Definition, Quiz, & Traits of Introverts

Have you ever wondered if you’re an introvert? Or maybe you think you fall somewhere between introversion and extroversion. In this article, we’ll talk about what it’s like to be an introvert, how introversion is different from shyness, and more. ​

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Are you naturally introverted? Or, perhaps you have an introverted friend or family member? If so, take a second to think about what you think it means to be introverted. Oftentimes, you’re told that being introverted is the same thing as being shy. By the end of this article, you’ll understand that an introverted person is not necessarily shy.

Introverts simply prefer being alone over being with other people. This isn’t to say that they fear or dislike people, or that they are antisocial or lonely. Introverts are simply more likely to leave a social gathering exhausted and in need of alone time. Social gatherings are more tiring and overwhelming for them, compared to extroverts. Later on, you’ll read about key differences between introverts and extroverts.
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First, let’s take a look at how introversion came into psychology and what the research has to say.

The concept of introversion can be traced back to Greek thinkers (e.g., Theophrastus) and early philosophers (e.g., Immanuel Kant). The field of psychology has been especially interested in human personality types and many theories have come along the way. 

Although there are different theories of personality traits that encompass different aspects, the introversion-extroversion spectrum is a key factor in many of these theories. 
The psychiatrist Carl Jung (1921) used the terms introversion/extroversion to describe elements of personality that were part of a collective unconscious. This dimension was considered a major part of personality. 

According to Jung, introverts and extroverts are “so different and present such a striking contrast that their existence becomes quite obvious even to the layman once it has been pointed out. Everyone knows those reserved, inscrutable, rather shy people who form the strongest possible contrast to the open, sociable, jovial, or at least friendly and approachable characters who are on good terms with everybody, or quarrel with everybody, but always relate to them in some way and in turn are affected by them.” (1921, para. 557).

In the 1960s, Cattell (1965) proposed a more complex model of personality that included 16 personality factors. Among these was extroversion-introversion (i.e., social boldness). This theory argued that a nuanced understanding of personality required many more traits to be examined.
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In the 1990s, Digman proposed the Five Factor Model of personality, which suggests that human personality can be reduced to a set of five broad trait dimensions, which includes extroversion-introversion:

1. Openness to experience: The willingness to try new things as well as engage in imaginative and creative activities  (e.g., prefers routine and practical vs. imaginative and spontaneous)

2. Conscientiousness: A person’s tendency to regulate their impulse control so that they can engage in goal-directed behaviors (e.g., self-disciplined, careful vs impulsive, disorganized)

3. Extroversion: The tendency for someone to seek social interactions within their environment (e.g., sociable, fun-loving vs reserved, thoughtful)

4. Agreeableness: How people tend to treat relationships with others (e.g., trusting, helpful vs  suspicious, uncooperative)

5. Neuroticism: A person’s overall emotional stability when interacting with their world (e.g., anxious, pessimistic vs calm, self-confident)  
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Many psychologists agree that the Five Factor Model (Big Five) of personality captures the most basic and important dimensions of personality traits. Other theories of personality may actually be conceptualized in terms of the Five Factor Model as well. 

Introversion is often confused with shyness. Someone who is introverted may appear to be withdrawn and shy, but this isn’t always the case (Carrigan, 1960). The only similarity between introversion and shyness is that they may both be characterized by limited social interactions. 

People who are shy are generally fearful of social interactions and are incredibly self-conscious. Introverts, however, may socialize easily, but simply prefer to engage in social activities in smaller groups, or perhaps not at all.

When reading these, reflect on the communication style you use most. Are you mostly passive, assertive, aggressive, or passive-aggressive? Or perhaps you are passive in certain situations but aggressive in others? Whatever you may be, research shows that assertive communication is the most effective strategy for a variety of reasons. Keep on reading to find out why in the next section.

