or imitations of the MMPI test online.  According to several websites, this test is for distribution to and use by certified psychologists only.  This is likely due to the sensitive nature of the inventory, given that it is used to determine insanity among individuals (the material is kept confidential so that participants will not answer falsely so as to manipulate their results).  Therefore, I cannot find the actual scoring guidelines associated with test, as only psychologists and psychiatrists are really trusted with this information.  I have found a few sample questions online that individuals have posted straight from MMPI-2, but most of them are of a sexual nature and do not seem to apply to my topic, nor do they seem to be appropriate.  However, in addition to the clinical scales for the test, there is also a system of validity scales, which is based on the theory that some participants will manipulate their answers so as to alter the results of their test.  In essence, these validity scales are used to assess the legitimacy of the participant's answers.  The various validity scales include the L scale (also known as the "lie scale"; detects attempts by participants to present themselves in a favorable light), the F scale (detects attempts at "faking good" or "faking bad"), the K scale (also referred to as the "defensiveness scale"; detects attempts to present oneself in the best possible way), the ? scale (also known as the "cannot say" scale; dependent upon the number of questions not answered), the true response inconsistency scale (TRIN scale; detects participants who respond inconsistently), the variable response inconsistency scale (VRIN scale; also detects inconsistent responses), and the Fb scale (indicates that the respondent stopped paying attention and began answering questions randomly).

 ("MMPI-2")

3. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

("MBTI Basics")
The test that is used most often and that is the most widely accepted in determining personality is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test.  First published in 1962, the test was designed by Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers directly from the theories of Carl Jung in his 1921 book Psychological Types.  Not only is this one of the most accessible personality tests to the public, but the MBTI test is also one of the most accurate personality tests.  The MBTI tests consists, like the 16PF test, of a series of statements that participants either agree or disagree with.  However, with the MBTI test, the only options offered per statement are "agree/yes" and "disagree/no."  After completing a MBTI test, an individual is assigned four letters to represent their personality.  These four letters are based off of four dichotomies, or four criteria each consisting of two differing traits.  The four dichotomies are Introversion/Extroversion, iNtuition/Sensing, Feeling/Thinking, and Perception/Judging.  Based on a participants answers to the MBTI test, they are assigned one of the options out of each of the dichotomies, which represent what side they favor in each conflict/dichotomy.  To summarize or quickly refer to an individual's personality, the letter representing their option from each dichotomy (represented in bold and underline) are simply used and combined, as in an acronym.  Therefore, an individual may have an ISFJ personality, an ENTP personality, or so on and so forth.  Given that there are four dichotomies, there are sixteen possible personality combinations that an individual can receive from a MBTI test (2 ^ 4 = 16).  This is not to say that if an individual has a combination exactly similar to someone else (say, INFP) that their personalities are exactly similar, but it does mean that they have similar personality attributes.  An MBTI test simply gives a quick overview and summary of various qualities to an individual's personality.

(Segar)

(Boge)

I was able to find a couple of valid and reliable MBTI tests online, which you can reach through the links below:

http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp

http://www.personalitypathways.com/type_inventory.html


In time, I may decide to design a personality test of my own based off of one of these models with my mentor(s), or I may decide to just use one of the pre-existing personality tests that I have found online and just use that.  Regardless, I plan to probably conduct a study in which I will distribute said personality test to others so that I can study the leanings of the majority of individuals and identify similarities in behaviors.


Speaking of studies, my survey studying the behavioral differences between introverts and extroverts can still be found online.  I could still use many more participants (or any more at all; I have two participants' answers currently, and one of them are mine).  Please consider participating in my poll/survey, which you can find at the below link, and please also encourage others to participate as well.  Thank you.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/62238YL

Works Cited: 

Boge, David M.  "Myers-Briggs, XYZ Leadership, and Team Roles."  David Boge.  n.p., 21 Jan. 2001.  Web.  30 Jan. 2015.
Cherry, Kendra.  "What Is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory?"  About Education.  About.com, n.d.  Web.  30 Jan. 2015.
"MBTI Basics."  The Myers & Briggs Foundation.  The Myers & Briggs Foundation, n.d.  Web.  30 Jan. 2015.

"Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory."  Alta Mira Recovery Programs.  Alta Mira, n.d.  Web.  30 Jan. 2015.

"MMPI-2."  bhobho8615@gmail.com.  WordPress, n.d.  Web.  30 Jan. 2015.

