Would introverts be better off if they acted more like extraverts? Exploring emotional and cognitive consequences of counterdispositional behavior.

Abstract

People enjoy acting extraverted, and this seems to apply equally across the dispositional introversion-extraversion dimension (Fleeson, Malanos, & Achille, 2002). It follows that dispositional introverts might improve their happiness by acting more extraverted, yet little research has examined potential costs of this strategy. In two studies, we assessed dispositions, randomly assigned participants to act introverted or extraverted, and examined costs-both emotional (concurrent negative affect) and cognitive (Stroop performance). Results replicated and extended past findings suggesting that acting extraverted produces hedonic benefits regardless of disposition. Positive affect increased and negative affect did not, even for participants acting out of character. In contrast, we found evidence that acting counterdispositionally could produce poor Stroop performance, but this effect was limited to dispositional extraverts who were assigned to act introverted. We suggest that the positive affect produced by introverts' extraverted behavior may buffer the potentially depleting effects of counterdispositional behavior, and we consider alternative explanations. We conclude that dispositional introverts may indeed benefit from acting extraverted more often and caution that dispositional extraverts may want to adopt introverted behavior strategically, as it could induce cognitive costs or self-regulatory depletion more generally.

Happy Now, Tired Later? Extraverted and Conscientious Behavior Are Related to Immediate Mood Gains, but to Later Fatigue

“…In a seminal study, Fleeson et al () showed that when people were experimentally instructed to behave in either an extraverted or introverted way, acting extraverted made them happier as compared to acting introverted. This result has since been replicated in several other studies employing both experimental and ESM methodologies (e.g., McNiel, Lowman, & Fleeson, ; Wilt et al, ; Zelenski et al, ). Thus, there is mounting evidence for a causal relation between extraverted behavior and positive mood.…”

The pleasure of making a difference: Perceived social contribution explains the relation between extraverted behavior and positive affect.

“…Several researchers have suggested that acting extraverted could be an effective intervention for increasing an individual's levels of PA (e.g., Blackie, Roepke, Forgeard, Jayawickreme, & Fleeson, 2014). Although introverts do not appear to find it distressing, effortful, or inauthentic to act extraverted in the short-term (e.g., Fleeson & Wilt, 2010;Gallagher et al, 2011;McNiel et al, 2010;Zelenski et al, 2012), extraverted behavior may be related to delayed fatigue for introverts and extraverts alike (Leikas & Juhani-Ilmarinen, 2016). There may also be other reasons why introverts may be reluctant to act extraverted to increase their PA. For example, introverts may underpredict how enjoyable acting extraverted can be (Zelenski et al, 2013), and an emerging cultural movement aims to celebrate introverts "for who they are" (Cain, 2012; http://www.quietrev.com).…”

“…Several experimental studies have provided causal evidence that participants who are instructed to act extraverted (e.g., talkative, bold, assertive) report higher levels of PA than those instructed to act introverted (e.g., quiet, passive, reserved) during interactive activities in the lab (Gallagher, Fleeson, & Hoyle, 2011;McNiel & Fleeson, 2006;McNiel, Lowman, & Fleeson, 2010;Smillie, Wilt, Kabbani, Garratt, & Revelle, 2015;Zelenski et al, 2013;Zelenski, Santoro, & Whelan, 2012) (Keyes, 1998) explained 32% of the relation between trait extraversion and PA. Of the five subscales, social contribution (believing that one has something valuable to give, and does give, to society) was the strongest mediator, independently explaining 29% of the trait extraversion-PA relation. To bolster this correlational study with experimental evidence, Smillie, Wilt, and colleagues (Study 2) then investigated whether state measures of social well-being and social contribution mediated the relation between enacted extraversion and increased PA. As a state measure of social contribution, participants reported the percentage to which they "contributed to the discussion tasks", relative to the other two participants.…”

What Is Extraversion For? Integrating Trait and Motivational Perspectives and Identifying the Purpose of Extraversion

“…We wish to examine whether the goals people are pursing at any given moment can predict both differences between people in how extraverted they are and differences within people in how extraverted they are being (Heller, Komar, & Lee, 2007; Zelenski, Santoro, & Whelan 2011). Using experience-sampling methodology, we asked participants to report their momentary goal pursuit and state extraversion over ten days.…”