Are You an Extroverted Introvert?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsIntroverted ExtrovertsAmbivertsThe Origins of AmbiversionPrevalenceBenefitsThe Challenges of Being an Extroverted IntrovertAre You an Ambivert?

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Introverted Extroverts

Ambiverts

The Origins of Ambiversion

Prevalence

Benefits

The Challenges of Being an Extroverted Introvert

Are You an Ambivert?

Close

Extrovertedintrovertsare those who possess a combination of introversion and extroversion but lean toward extroversion. Research indicates they enjoy a distinct edge over people who are primarily introverted or extroverted.

However, many fall on the continuum between introversion and extroversion. Known asambiverts, they can be extroverted introverts orintroverted extroverts, depending on the primary trait.

The Big FiveThe five-factor personality model includesagreeableness,openness,conscientiousness, andneuroticism, in addition to extroversion.

The Big Five

The five-factor personality model includesagreeableness,openness,conscientiousness, andneuroticism, in addition to extroversion.

What Is an Introverted Extrovert?

Introverted extroverts also have traits of both introversion and extroversion, but they’re primarily introverted.

If you’re curious to know which side of the spectrum you fall, take ourintrovert vs. extrovert testto learn more.

What Is an Ambivert?

Both introverted extroverts and extroverted introverts are ambiverts. Depending on the circumstances, they might prefer to spend an evening aloneorbe the life of the party. They can be reserved when the situation calls for it, and gregarious when anoutgoingmanner is more suitable.

During the 1920s, Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung introduced the terms extroversion and introversion to the masses. As he researched personality types, he found another group of people who couldn’t quite be identified as introverts or extroverts.

Arguing that there is no such thing as a pure extrovert or introvert, he said:

Carl JungThere are people who are fairly well-balanced who are just as much influenced from within as from without, or just as little.

Carl Jung

There are people who are fairly well-balanced who are just as much influenced from within as from without, or just as little.

Although psychologists have used the term ambivert since the 1940s, it remains largely unfamiliar to the public. Thanks to popularYouTube videos,TEDx talks, andbooks about ambiversion, interest in the personality type has grown significantly in the 21st century.

And there’s another reason for the newfound attention ambiversion has received: More people are realizing that they’re neitherintrovertsnor extroverts.

The prefixambimeans “both,” andvertmeans “to turn.” Extroverts turn outward; introverts turn inward. Ambiverts turn both inward and outward, depending on the situation.

How Common Is This Personality Type?

According toAdam M. Grant, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, two-thirds of people don’t view themselves as extroverts or introverts. He estimates that more than half of the population are ambiverts.

People don’t consciously choose to be a particular personality type. Instead, personality develops as early as infancy and doesn’t change significantly with age. That’s because both environment and genetics influence personality type, with extraversion linked to dopamine levels in the brain.

How Dopamine Influences Your Mental Health

Other studies have also linked dopamine to personality, particularly how much people enjoy new and unfamiliar experiences.Introverts, though, have fewer dopamine receptors in their brains than extroverts do. Ambiverts, again, lie in the middle, with a higher dopamine threshold than introverts but a lower threshold than extroverts.

Neither introversion nor extroversion fully dominates the behavior of ambiverts. A night out on the town isn’t likely to overstimulate them, but a night spent reading a book at home isn’t likely to bore them, either.

They’re not party animals or wallflowers, but have shades of both. Overall, they have well-balanced personalities, and, because of this, ambiverts are thought to have some advantages over introverts and extroverts.

The Benefits of Ambiversion

Extroverts have long been thought to possess the people skills, showmanship, and charisma needed to climb the corporate ladder, but research indicates that ambiverts might enjoy greater career success. Grant’s research on the topic indicates that it’s not extroverts who excel as salespeople but ambiverts.

He gave a personality test to 340 call center employees and found that ambiverts sold 51% more products per hour than the average salesperson did. He identified these workers as ambiverts because their personality test scores fell in the middle of introversion and extroversion.

So, why were the ambiverts so successful? Their personality traits make them adaptable; they know when to turn on the charm and when to pull back on their gregariousness. This differs from extroverts, who may not know when to reel in their outgoing personalities, and from introverts, who may be too reserved to reveal much of themselves to customers at all.

Can You Change Your Personality?

Although ambiverts can experience advantages over more extreme personalities, they also have struggles. They need to be self-aware to determine which side of their personality to bring out in a particular situation. They must also learn not to force themselves to behave like an extrovert when they feel more like an introvert (and vice versa) because doing so may leave them emotionally drained.

Another challenge ambiverts face is that some people might struggle to read them correctly. A colleague, for example, might be surprised that the fun-loving person they met in the workplace often prefers to spend quiet evenings with just one or two friends.

