Extraversion

What is Extraversion?

Lead consultant at Test Partnership, Ben Schwencke, explains extraversion.

Extraversion is a personality trait that determines how outgoing, sociable, and assertive a person is. People who score highly on extraversion tend to be outgoing and enjoy being in social situations, feeling energised by the company of others. People who score low on extraversion tend to be more reserved and introverted, feeling drained by social situations and preferring solitude.

Extraversion is one of the Big Five personality traits, alongside conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, and openness to experiences. Extraversion (or similarly defined constructs) also appear in other models of personality, including the HEXACO model and the 16PF model. Extraversion is therefore measured by a wide range of assessments, and is one of the more important psychological constructs in occupational settings.

In employee selection, extraversion is often associated with job performance in roles that require social skills and outgoing personalities, such as sales and customer service (Jordan, Ashkanasy, & Hartel, 2002). Research also shows that extraversion is particularly important in leadership roles, as it allows individuals to take charge of a group and influence others (Judge, Bono, Ilies, & Gerhardt, 2002). Additionally, extraversion can also be beneficial in creative fields, as it allows individuals to present and promote their work effectively.