Extraverted people are known to be happier than people who are more introverted. This led researchers to wonder if behaving in an extraverted manner would help to improve an individual’s wellbeing.
Prior studies have shown that engaging in more extraverted behaviour helps to enhance positive moods. In a new study carried out by researchers from the University of California, the differences in wellbeing between extraverts and introverts were investigated.
This study involved 131 participants to act more like an extravert or an introvert for two weeks. During the first week, participants were asked to be more spontaneous, chatty and outgoing. For the second week, the individuals were told to be more reserved and milder. In order to urge the subjects to make changes to their behaviour, they were also asked to identify specific behavioural changes that they would be making. Regular reminders were then sent to them during the period of the research.
Over the two weeks, the participants were given questionnaires regarding their personality traits, emotional experiences and other assessments of their welfare. Results indicated that participants tend to report having more positive feelings during the week where they had to behave in an extraverted manner. Their wellbeing was also improved. On the other hand, participants experienced lesser positive moods when they acted like introverts.
Given these results, it seems as though being extraverted could allow an individual to be happier. However, it may be too soon to start encouraging extraverted behaviours without understanding how exactly they affect individuals. Future research could look into identifying the specific behaviours of introverted and extraverted people that changes the emotions they experience.
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Source material from The British Psychological Society Research Digest