Therefore, it’s important for ambiverts to recognize when they’re feeling more introverted or extroverted and set boundaries with others who pressure them to behave one way or another. As awareness of ambiversion spreads, more people can be expected to recognize the traits of ambiversion—in others and in themselves.

If you’re wondering where on the scale of extroversion and introversion you fall, ourfast and free quizcan help you figure it out!

6 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Grant AM.Rethinking the extraverted sales ideal: The ambivert advantage.Psychological Science. 2013;24(6):1024-1030. doi.org/10.1177/0956797612463706Evans RI, Jung CG, Evans RI.Dialogue with C. G. Jung. Praeger; 1981.Bernstein E.Not an introvert, not an extrovert? You may be an ambivert.Wall Street Journal. Published July 27, 2015.Fischer R, Lee A, Verzijden MN.Dopamine genes are linked to extraversion and neuroticism personality traits, but only in demanding climates.Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):1733. doi:10.1038%2Fs41598-017-18784-yCohen MX.Individual differences in extraversion and dopamine genetics predict neural reward responses.Cognitive Brain Research. 2005; 25(3): 851-861. doi:10.1016/j.cogbrainres.2005.09.018Golimbet VE, Alfimova MV, Gritsenko IK, Ebstein RP.Relationship between dopamine system genes and extraversion and novelty seeking.Neurosci Behav Physiol. 2007;37(6):601-606. doi:10.1007/s11055-007-0058-8

6 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Grant AM.Rethinking the extraverted sales ideal: The ambivert advantage.Psychological Science. 2013;24(6):1024-1030. doi.org/10.1177/0956797612463706Evans RI, Jung CG, Evans RI.Dialogue with C. G. Jung. Praeger; 1981.Bernstein E.Not an introvert, not an extrovert? You may be an ambivert.Wall Street Journal. Published July 27, 2015.Fischer R, Lee A, Verzijden MN.Dopamine genes are linked to extraversion and neuroticism personality traits, but only in demanding climates.Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):1733. doi:10.1038%2Fs41598-017-18784-yCohen MX.Individual differences in extraversion and dopamine genetics predict neural reward responses.Cognitive Brain Research. 2005; 25(3): 851-861. doi:10.1016/j.cogbrainres.2005.09.018Golimbet VE, Alfimova MV, Gritsenko IK, Ebstein RP.Relationship between dopamine system genes and extraversion and novelty seeking.Neurosci Behav Physiol. 2007;37(6):601-606. doi:10.1007/s11055-007-0058-8

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Grant AM.Rethinking the extraverted sales ideal: The ambivert advantage.Psychological Science. 2013;24(6):1024-1030. doi.org/10.1177/0956797612463706Evans RI, Jung CG, Evans RI.Dialogue with C. G. Jung. Praeger; 1981.Bernstein E.Not an introvert, not an extrovert? You may be an ambivert.Wall Street Journal. Published July 27, 2015.Fischer R, Lee A, Verzijden MN.Dopamine genes are linked to extraversion and neuroticism personality traits, but only in demanding climates.Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):1733. doi:10.1038%2Fs41598-017-18784-yCohen MX.Individual differences in extraversion and dopamine genetics predict neural reward responses.Cognitive Brain Research. 2005; 25(3): 851-861. doi:10.1016/j.cogbrainres.2005.09.018Golimbet VE, Alfimova MV, Gritsenko IK, Ebstein RP.Relationship between dopamine system genes and extraversion and novelty seeking.Neurosci Behav Physiol. 2007;37(6):601-606. doi:10.1007/s11055-007-0058-8

Grant AM.Rethinking the extraverted sales ideal: The ambivert advantage.Psychological Science. 2013;24(6):1024-1030. doi.org/10.1177/0956797612463706

Evans RI, Jung CG, Evans RI.Dialogue with C. G. Jung. Praeger; 1981.

Bernstein E.Not an introvert, not an extrovert? You may be an ambivert.Wall Street Journal. Published July 27, 2015.

Fischer R, Lee A, Verzijden MN.Dopamine genes are linked to extraversion and neuroticism personality traits, but only in demanding climates.Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):1733. doi:10.1038%2Fs41598-017-18784-y

Cohen MX.Individual differences in extraversion and dopamine genetics predict neural reward responses.Cognitive Brain Research. 2005; 25(3): 851-861. doi:10.1016/j.cogbrainres.2005.09.018

Golimbet VE, Alfimova MV, Gritsenko IK, Ebstein RP.Relationship between dopamine system genes and extraversion and novelty seeking.Neurosci Behav Physiol. 2007;37(6):601-606. doi:10.1007/s11055-007-0058-8

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