An Unexpected Connection: Extraversion and Dopamine

Image credit: Getty

A buzzfeed test has just determined that you're an extravert. You recall that you do enjoy catching up with your favorite group of friends, and frequenting house parties, but why is that you enjoy these activities more than staying home and reading in solitude? 

Researchers may have found the answer to your inquiries. Recent studies and scientific trials have found that extraverts possess higher levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for reward-seeking and satisfaction levels. This means that when an extravert is performing a stimulating activity, their brain retains the memory of this exciting endeavor more strongly than an introvert's brain would. Then it's no surprise that you seek external interactions more frequently-it's what fuels your unique brain machine!

According to an article published in "Scientific Reports," people with "highly efficient dopamine systems" (extraverts) approach life with more optimism than others because they tend to feel more thrilled from the activities that they perform. This rewarding sensation encourages extraverts to repeatedly pursue these activities. If this isn't making much sense for you, we can break it down into a sugary metaphor. Imagine this: you (the extravert) decide to visit a local bakery for the first time. You typically avoid chocolatey foods, but you choose to purchase a triple chocolate muffin. As soon as this astonishingly delicious desert grazes your tastebuds, you feel as if you've fallen in love. Your brain remembers this immense rush of serotonin that you receive, and high levels of dopamine are released from your brain, reinforcing you to continue eating. All of a sudden, you find that you've become a regular of the bakery, all because your brain remembers the ecstasy caused by that mouthwatering muffin and pushes you to buy another one.

To further support these assertions, we can look at an experiment conducted by Cornell researchers Richard Depue and Yu Fu that illustrated a phenomenon called "associative conditioning." The experiment involved two groups; an introverted-presenting group, and an extraverted-presenting group. These individuals were instructed to watch videos after taking a drug (methylphenidate) that stimulated a feeling of pleasure. The researchers observed that the extraverted group actually connected these video clips to the drug-induced euphoria, while the introverts did not. This means that activities like exploring new places, rock-climbing, camping, attending festivals, and meeting new people are just synonyms for happiness in an extravert's eyes!

To tie it all together, dopamine levels in an extravert's brain have been found to be higher in level, and better at keeping a memory of the moment an extravert performs a brain-stimulating task. While understanding the connection between extravertism and dopamine levels in the brain may help you comprehend your personality test results, the connection can also aid in prospective investigations on the relationship between personality traits and brain chemistry. Who knew that personality traits could actually be traced back to those tiny neuro nuggets (neurotransmitters) in your brain!?

References

Fischer, R., Lee, A. & Verzijden, M.N. Dopamine genes are linked to Extraversion and Neuroticism personality traits, but only in demanding climates. Sci Rep 8, 1733 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-18784-y

Prat, Chantel. The Neuroscience of You

Depue RA, Fu Y. On the nature of extraversion: variation in conditioned contextual activation of dopamine-facilitated effective, cognitive, and motor processes. Front Hum Neurosci. 2013 Jun 13;7:288. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00288. PMID: 23785330; PMCID: PMC3682132.

Sias, A.C., Jafar, Y., Goodpaster, C.M. et al. Dopamine projections to the basolateral amygdala drive the encoding of identity-specific reward memories. Nat Neurosci 27, 728–736 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-024-01586-7’

Lai, Daniel W L, and Nan Qin. “Extraversion personality, perceived health and activity participation among community-dwelling aging adults in Hong Kong.” PloS one vol. 13,12 e0209154. 12 Dec. 2018, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0209154

Pinckard, Kelsey et al. “Effects of Exercise to Improve Cardiovascular Health.” Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine vol. 6 69. 4 Jun. 2019, doi:10.3389/fcvm.2019.00069

Written by: Alise Gentile