The second explanation for extraverts ’happiness is that, as explained in
the previous chapter, they may be more sensitive to rewards than are introverts
(Rusting & Larsen, 1998; Strelau, 1987). An extravert who receives a good
grade on a test may be more pleased than an introvert receiving the same news.
In a laboratory test of this hypothesis, extraverts and introverts were given a test
of“Syncretic Skill, ”supposedly a new type of intelligence (Larsen & Ketelaar,
1989). Although the test was bogus, participants received information indi-cating either that they had done well on the test or that they had done poorly.Mood measures indicated that extraverts were much happier than introverts
after receiving the positive feedback. Interestingly, extraverts were no more
disappointed than introverts when told they had done poorly.
Other studies find extraverts are more likely than introverts to seek out
tasks they think will make them happy (Tamir, 2009) and find rewards insituations that introverts don ’t see (Noguchi, Gohm, & Dalsky, 2006).
Participants in one investigation simply wrote down words as if taking a spell-
ing test (Rusting, 1999). However, many of the words were homonyms (words
that sound like other words). Thus in some cases it was possible to hear ahappy word ( peace instead of piece ) and in other cases to hear a sad word
(mourning instead of morning ). Although either answer was correct, extra-
verted participants were more likely than introverts to hear the happy words.
Does this mean extraverts are always happier than introverts? Not neces-
sarily. Extraverts are not only more sociable than introverts; they also are
more impulsive. Extraverts are more likely to act on the spur of the moment,
and this impulsivity can create problems (Emmons & Diener, 1986). Saying
the first thing that comes to mind often is not a good idea. Doing what feels
good at the moment without considering the eventual consequences is also
fraught with danger. Anyone who has enjoyed a trip to the beach or an even-
ing with friends instead of writing a term paper can appreciate the problem of
acting impulsively. Thus extraversion appears to be a two-edged sword.Extraverts are more likely than introverts to have friends and have fun, but
they also are more likely to act before thinking and get themselves into trou-
ble. Introverts may not always reap the benefits of social interactions, butthey avoid the price of lapses in judgment.
EVOLUTIONARY PERSONALITY THEORY
AND MATE SELECTION
Imagine that, like many people these days, you decide to look for a romantic
partner through an online dating service. As you move through the process of
entering information about yourself, you find that you are faced with two
challenging tasks. First, you must describe yourself in a way that will make
you attractive to others. Second, you must identify the kind of person you
are looking for. What do you say?
Once they get past favorite songs, dream evenings and references to piña
coladas, researchers find that how people describe themselves and the kind ofperson they are looking for in these situations depends largely on whether
they are male or female (Harrison & Saeed, 1977). Women tend to identify264 CHAPTER 10 The Biological Approach