It's no secret that introverts and extroverts engage with the world in different ways.
But according to a new study conducted by researchers Daniel C. Feiler and Adam M. Kleinbaum at the Tuck Business School at Dartmouth College, the two personality types also perceive the world in different ways -- with introverts being far more perceptive and in touch with reality.
The study, published in medical journal Psychological Science, examined 284 MBA students and their personality behavior based on questionnaires filled out by the participants.
Findings suggest that extroverts are more likely to employ the so-called “friendship paradox” in their ways of thinking.
The paradox, as explained by Feiler, is defined as a “skewed view of how extroverted people are in general.”
He added,
If you're very introverted, you might actually have a pretty accurate idea.
In that vein, the friendship paradox encompasses the assumption that everybody has more friends than you do. Again, extroverts are more likely to be swayed by this paradox than introverts.
From this, the researchers conclude that some introverts -- only about 1 percent of the population -- have a more grounded, accurate view of the world, themselves and others than extroverts do.
The research authors note that the paradox “plagues” people in varying levels and that the sample of students they used -- all within one greater social network -- could be, on some level, biased.
More research is needed with a larger and more diverse sample pool to confirm the researchers' findings.
Citations: Extraversion Lies To You How Only 1 Percent Of The Population Has A Normal View Of The World (Medical Daily)
