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Giselle Aguilar-Rivera

English 11 A3

Ms. Perkins

15 January 2019

Science behind Introverts and Extroverts

For my I-Search I decided to research the science behind introversion and extraversion

and see if there was a way to change it. Introversion and extraversion has always been something

I have been very interested in because it reaches me on a more personal level. I have always

struggled with the label of “introvert” once I was put in the social situation of high school.

However, midway through sophomore year I began to embrace the title a little more but I wanted

to change it. I wanted to deeper explore the world of these labels and see if there was a way for

me – for anyone to change the un/wanted label of – what I believe is – an unchangeable

personality trait. Are the introversion and extraversion labels in a person’s head or is it scientific?

What is the science behind it and is there a way to change it?

Like anyone I have talked to, I really only knew the basics of what introversion and

extraversion were. Introversion was having the personality of being shy, being more closed with

your feelings, focusing more on thoughts and emotions, having an energy that’s easily drained

while socializing whereas extraversion was more on the outgoing side of social situations and

gaining energy from them, the enjoyment of being around a crowd of people, and loves being the

center of attention. They are both personality traits and it varies in the people you meet and how

much of each they have or don’t have. A person can be one or the other or even both but that has

a whole new different term, that is known as an ambiversion which is being right in the middle
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of the introvert and extrovert. It was never just shy and outgoing, it’s so much more and with the

research I gathered it was so much more than I could’ve imagined.

My project itself seemed like it wouldn’t be much as it was just what the science behind

it was, so I expected minor and major details of the brain and where everything functions and

how and it is exactly, but just one piece of information can lead to so much more. My research

on the brain and how it functions differently in introverts and extraverts began going more and

more in depth as I went further along discovering the smaller parts involved. It started becoming

more complex as I started to question the different parts of the brain involved and how it

managed to be few parts with many different parts in it. It became a whole giant map in my head

comparing the differences and similarities between the brain of an extrovert and the brain of an

introvert. I also had learned in one article that people would assume that different parts of the

brain are used to produce different chemicals and signals in a person’s brain but in reality, both

an introvert and extrovert use the same parts of the brain, it’s just the aftermath of the two that’s

different.

Through the process of researching I was able to gain more knowledge on my topic and it

was very interesting to see how in depth and specific a simple personality trait could go into.

You would think the brain chemistry behind either an extrovert or an introvert would be

extremely different with the way it reacts to dopamine, and that that’s why we classify people

under those categories, but in reality they react the same way (“The Science behind Introversion

and Extraversion”). It’s just the aftermath that’s different; the dopamine reward network and

activity levels are responsible for the aftermath. Both an introvert and extrovert have the same

amount of dopamine available to them and will react similarly when the dopamine is sent out. So

the aftermath for an extrovert is them becoming more energized, whereas for an introvert they
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become overstimulated and feel as if they need to step back from the situation a bit and

‘recharge’ their energy levels. Aside the dopamine transmitter, there’s also another one that

comes into play in the brain, acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is a chemical which is linked to

pleasure but it reacts when we engage in behaviors such as thinking deeply, focusing or

reflecting on our surroundings. This is why most people will find binge watching shows on

Netflix or long walks pleasurable. Each of the two neurotransmitters are linked to the

sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems in the body. It goes a lot beyond that too and

it becomes a whole long complicated process because the truth behind is just what the aftermath

for each person is what causes different parts to react in the brain. I did find out that the people

are definitely able to change from being introverted to a more extroverted person if they wanted

to. However, it does take some time and a lot of effort if, like me, you’re deeply into the category

of “introvert.”

Overall, the process and the research on this specific topic was really interesting and I’m

glad I chose this topic to further research. The science behind introversion and extroversion is

extremely different than what anyone thinks it is and I would definitely recommend people to

further research this topic if they’re ever interested in the idea of it. It’s a lot more than just shy

and outgoing, and quiet and loud, it’s a lot of chemicals like dopamine and acetylcholine. With

all of this in mind, changing your ways of being an introvert to an extrovert is definitely possible

it just takes a bit of time, effort and patience. It’s a slowly but surely process. That being said, I

would surely be one to try and change my introverted self to be more extroverted to help me

better myself in my life. It is a beautiful new world into the mind that others would probably

enjoy reading about.

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Citations

Bennington-Castro, Joseph. “The Science of What Makes an Introvert and an Extrovert”

December 16, 2015. https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-science-behind-extroversion-and-

introversion-1282059791

Burke, Hannah. “The Science Behind Introversion and Extraversion” March 09, 2017.

https://qmunicatemagazine.com/2017/03/09/the-science-behind-introversion-and-

extraversion/

Elias Müller, Georg. “Extraversion-related differences in speed premotor and motor processing

as revealed by lateralized readiness potentials.” March 2008.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18400680

Fischer, Håkan et al. “Extraversion, neuroticism and brain function: A pet study of personality”

June 15, 1998. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886997000275

NCBI. “Cerebral blood flow and personality: a positron emission tomography study.” February

1998. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9989562

Suppok, Rachel. “The Science of Extraversion and Introversion” February 02, 2016.

https://www.truity.com/blog/science-extraversion-and-introversion