Although there are varying degrees of introversion, there are a few signs or traits that introverts are more likely to exhibit in general. Here are a few of them below:

• Enjoys solitude and feels energized by spending time alone
• Thoughtful and empathetic
• Has a small group of close friends
• Tends to keep emotions to themselves
• Quiet and reserved in large or unfamiliar social settings
• Privacy is important to them
• Can live in their head instead of talking it out
• More sociable with people they know well (e.g., friends or family)

People who tend toward introversion are generally more reflective, private, and thoughtful, while extroverts are generally thought to be more assertive, adaptable, and sociable. However, the key difference seems to lie in how the person responds to social activities. Although introverts don’t necessarily dislike social events or outings, they often find them tiring and feel drained afterward. Extroverts, however, are energized by social events and find it more exhausting to be in solitude.

Although some people may characterize themselves as an introvert or extrovert, the distinction between the two is not as clear cut. There are certain things that are strictly categorical, like eye color, beliefs, or even what you had for lunch yesterday. There is not just one answer. 

However, when considering the introversion-extroversion dimension, does it make sense to label people as one or the other? Think about your own personality. Would you consider yourself a pure introvert or extrovert? This might be hard to answer because, in reality, many of us fall somewhere between both extremes. I often call myself an “extroverted introvert” to acknowledge the blend of both in my personality.

This is why introversion-extroversion is better conceptualized as a spectrum—personality falls somewhere within this range. When considering a typical bell-curve distribution, many people fall somewhere in the middle. Of course, there are a few people who fall on the extreme ends, but the majority of people are not at these extremes. 

Communication
It has been hypothesized that extroverts have a stronger social presence than introverts because they talk louder and more often, and initiate conversations more than introverts. In one study, participants had a conversation with a stranger and it was found that extroverts used more eye contact and spoke more frequently than introverts (Rutter, Morley, & Graham, 1972).

Extroverts also seem to have another advantage—they are more confident and accurate in interpreting nonverbal communication than introverts, known as “the extrovert advantage” (Akert & Panter).

Sociability
Introverts tend to be reserved in social settings, whereas extroverts prefer to engage in social interactions. It’s important to note that introverts aren’t shy or antisocial, but that extroverts prefer and enjoy social gatherings more. 

Workplace
There has also been research on introverts and extroverts in the workplace. In general, extroverts tend to have a more positive evaluation of life, but also their careers. Research shows that people who are more extroverted are more likely to be satisfied with their careers. Further, people who are more extroverted are also more likely to take action when they are unsatisfied with their career or workplace, compared to those who are more introverted (Judge, Higgins, Thoresen, & Barrick, 1999).

Interestingly, there also seems to be a difference in distractibility among introverts and extroverts. Specifically, introverts are more reactive to noise distractions. In one study, noise distraction was a greater concentration problem for introverts, whereas extroverts actually selected louder noises (Belojevic, Slepcevic, & Jakovljevic, 2001).

Decision-making 
Research has also examined how introverts and extroverts make decisions and suggests that extroverts are more likely to make decisions based on what feels right in the moment. Introverts, however, tend to avoid impulsive decisions and try to engage in thoughtful reflection and consideration before making decisions (Khalil, 2016).  

Are you interested in finding out whether you’re introverted? Read the following statements and rate the extent to which you agree with them. 

1. I can talk others into doing things.
Strongly disagree            Strongly agree
1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10 

2. I don’t like to draw attention to myself.
Strongly disagree            Strongly agree
1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10 

3. I don’t mind being the center of attention.
Strongly disagree            Strongly agree
1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10 

4. I keep in the background.
Strongly disagree            Strongly agree
1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10 

5.  I take charge.
Strongly disagree            Strongly agree
1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10 

6. I dislike being the center of attention.
Strongly disagree            Strongly agree
1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10 

7. I want to be in charge.
Strongly disagree            Strongly agree
1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10 

8. I don’t talk a lot.
Strongly disagree            Strongly agree
1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10 

9. I am the life of the party.
Strongly disagree            Strongly agree
1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10 

10. I seek to influence others.
Strongly disagree            Strongly agree
1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10 

Items 2, 4, 6, and 8 are statements for introversion, and items 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10 are statements for extroversion. That means if you score high on 2, 4, 6, and 8 you are more introverted. If you score higher on 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10 you are more extroverted.

