Are extroverts happier than introverts?

For those uninitiated, the world can pretty much be divided into three types of people - extroverts, introverts and ambiverts. While extroverts tend to be a lot more open and spontaneous, introverts generally shy away from speaking too much and prefer solitude over large crowds. While people may have their own preferences, a new study shows that extroverts tend to have better mood as compared to introverts.

For the study, a group of 131 participants were recruited and were asked to behave like both, introverts, and extroverts for a week. These people weren't asked whether they related to being introverts or extroverts, they were merely assigned characteristics and were told to behave accordingly. The participants were randomly assigned to either group.

To behave like an extrovert, they were asked to be spontaneous, talkative and assertive. For being an introvert they were asked to be deliberate, quiet and reserved. Post this, they were asked to fill out surveys that had questions regarding their wellness and happiness levels. It was found that people who behaved like extroverts had better mood levels as compared to those who were asked to behave like introverts.

One author of the study, Sonja Lyubomirsky said, said, “We thought that introverts would not benefit from acting extroverted as much, or would not be as happy as extroverts.” However, when introverts started acting like extroverts, they seemed to be a lot happier. “The paper suggests if people have a tendency to be more introverted and then intentionally engage in extroverted behavior, they still benefit,” opined Jennifer Beckjord, senior director of clinical services at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital.

The bottom line here is that the experts are suggesting that personality plays a major role in wellbeing and happiness. Stay tuned for more updates.