Determining Another’s Myers-Briggs Type: Extraversion vs. Introversion

“There is no such thing as a pure extravert or a pure introvert.  Such a man would be in a lunatic asylum.  Those are only terms to designate a certain penchant, a certain tendency.” -Carl Jung

Similar to the other three dimensions of the Myers-Briggs, the ease and speed with which a Type-watcher can identify another’s preference for extraversion or introversion depends on two key factors: Context and Clarity.  It’s easy to mistake most people as extraverts when introducing you to their family, talking about their children, or sharing a favorite childhood memory.  We naturally adjust our behavior as the context of our environment (both outer and inner) demands an adjustment.  Everyone has a home base, however. 

Especially when Type-watching for the E-I preference, keep in mind the context of your assessment, and watch for changes in behavior when the context is changed.  For example, at home vs. at work, in small groups vs. large groups, in a stressed state vs. calm state.  Type-watching across multiple contexts helps you to narrow down another’s preference.  This is true for all four dimensions of the MBTI®.

When Type-watching for Extraversion and Introversion, remember the following: 

Extraverts have a tendency to:

• Be energized by groups of people, especially large groups of people.
• Have a lot of friends and no acquaintances (because everyone is their friend ;)
• Interrupt others as they speak or finish another’s thought (which, to them, is a display of interest and engagement in the conversation).
• Get drained quickly with slow, unexpressive conversations.  
• Be more expressive with body language and vocal language.
• Move closer to an individual and rely on touch for rapport-building when communicating in person.
• Think out loud; speak before they’ve had a chance to filter their thoughts/words.
• Use filler words until the right word is found, such as “um”, “and”, “so”, etc.
• Come across as confident and let their voice be heard.
• Introduce others.

Introverts have a tendency to:

• Be energized by alone time, or smaller groups of people, especially familiar groups. 
• Have a few close friends and many acquaintances.
• Allow others to finish their thought(s), and even pause for seconds at a time in the event the person is not done speaking (which, to them, is a show of respect).
• Get drained quickly by competing noises and large groups of people.
• Be less expressive with body language and vocal language (more likely to be judged as monotone).
• Seek a comfortable distance from an individual when communicating in person (at least 3-4 ft).
• Think quietly in their heads; pause to find the right words.
• Filter their words for so long that they miss their chance to speak.
• Come across as quiet, timid, or reserved.
• Be introduced by others.

Happy Type-watching ;)

EQualifyed, LLC