Bill Gates--an introvert[/caption]Why are some people more extroverted than others? Scientists report findings that indicate extroverts have more sensitive brain-reward systems. This has to do with a greater dopamine response system in the brains of those who are particularly outgoing.
Scientists maintain people have different ways of responding to rewards, with some people's brains releasing more of the neurotransmitter dopamine. This allows these individuals to be more involved, excited and engaged in what's going on around them.
A study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, June 2013, outlines the study. Authors of the study tell us:
“Rewards like food, sex and social interactions as well as more abstract goals such as money or getting a degree trigger the release of dopamine in the brain, producing positive emotions and feelings of desire that motivate us to work toward obtaining those goals. In extroverts, this dopamine response to rewards is more robust so they experience more frequent activation of strong positive emotions,” Depue says.
“Dopamine also facilitates memory for circumstances that are associated with the reward. Our findings suggest this plays a significant role in sustaining extroverted behavior,” Depue adds. “The extroverts in our study showed greater association of context with reward than introverts, which means that over time, extroverts will acquire a more extensive network of reward-context memories that activate their brain’s reward system.”
How is that an advantage in terms of behavior in society? Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking tells us that society is biased toward extroverts. Much of that is based upon human history and culture, that people who speak well and engage well with others are favored as being more likable and capable. In fact it is also thought that introverts feel badly about what they interpret as their shyness.
But while some folks might bemoan the fact they are extroverts, psychologists tell us there are advantages in being an introvert. One source maintains that the introvert has a "greater appreciation of subtlety and understatment" which can be a great strength, as the individual may take longer to answer questions and determining the appropriate response. Furthermore, the introvert's self-sufficiency can be an advantage, as the individual might not respond according to what's popular or how he or she are rated by others but by some interior compass instead.
The present study that reflects on how the brain assists in pre-determining behavior, researchers tell us, “At a broader level, the study begins to illuminate how individual differences in brain functioning interact with environmental influences to create behavioral variation. This knowledge may someday help us to understand how such interactions create more extreme forms of emotional behavior, such as personality disorders."
