Energetical bases of extraversion: effort, arousal, EEG, and performance.
This study investigates an extension of H.J. Eysenck's [Eysenck, H.J., 1967. The Biological Basis of Personality. Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, IL] arousal theory of extraversion, incorporating an effort system as a control system for different aspects of arousal. Extraverts were expected to have lower levels of reticocortical arousal than introverts, to invest more effort, and to have lower task performance in a monotonous vigilance task. In a 40-min vigilance task, participants had to react to the shorter of two 1 kHz tones presented binaurally at an event rate of 200 per 10 min. Spontaneous EEG, event-related potential, and performance data of 40 extremely introverted and 41 extremely extraverted students were available for statistical analysis. A tendency for lower arousal levels of extraverts (alpha 2 band), the expected higher effort investment (P300) and a lower performance (hits) of extraverts were found.
Beauducel
André
A
Department of Psychology II, Mannheim University, Schloss, Ehrenhof Ost, Mannheim, Germany. beauducel@tnt.psychologie.uni-mannheim.de
Brocke
Burkhard
B
Leue
Anja
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D018913:Event-Related Potentials, P300 / Q000502:physiology*; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010551:Personality / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology