How often you act in either of these styles, however, was probably deter-
mined largely by the genetic hand you were dealt many years ago.
Extraversion and Preferred Arousal Level
Imagine it ’s a few days before a big test in one of your classes. You ’ve put off
preparing for the exam long enough, so tonight you ’ll go to the library and
spend a few hours behind the books. There are two study areas in this library.
One contains a series of one-person desks where you can isolate yourself be-
hind the quiet of the book stacks. Few people walk by these desks, and the
room is relatively free of whispers, photocopy machines, and other library
noises. The other study area consists of long tables, sofas, and easy chairs.You can easily scan the room to see who else is there. Many people walk by
on their way to other parts of the library, and short conversations with those
passing through are common. Which of these study areas will you choose?
Your choice in this situation depends in part on whether you are an ex-
travert or an introvert. One team of researchers demonstrated this phenome-non when they asked students studying in the two kinds of library rooms justdescribed to complete the Eysenck Personality Inventory (Campbell, 1983;
Campbell & Hawley, 1982). Students in the noisy, open room were more
likely to be extraverts, whereas the ones in the isolated, quiet room were
Is this student an introvert or an extravert? According to research, his choice of study
area provides a clue. Extraverts prefer this type of open study area where opportunitiesfor interruptions and occasional social stimulation are possible.Extraversion-Introversion 261