Segar, Adrian.  "How the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory changed my life."  Adrian Segar.  musearts, n.d.  Web.  30 Jan. 2015. 
"16PF Questionnaire."  IPAT.  IPAT, Inc., n.d.  Web.  30 Jan. 2015.

"16PF tailored reporting."  OPP.  OPP Limited, n.d.  Web.  30 Jan. 2015.

Reconsidering: The Extrovert and The Ambivert

(Cooper)

Too often, while reading my blog posts after publishing them, I feel as if I have put too much of a focus on introverts and not enough focus on extroverts.  In essence, I myself seem to be a hypocrite; I preach to a society that (supposedly) favors extroverts about how it should understand both groups (introverts and extroverts), yet the majority of my blog posts favor introverts.  Moreover, I have neglected to explain ambiverts and their presence in society.  Given that the majority of the population is arguably composed of ambiverts but this is the group that society writes off (most individuals have only ever heard of the introvert and the extrovert; the ambivert is a foreign term for an individual whom these people assume society already has a general understanding of), I feel the need to dedicate at least some additional time to this group as well.  Therefore, this post will focus mainly on extroverts and ambiverts, although I may add references concerning introverts at random instances.  As a side note, I thank those of you whom have participated in my survey thus far (so far, other than myself, a whopping total of one individual), and I ask those of you whom have not yet participated to please take some time at any point and give your opinion(s).  The link for the survey can be found immediately below this block of text.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/62238YL

Whereas most of my focus has been on introverts in my blog posts, it is also a necessity for society to understand extroverts.  When society takes time to analyze the two groups, it often takes introverts to be tormented souls tortured either by shyness or, in the case of the actual definition of an introvert, by the excess of stimuli in their environment, while extroverts are assumed to generally be happy individuals who, at times, are pushy and conceited.  Thus, extroverts are actually often pushed into the background when studying the two groups, as sympathy for introverts brings in bias.  However, in many instances, nothing could be further from the truth concerning the common assumption that society has about extroverts.  In order to truly understand the behavioral differences between introverts and extroverts, society must actually recognize what an extrovert is and what the real explanation for their action(s) is.  As discussed in prior posts, the definition of an extrovert is an individual who gains energy from other people.  If they spend too much time alone, extroverts may actually feel as if their energy is being sapped, and the only remedy for recharging is social interaction.  In essence, extroverts soak up the various stimuli around them as a means of arousal for recharging (which is in stark contrast to introverts, who require less stimuli and can actually become overwhelmed if their environment is too bustling).  This in itself helps to explain the actions of that kid in your class who can never seem to be quiet.  They may not necessarily be conceited, and it is doubtful that they are trying to be rude, but they are simply attempting to take in as much stimulus as possible.  Given that individual must need their basic needs for survival/comfortable living, they cannot necessarily be blamed for their action(s), not should be given misconceived labels.  According to 1960s psychologist Hans Eysenck, extroverts have a lower basic rate of arousal than introverts or ambiverts, meaning that they are more alert and stimulated with a copious amount of stimulus, even if the same amount overwhelms an introvert.  In a way, extroverts may be the "tortured souls," given that they require more stimulus than in introvert does in order to stay at the same normal level of functionality and performance.  The graph pictured below demonstrates this idea, in that extroverts must achieve a higher arousal potential than introverts just to function at the same hedonic tone.

Extroverts require a higher level of arousal potential than introverts before they can reach the hedonic tone of optimal levels of response and learning (Cooper).

Other times, you may find that an extrovert acts quicker on whim than they do on reason.  This is not necessarily because extroverts are careless or frivolous, but they are affected than a different neurotransmitter than introverts, and the pathway that they use to process stimuli and information is much shorter.  Dopamine, the primary neurotransmitter in extroverts, stimulates and excites the senses moreso than acetylcholine, the primary neurotransmitter in introverts, which promotes reason and rationality, does.  This is not to say that extroverts are dumber than introverts, but they simply make more capricious decisions because their neural pathways are shorter, meaning that information is processed quicker and by effect they act quicker, and because this pathway is activated by dopamine rather than acetylcholine, exciting and stimulating the brain.  As a result, extroverts will take more risks because they live more in the moment than introverts and are excited into action, often with little time to consider the rewards or consequences.

