Why Does High Extraversion Predict Positive Emotions (Happiness)?

The five-factor model of personality theory has five traits that explain personality. We can remember them through the acronym OCEAN: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Each of the five traits has six facets under it, so we break down the traits into different constructs. One of those constructs for extraversion is called positive emotions, and sometimes it's referred to as cheerfulness. We see a fairly strong association between this facet and the trait level extraversion, meaning many people that are high in extraversion are high in this particular facet of positive emotions, although it is possible of course to have a low score on positive emotions and still have high scores on some of the other facets of extraversion. It's important to remember as well that positive emotions are not the same thing as an absence of negative emotions. Positive emotions are considered a facet of extraversion and negative emotions are a facet of neuroticism. Somebody can have high positive emotions and still have high negative emotions.
Extraversion is a tendency to be gregarious, talkative, assertive, bold, friendly, enthusiastic, and excitement-seeking. Sometimes people who are high in extraversion are described as the “life of the party,” or as having a strong personality. There's also tendency to have positive emotions - to be cheerful. We think of people with high extraversion scores as individuals who gain energy from social interaction. Low extraversion, which is sometimes referred to as introversion, has the tendency to be quiet, reserved, gaining energy from being alone, or sometimes gaining energy from being with just one other person. We also see the ability to deeply analyze information. There is also a tendency to have lower positive emotions.
Smillie, L. D., DeYoung, C. G., & Hall, P. J. (2015). Clarifying the Relation Between Extraversion and Positive Affect. Journal of Personality, 83(5), 564-574.

[@UnicornsExist17]

I am a senior majoring in psychology, and these videos are a wonderful supplement to my learning! ❤

[@kelly4321]

This is good information, what I wish people knew is that introverts are happy as well and don't need to be all out there to show it. I'm an introvert and I do get happy but it isn't as exuberant as extraverts obviously and I always get asked, what's wrong? aren't you having fun? aren't you happy? Yes! Just because I don't show it like the rest doesn't mean that i'm not. I don't think introverts have a lower positive emotion, I feel the showing of those emotions are lower.

[@orangeziggy599]

Introverts express happy emotions with 1 on 1 relationships.

[@TurquoiseAbyss1440]

Thanks Dr. Todd, these more detailed analyses of the five factor model you've been doing lately are very interesting!

[@peggygenoway]

As an INTJ, I can handle extroverts...to a limit. Everybody loves a cheerleader--but no one wants the pom poms all up in their face.

[@Quarter_Turn]

I'm an INTJ, too!

[@peggygenoway]

@@Quarter_Turn INTJ's rock!!!

[@johnharrisjr2808]

I scored high in this domain and I stay positive most of the time regardless of my circumstances. My highest facet was friendliness. I have positive feelings for others and believe that there is hope for everyone.

[@nikolozesitashvili6063]

You are awesome!!!

[@janicedixon2051]

I found it interesting that an individual can exhibit high positive and negative emotions.

[@angelinastanton7996]

This was a great review of extroversion and introversion, as well as how extraverted people tend to exhibit positive emotions. It was also interesting to learn about the different theories surrounding this topic.

[@runwiththewind3281]

Thank you for helping me understand

[@yourenough3]

Thanks Gr.G. always so informative.

[@DrGrande]

You're welcome!

[@veronicabetz9452]

I received high scores for this trait (domain) and its facets on a personality assessment, and this video gave me a better understanding of my scores.

[@virginiamurrey9139]

This was a new topic for me to explore and hear about, I think it was an interesting video to listen to.

[@angelinastanton7996]

I agree. It was a good explanation on why extraversion is linked to positive affect and included interesting theories on the topic.

[@Victoria-vy7pq]

Hello Dr Grande. In the words of The Beatles 'All You Need Is Love' From the very first second we draw breath we need genuine, authentic unconditional love. This is what pure, undiluted happiness means to me. Material truly is immaterial. Humans strive to survive and ultimately thrive on this essential emotion. This is at the root core of our existence. If you deny a human of the lifeforce that is love, whether intended or unintended, this will ultimately lead to the internal mechanics of our mind and body to breakdown. Love lays the solid foundation to our lifepath. Then the building begins with the 'belief bricks' we've been given. I know this sounds like 'Fluffy Froo Froo' but when someone truly loves you, doesn't that make you smile!! 😊 Humans are at their happiest when they are loved and loving. I dare you not to smile at that thought!! Hee! Hee! 😁 Thanks for the great video Dr Grande! Fabulous! Have a lovely evening. 😊

[@NTraveller]

I had the same observations with Jung's personality classification

[@rhondabaileyyy]

It’s interesting research that says behaving in an w extroverted behavior can lead to positive affects.

[@ChillAndSmile]

Dear dr. Grande, i enjoy your videos. As a Vegas taxi driver I meet a multitude of different people. since we are in transit🚕 people tend to say a lot about themselves they usually would not say easily. One of things I can not get used to it is an sorrowful attitude of people who act as victims😔. This toxic resistance they have toward answering to their higher self is difficult to me to experience. I just wish i could help them connect to their higher self and get some healthy, strong ego going on. Would it be rally so bad to live in overdrive of alter ego🤔😸, why is that the world doesnt want to be happy, 3 martinis egoistic, confident self sufficient, vegas baby show on, party person🎠🐾🍻🍷✌😸🐕?Why on earth would anyone disconnect from its overdrive and move on to live in a cave of despair of passive victomhood 🤔 Thanks for you sharp videos, be well 🍻

[@orangeziggy599]

Disconnection from the higher self or God is not a choice, as you make it seem to be. Disconnection is the result of TRAUMA.

[@orangeziggy599]

Disconnection from self is not a choice, it is the result of TRAUMA.

[@orangeziggy599]

They are not choosing to be victims, disconnection is the result of being traumatized by other people's abuse.

[@t.h.nguyen5193]

Are extraversion and positive emotions the results of nature or nurtured? Did the studies factor in epigenetics? Could a pre-birth trauma affect a child's personality trait if a mom experienced a lost of a close family member and the country was in a civil war? A more holistic study is needed including epigenetics.

[@TFrills]

I'm high on extraversion, but it feels forced and exhausting and I'm a lonely, miserable person who is terrible with the opposite sex.

[@Hobbies-ve1iy]

if the study concludes that the quality of new relationships are what increases positive emotions, not the quantitiy, then it should not be exclusive to extroverts alone, because introverts can also generate these positive emotions with just one intimate relationship. i think this part of the theory is messed up.

[@mercedescase9580]

This guy is cute 🤭

[@birkit1133]

What is neuroticism exactly?

[@peggygenoway]

Look it up.

[@corinnah.3296]

emotional lability

[@birkit1133]

@@corinnah.3296 hi there, thank you.

[@orangeziggy599]

Negativity, anxiety, over-thinking and under-acting, existential fear, panic, insomnia, phobias, paranoia, cognitive irrational thinking, chronic tension in body. In other words, pain.

[@Anson120]

Extraversion is very rare from what I have seen. most people are ambiverts or introverts. The people who have Extro that I have encountered also have some other mental illness like hypomania or Bi polar.

[@orangeziggy599]

Extraversion is very common!!

[@kungfujoe2136]

why does introversion predict high iq?

[@birkit1133]

Good question