Perseveration and Fluency as Measures of Introversion-Extraversion in Abnormal Subjects1

Extraversion, verbal learning, and memory.

“…Performance on the fluency tests was essentially unrelated to personality. Further negative findings were obtained by Rim (1954) in a study using clinical groups. Although he used four different tests of fluency, he found no difference between hysterics and dysthymics on any of the tests.…”

“…Although he used four different tests of fluency, he found no difference between hysterics and dysthymics on any of the tests. However, Rim (1954) assumed that dysthymics were neurotic introverts, whereas hysterics were neurotic extraverts. Subsequent work has indicated that hysterics are less introverted than are dysthymics, but they are not extraverted relative to the general population (Sigal, Star, & Franks, 1958).…”

“…A possible reason for the failure of some studies to find differences in retrieval from semantic memory between introverts and extraverts (Hofstaetter et al, 1957;Rim, 1954) is that researchers have concentrated almost exclusively on relatively permanent personality characteristics. In the work on anxiety, considerable evidence has been obtained of the value of differentiating between transient (or state) and more enduring (or trait) indexes of anxiety, as measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger, Gorsuch, & Luschene, 1969).…”

Cortical inhibition, figural aftereffect, and theory of personality.

“…Historically there have been several attempts in this direction; we need only mention the work of Gross (10,11) on the primary and secondary function, and that of Spearman (41) on perseveration. Experimental evidence is not lacking to show that these early attempts were quite unsuccessful; the recent work of Rim (34), for instance, has shown not only that there is no one general factor of perseveration, but also that none of the twenty or so tests of perseveration used by him succeeded in differentiating at a reasonable level of significance between hysterics and dysthymics.…”