 

As seen here, in contrast to the introvert's brain, the extrovert's brain has a shorter neural pathway that is dictated by dopamine; as a result, extroverts are more likely to take risks (Cooper).

To reiterate the causes behind behaviors in extroverts, they seem to be more outgoing and are more involved in society because they need their "fill" for energy.  They may seem conceited, shallow, narcissistic, etc. (and some extroverts very well do fit these descriptions, as do some introverts), but their actions are actually outlets through which they communicate their need for social interaction.  A common analogy that individuals have used to described the contrast between extroverts and introverts is "extroverts are to introverts as left-handed is to right-handed."  Like introverts, extroverts act on their need for social interaction and stimulation.  Over time, they may become more comfortable with their actions, which turn into habit, and constantly involve themselves in society.  An action that you might see as rude and shallow (constantly dominating class conversation) might be viewed by them as an effort to acquire social interaction and extra stimulus, an effort that they eventually feel comfortable with enough that they apply at most moments.  Below is a "care guide" for peers of extroverts, detailing their needs, and thus the motives behind their actions.

(Cooper)

After recognizing some of the common behavioral causes for extroverts, there are also several myths and misconceptions about them that must be debunked so that society can better respect them and further realize the motives and explanations behind their behaviors.  For example, most individuals, after reading the prior explanations in this post and thinking about extroverts in the real world, may deem that extroverts are needy, as they constantly need attention and stimulation in order to stay aroused.  This, however, is not the case.  Like introverts, extroverts need their alone time as well, but this "alone time" does not actually necessitate that the extrovert must be alone (huh?).  Extroverts need time to wind down like everyone else, but they also need to constantly feel socially involved.  Therefore, their alone time often takes place in a public location, where the extrovert is not in the company of others (meaning that they are not talking to anyone), but there are others around them.  As a result, extroverts handle their alone time so that they can settle down and catch up with life, but by making sure that they are at least in someone else's presence (although not their company), they still feel stimulated and aroused from the conversations around them.  As an example, an extrovert may spend their alone time at a coffee shop, where they can have their alone time but still acknowledge the presence of others around them.  A second common myth about extroverts is that they are bossy, created by the fact that they are so spontaneous, ambitious, and outgoing.  Because extroverts do not need as much time to process information, they often pounce on an idea or concept, and due to the fact that they are outgoing and friendly (these characteristics are developed as they pursue social interaction), they often seem to dominating.  Most extroverts are not necessarily bossy, but the spontaneity of their actions and the ambition of their character leads them to take charge, which others can perceive as bossiness.  The third instance of a misconception concerning extroverts is the stereotype of the typical "drama queen/king."  Members of society often assume that as soon as an extrovert/outgoing individual communicates the idea that they are sad, distressed, depressed, angry, frustrated, etc., they must be a drama queen/king.  The fact of the matter, however, is that no individual can always be happy; it is not humanly to possible to always be in a good mood (even if one a externalizes positive mood at all times, they will always have instances of negative feelings on the inside).  Because extroverts still need stimulation, they continue to interact with society, even if they may be hurting.  As a result, others often presume that these individuals are just being dramatic, supposedly giving up when one little thing does not go their way, although this is not usually the case.  A fourth myth about extroverts is that they are shallow.  As one individual explains it though, extroverts very well are capable of introspection.  Because extroverts do pursue social interaction, their thought process may relay all thoughts before reaching the final, "mature" comment that others expect.  In contrast, introverts will usually sit and think these "shallow thoughts" before actually communicating a similar developed comment.  Therefore, the real issue is not that extroverts think shallowly (we all do in the process of coming upon a comment), but they allow others to see their thought process, so they come off as shallow.  Another aspect to this is that extroverts, when communicating with strangers and mere acquaintances, seem to only provide shallow comments.  However, as the same individual from before explains it, an individual does not expect a stranger or mere acquaintance to come up to them and start talking about quantum physics, psychology, integral calculus, etc.  Rather, as extroverts have more social interactions with strangers than do other individuals, given their need for stimulation, they come off as shallow because they are unsure of what topics to bring up.  Finally, the last misconception is that all extroverts are shallow, narcissistic, self-centered individuals.  Conversely, however, most extroverts all willing to be good listeners if the other individual(s) in the conversation contribute.  Otherwise, they are forced to take control of the conversation, and, to avoid awkwardness, they talk about themselves, as you are the topic that you know the most about and have the most ease to talk about.  Granted for some extroverts, these myths and misconceptions are true, but by and large, they are inaccurate and falsified when considering the actual general nature of extroverts.