Nowadays, many jobs are inherently social. This may entail interactions with coworkers, managers, employees, or customers. In the workplace, research suggests that extroverts are more likely to take on leadership roles because they are generally more assertive in group scenarios (McCabe & Fleeson, 2012). In fact, people who are extroverted are more likely to be leaders and have strong social skills throughout their lives (Guerin et al., 2011). 

Thus, it’s reasonable to assume that extroverts are especially suitable for jobs that involve a lot of social interactions, such as teaching, management, sales, etc. For introverts, it might make sense to believe that they would work well at jobs with less social interaction, or jobs that are more independent and flexible, such as writing, accounting, or engineering. 

Would introverted people make good leaders? Read the next section to find out.

You may think that introverts wouldn’t make great leaders because they prefer not to socialize in big groups. In fact, in an online survey of over 1500 senior leaders earning at least six-figure salaries showed that 65% believed that introversion is a barrier to leadership, and only 6% believed that introverts would be more effective leaders than extroverts (Jones, 2006). 

A group of researchers decided to examine this further to determine whether introverts make good leaders (Grant, Gino, & Hofmann, 2011). In their studies, leaders were instructed to act introverted or extroverted, regardless of their natural inclinations. They found that introverted leaders are more effective when leading proactive followers (that are usually threatening to extroverted leaders), whereas extroverted leaders are more effective when leading passive followers. 
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As such, they suggest that introverts can make excellent leaders if the context is correct because they tend to be guided by personal values and can make challenging decisions without needing social approval from others. 

Want to learn more about topics related to personality? Here are some more articles to read.

Here are a few books that may help you learn more about assertive communication.​​​

Introversion is an important aspect of people’s personalities that can vary across individuals. Although some people may identify themselves as introverted or extroverted, this personality trait may better be viewed as along a continuum. Some people are naturally more introverted or extroverted, but most people tend to fall somewhere in the middle.

By now, hopefully it is clear that introversion is not synonymous with shyness or loneliness. Introversion simply reflects the preference to be alone over large social gatherings. Introverts are still successful in their careers and can even make great leaders. If you want to find out more about introverts, check out the video below.

• ​Belojevic, G., Slepcevic, V., & Jakovljevic, B. (2001). Mental performance in noise: The role of introversion. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 21(2), 209-213.​
• Carrigan, P. M. (1960). Extraversion-introversion as a dimension of personality: A reappraisal. Psychological Bulletin, 57(5), 329-360.
• Cattell, R. B. (1965). The Scientific Analysis of Personality. Penguin, Harmondsworth, Middlesex.
• Grant, A. M., Gino, F., & Hofmann, D. A. (2011). Reversing the extraverted leadership advantage: The role of employee proactivity. Academy of Management Journal, 54(3), 528-550.
• Guerin, D. W., Oliver, P. H., Gottfried, A. W., Gottfried, A. E., Reichard, R. J., & Riggio, R. E. (2011). Childhood and adolescent antecedents of social skills and leadership potential in adulthood: Temperamental approach/withdrawal and extroversion. The Leadership Quarterly, 22(3), 482-494.
• Judge, T. A., Higgins, C. A., Thoresen, C. J., & Barrick, M. R. (1999). The big five personality traits, general mental ability, and career success across the life span. Personnel Psychology, 52(3), 621-652.
• Jung, C. G. (Pschological types). (R. F. C. Hull, Ed. and trans.). Princeton, N. J.: Princeton Unlversity Press, 1971. (Originally published, 1921)
• Khalil, R. (2016). Influence of extroversion and introversion on decision making ability. International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 4(5), 1534-1538.
• McCabe, K. O., & Fleeson, W. (2012). What is extroversion for? Integrating trait and motivational perspectives and identifying the purpose of extroversion. Psychological Science, 23(12), 1498-1505.
• Rutter, D. R., Morley, I. E., & Graham, J. C. (1972). Visual interaction in a group of introverts and extraverts. European Journal of Social Psychology, 2(4), 371-384.

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