More than one way of analyzing extraversion and introversion

Psychology has many different perspectives, and it is impossible to see one psychological characteristic as having been caused by specific factors. In reality, there are many points of view from which we can analyze particular personality traits and many causes that could affect those traits. Also, as cognitive processes are its main causes, everything is impacted by biopsychosocial causes.

Psychoanalytic

Psychoanalytic theory attempts to explain individual personality differences by explaining how parts of our personality are influenced by unconscious mental processes and childhood experiences.

In this perspective, an analyst or psychologist might explain an introverted person’s personality with possible unresolved conflicts in early childhood, possibly involving a fear of rejection, and how introversion is a defense mechanism to repress such conflicts that might involve unacceptable impulses. Also, in this perspective, an extroverted person’s behavior could be explained as that person having a stable balance between the id-ego-superego, and positive childhood experiences that didn’t generate fixation at any stage.

Humanistic

Humanistic theory attempts to explain personality not emphasizing disorders or unacceptable impulses but it explains personality in terms of how people strive for healthy growth and self-fulfillment. It studies personalities through people’s own self-reported experiences and feelings.

In this perspective, an extroverted person might be seen as having fulfilled all the basic needs in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, now being able to focus on self-actualization and self-transcendence, making this person more relaxed, hopeful, fulfilled, happy, self-accepting, and spontaneous. According to Carl Rogers, this person might have been raised with unconditional positive regard, aiding this person’s self-awareness and the formatting of a positive self-concept in which this person’s thoughts of “who am I?” and “my ideal self” are very alike.

Also, in his perspective an introverted person’s behavior might be explained as if the person hadn’t met some of the basic needs in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, therefore, being unable to fulfill the higher psychological needs that bring spontaneity, happiness, and self-acceptance, contributing to this person’s introverted personality. Also, according to Carl Roger’s contribution to the humanistic theory, this person might have been raised in an anxiety-provoking environment that didn’t provide unconditional positive regard, resulting in this person having a negative self-concept, resulting in this person feeling unhappy and unsatisfied with themselves, causing feelings of embarrassment, anxiety, and perhaps depression that contribute to this person’s introverted personality.

Trait

Trait theory attempts to explain personality through relatively stable and enduring traits, or behavior patterns. Using factor analysis, looking for correlated clusters of behaviors, psychologists can identify traits. It can also happen by measuring people on several trait dimensions. The trait dimensions are; Conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness, and extraversion. Trait theory is more focused on describing personality than explaining it.

In this theory, an extroverted person’s behavior could be explained by … the MMPI-2 test which assesses various personality traits and disorders. An extroverted person would be very outgoing, like jokes, and might dislike being alone. In the MMPI-2 test, this person might also score high in extraversion, agreeableness, openness, and perhaps neuroticism. An introverted person might happen to like being alone and gain energy from being in solitude, dislike big social events, and might be anxious when talking to someone. This person might score high in conscientiousness, but low in agreeableness, extraversion, perhaps openness, and maybe neuroticism.

Social Cognitive

The social cognitive theory focuses on how our social interactions, vicarious learning, and ways of thinking, remembering, and explaining can affect our personality.

An extrovert’s behavior, from this perspective, could be explained as maybe this person having had been raised in among extroverted and caring people, observing how being extroverted can open many opportunities and friendships with nice people. Also, this person’s behavior could be explained as them

having an optimistic outlook towards life, therefore, affecting his ways of reasoning. An introvert’s behavior could be explained as this person having been raised in an environment that didn’t promote extraversion, it is not sure to say that this person has a pessimistic outlook, but it might be possible.