There is no such thing as a pure introvert or extrovert. Such a person would be in the lunatic asylum.

– Carl G Jung

For the time being, I am only going to discuss ambiverts in passing, as my overall focus is the behavioral differences between introverts and extroverts.  However, because the majority of society is composed of ambiverts, I still feel the need to discuss their behaviors and impact on society.  When psychologist Carl G. Jung first coined the terms "introvert" and "extravert" ("extravert" later changed to "extrovert" over time), he referred to the extreme ends of the social spectrum, in that introverts were individuals who could not function whatsoever in the company of others and extroverts were individual who could not function whatsoever without the company of others.  Thus, everybody else in society was referred to as "ambiverts," in that they maintained a healthy balance of introversion and extroversion.  However, as history progressed, the boundaries for these terms loosened, in that the term "introverts" eventually came to refer to individuals who had difficulty with social interactions while the term "extroverts" eventually came to refer to individuals who were comfortable/adept with social interactions.  For the intent of simplicity, I will use the terms as society knows them today, which means, by effect, that I will refer to ambiverts as those who really do have a relative balance between introversion and extroversion.  Realistically, however, most normal members of society of ambiverts according to Jung's original definitions, and a large amount are still also considered ambiverts according to society's current standards.  In general, ambiverts enjoy both alone time (solitude and quiet) and society (the company of others), but too much of either objects for too long will drain them of their energy.  Therefore, ambiverts generally require a mix of both objects/concepts in order to function at their best.  As a result, ambiverts are generally social individuals (although not to the same extent as most extroverts), but they also need their alone time to rewind and relax (although not to the same extent as most introverts).

 

As shown here, according to psychologist Carl Jung, one was not an introvert or an extrovert unless they fell to the extremes on the spectrum.  Rather, most individuals are ambiverts, although they may have some introvert or extrovert functions (Cooper).

Often, ambiverts are taken for granted in society.  People take notice of introverts because they sympathize for them and feel bad, and they take notice of extroverts because they usually form the forefront of society.  Even psychologists specifically focus on these two groups because they are the more interesting of the three (introverts, extroverts, and ambiverts).  However, according to Jung, ambiverts are the "most numerous" in society, while they are also the "less differentiated normal" men.  In essence, society pays attention to introverts and extroverts because they express certain fascinating traits that are not present in ambiverts, the "boring" group of individuals who exhibit "no" personal traits or leanings.  Moreover, society decides that the role(s) of ambiverts is/are self-explanatory, as they do make up the majority of the nation and are considered to be a blend between the other two groups.  In the process, however, society neglects to pay attention to ambiverts altogether, which could be detrimental, given that they do make up society's majority and exhibit special skills and traits not present in introverts and extroverts.  Generally, ambiverts are considered to be the most flexible, emotionally stable, intuitive, and influential individuals, as they are less rigid and more social than introverts and less stubborn and more restrained than extroverts.  In fact, ambiverts are currently defying stereotypes that society had long held as fact.  For the longest time, it was believed that extroverts made the best salespeople, given that they were the most engaging and outgoing.  However, in recent studies, it has been found that ambiverts twenty-four percent more sales than extroverts per hour.  Because ambiverts are seen as less pushy and stubborn than extroverts while exhibiting more restrain and maturity, ambiverts obviously do make a good case for being ideal salespeople.  As demonstrated in this instance, ambiverts hold a great value to society, even if they never receive the majority of the focus in a study.

Once again, please participate in my survey if you find a moment, and please also share it with your friends.  Thank you.


Works Cited:
Almquist, Heather Kramer.  "An Extrovert Living in an Introvert World."  Sanctuary Counseling.  Sanctuary Counseling, LLC., 10 Jun. 2014.  Web.  23 Jan. 2015.
Cooper, Belle Beth.  "22 Tips To Better Care for Introverts and Extroverts."  Buffer Social.  Buffer, 15 Aug. 2013.  Web.  23 Jan. 2015.
Kim, Larry.  "Why Ambiverts Are More Successful and Influential Than Extroverts."  Inc.  Mansueto Ventures, 1 Oct. 2014.  Web.  23 Jan. 2015.

