The Gift of Introversion

Pleasure-Arousal Relation
A study by Peter Kuppens (2008) showed that extraverts and introverts engage in
different behaviors when feeling pleasant, which may explain underestimation of the
frequency and intensity of happiness exhibited by introverts. Specifically, Kuppens
(2008) found that arousal and pleasantness are positively correlated for extraverts,
which means that pleasant feelings are more likely to be accompanied by high arousal
for extraverts. On the other hand, arousal and pleasantness are
negatively correlated for introverts, resulting in introverts exhibiting low arousal when
feeling pleasant. In other words, if everything is going well in an extravert's life, which is
a source of pleasant feelings, extraverts see such situation as an opportunity to engage
in active behavior and goal pursuit, which brings about an active, aroused pleasant
state. When everything is going well for introverts, they see it as an opportunity to let
down their guard, resulting in them feeling relaxed and content.
Complications to The Extraversion-Happiness Correlation
Though extraversion has consistently been shown to have a strong correlation with
happiness and well-being, these findings are complicated by the presence of other
personality traits that act as strong indicators of happiness.
Neuroticism and Extraversion
In multiple studies, neuroticism has been shown to have an equal, if not larger, impact
on happiness and subjective well-being than extraversion. One study classified school
children into four categories based on their scores in assessments of extraversion and
emotional stability (neuroticism). The results showed no significant difference between
the happiness levels of stable introverts and stable extraverts, while unstable extraverts
and introverts both demonstrated significantly less happiness than their counterparts. In
this study, neuroticism appeared to be the more salient factor for overall well-being.
Likewise, in later studies, researchers used assessment scales to test for categories
such as self-esteem and life-goal orientation, which they had positively correlated with
happiness. Participants’ responses to these scales suggested that neuroticism actually
had a larger impact than extraversion in measures of well-being.
Other Big 5 Factors and Extraversion
Though extraversion and neuroticism seem to have the largest effect on personal
happiness, other Big 5 personality factors have also been shown to correlate with
happiness and subjective well-being. For example, one study showed that
conscientiousness and agreeableness correlated about 0.20 with subjective wellbeing.
While the effect of these traits was not as strong as extraversion or neuroticism, it
is clear that they still have some impact on happiness outcomes.
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