The Persona & The Poll

I am going to start with the poll so that those of you who are looking for it can find it quicker than you would if I forced you to scroll to the bottom of my post to find it (it just sounded cooler to list the persona first in the title).

If you find a moment, please spend just a couple minutes in filling out this poll that I have posted on SurveyMonkey.  The link for this poll can be found immediately below this explanation.  Primarily, the focus of this poll is on the behavioral differences between introverts and extroverts, as well as society's opinions/bias concerning these groups.  Because I am interested in your opinion(s), as everybody viewing this post is a member of society, I ask that you please answer honestly.  For some questions, I have an idea  concerning which answers/options that the majority of poll-takers will choose; for other questions, I honestly have no premonitions concerning the likely outcomes and trends.  Regardless, this my first step in actual field research, and I am interested to learn what I may find out.  I do not know when I will close down voting, but I simply ask that individuals answer as soon as possible so that I may begin data analysis while designing subsequent polls.  I appreciate the help that any and all individuals can provide me by participating in my survey.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/62238Y

 

Moving on, I pose a question to you, my audience, as involved members of society:  Do we pretend to possess qualities likened to social introverts and/or extroverts?

I have decided to ask a series of follow-up questions as well:  In lieu of anxiety concerning social acceptance, do we as individuals sometimes decide to put on a false mask and act contrary to our actual personalities?  In other words, do some extroverts decide to act like introverts so that they seem less obnoxious and gain the respect of their peers and superiors, and do some introverts decide to act like extroverts so that they seem more outgoing and fun in order to gain the attention (and avoid the ridicule) of their peers and superiors?  Do humans become somebody that they are not so that, they hope, they become more accepted, but in the meanwhile also receive false labels?

During English class, Ms. Hetrick asked us to follow others students' blogs and see if we can find any that interest us.  In browsing through my classmates' blogs, I looked into one that my friend is currently working on.  He had mentioned before that our topics were interrelated, intriguing me, which convinced me to thoroughly read some of his articles for both information and inspiration.  The first post that I read covered the idea of the persona.  Working off of some of his ideas, as well as those that I have researched on my own, I believe that the concept of this persona can be adapted to explain confounding variables in the behavioral differences between introverts and extroverts.

By definition, a persona is "the aspect of someone's character that is presented to or perceived by others" ("Persona").  In other words, someone's persona consists of the qualities that society can see, or thinks that it can see (further explanation later).  From ancient times to the year 2015, personas are used in literature, television, movies, etc. as a means of character development.  The audience can only see the attributes and personality traits that the author, actor, director, producer, etc. provides us.  We imply that these traits are representative of the individual's personality as a whole, thus forming their persona.  In reality, Luke Skywalker from Star Wars could have actually secretly planned to become the Sith Master, simply acting as a good guy while behind-the-scenes he had an agenda to dethrone the Emperor and Darth Vader so that he could take over.  Similarly, Lennie from Of Mice and Men, although he had his moments of blundering screw-ups, could have also been able to spectacularly write a dissertation on social stereotypes while deriving an equation that would be essential to quantum physics.  However, because these characters do not display such qualities/do not execute such actions whenever they are represented by literature, movies, etc., the audience is left to assume that the actions that they witness are testaments to that character's motives and personality.  The audience creates a persona, or assumed personality of such characters but these personas may actually contradict these characters' legitimate personalities if we saw what they did behind-the-scenes.

 

Luke Skywalker: Hero or Deceptive/Duplicitous Villain?  (von Radowitz)

Likewise, when stepping out into the public eye, most of us act as if we are characters in a text or form of media.  According to psychologist Sigmund Freud, most individuals may repress memories, motives, and traits that would otherwise be deemed as inappropriate for or unsavory by society.  In the case of Freud, this concept, termed psychodynamics, primarily focused on sex drive, although it can also relate to other aspects concerning an individual's behavior in the public eye.  As an individual involved in society, you may relate that there are things that you do at home that you would never do in public, simply because it would be deemed as inappropriate within that context.  Likewise, there may be "character attributes" that you exhibit in society but would never display at home, sometimes because these "attributes" may be unsavory, while other times simply because those "attributes" do not truthfully represent you.

Personas can be likened to false labeling/advertising; they can, if not inevitably do, represent individuals inaccurately, yet they can also mask qualities that may seem socially unacceptable.  (Jaoude)

Why would individuals, when they are in the public eye, intentionally/inadvertently act like something that they are not?  Surprisingly enough, the answer comes from the website for a program known as "Persona."  At the top of the page, as the website's primary ad, is the following explanation/argument: "Because reputation is everything.  What does your social media say about you?  How do you come across on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+?  Persona lets you identify and manage photos and content that could compromise your personal brand, so you can project an online image that reflects your best self."  I am by no means condemning this ad, but I am using it to prove my point: Because we as humans care so much about our reputation (about how people think of us, about our popularity, about our image, etc.), we are willing to form personas to best fit our goals.  We will sacrifice some pieces of our personality and adopt others when in the public eye, simply because we want to "fit in."

("Because reputation is everything")

What does this have to do with the behavioral differences between introverts and extroverts?  Because the concept of the persona is very well present in society, there are two fall-out effects that result.

To begin with, it helps to explain why introverts and extroverts act the ways that they do.  If social acceptance is the end result, introverts and extroverts may employ different methods, but their implied outcomes hold similar ties.  Some introverts, because they feel overwhelmed by the stimuli around them (recall that introverts need less stimulus than extroverts and can become exhausted through overstimulation) and by the pressure of social acceptance, may use silence or withdrawal as a means to escape the scrutiny of society or at least avoid seeming obnoxious.  At the same time, however, these individuals will act differently in this situation than they would at home with their families or around their groups of friends, representing their adoption of a persona when in society.  Likewise, some extroverts, because they experience a "high" from the stimuli buzzing around them (recall that extroverts crave stimulation much more than introverts), and because they are confident that they can receive attention if they adopt a false personality or simply act out-of-character, may speak out or energetically and excitedly interact with others.  This may be contrary to how these individuals act in other situations, but because they crave social acceptance, they may adopt a persona so as to receive this attention.  The fact of the matter is that, unless we are only around friends or family, we only see the persona that an individual chooses to exhibit.  Thus, we can still explain their behavioral differences as attempts to be socially acceptable, albeit through different methods due to opposing perceptions.

Additionally, the presence of personas in society creates confounding variables.  Most often, society will not see individuals as who they actually are, but rather it will see them as who the individuals think they should be and thus act like.  As a result, an individual may vary from one social situation to another (compare the classroom setting to that at a football game or concert).  Therefore, you may view this individual as an introvert because that is what their persona suggests in the setting that you seem them.  Conversely, I may view the same individual as an extrovert because that is what their persona suggests in the setting that I see them.  In reality, only one of us is likely right, or neither of us may right; this individual may be an ambivert.  The point is that the persona can lead an individual to be incorrectly identified as a member of one group while they should be one of another.  Moreover, an individual who is an introvert (or an extrovert), may act as an introvert/extrovert even in all public situations, but they can, through their persona, possibly stress the qualities that suggest that they are a stronger introvert/extrovert than they really are.  Therefore, the persona can complicate the process of both identification and behavior explanation because we rarely receive the whole picture from an individual.  (As a sidenote, particular actions are not confined to solely introverts or solely extroverts, but some behaviors may be more indicative of one group than the other.  Also, as previously discussed, there are few, if any "full" introverts [hermits] or "full" extroverts [party-all-the-timers], but individuals can show a leaning toward one group or the other.)

Confounding  variables can complicate and confuse the process, but in the context of the persona and its interference with behavior, this difficulty can likely be overcome.  (Sly)

All in all, the persona in itself is a paradox; it helps to explain the behavioral differences between introverts and extroverts, but it can also complicate the processes of identification and explanation.  If you have not already, please consider participating in my poll, and then recommend it to your friends as well.  Thank you.

Works Cited

"Because reputation is everything."  Persona.  Persona, Inc., n.d.  Web.  16 Jan. 2015.

Jaoude, Marc.  "Exposing The Whole Grain Myth."  Markito Nutrition.  Markito Nutrition, n.d.  Web.  16 Jan. 2015.

"Persona."  Oxford Dictionaries.  Oxford University Press, n.d.  Web.  16 Jan. 2015.

Sly, Emeritus Tim.  "Confounding Variables."  PROTEUS.  Ryerson University, n.d.  Web.  16 Jan. 2015.

von Radowitz, John.  "Star Wars' Force being used for thought control to cure headaches and epilepsy."  Mirror Online.  Mirror, Nov.11 2014.  Web.  16 Jan. 2015.