Score on Extroversion, a Lower-Than-Average

¶ … score on extroversion, a lower-than-average score on agreeableness; an average score on conscientiousness; a lower-than-average score on emotional stability; and I scored high on openness to new experiences.

Extroversion means that an individual's emotional battery is recharged through sociability, introversion means that after being social the individual needs to 'recharge' his or her energy by being alone. It is fair to say that I feel both types of responses equally frequently. I am very honest and straightforward, so it is true that I don't always agree to 'go along' with the crowed, although I do not go out of my way to be disagreeable. I try to be responsive and conscientious towards other's needs. While I can be emotional I do not think that is the same as being emotionally unstable. I do like to seek out new things to do, as my score indicates, such as new places to travel.

To some degree, I feel this test is biased in terms of the way it portrays certain character traits and shows a certain bias in the way it portrays the human character. In many cultures, being very emotional is more accepted than it is in American culture (versus Mediterranean culture, for example). Emotional instability, the reverse of emotional stability, sounds as if a person is emotionally unbalanced if he or she is expressive of his or her feelings or is more upset than 'average,' according to the test. But this may be the result of the individual's cultural upbringing and the norm within his or her society. Agreeableness and conscientiousness are traits that are also prized in our highly social society.

A final critique of personality testing is that it conceptualizes the 'self' in a highly static fashion that is very individualized and thus very 'Western.' Personally, I find that my responses vary depending on who I am with and in what social context. My level of agreeableness varies depending on the attitude of others in my work situation; I am much more accommodating to friends and family than I am in a work environment that is quite cutthroat.

2) While it is true that genetics have a powerful influence upon human behavior -- for example, an individual with an identical twin with schizophrenia is much more likely to develop the disorder than someone who does not -- this still leaves open the question why identical twins do not always manifest a disorder that has a high degree of heritability. In other words, environment also plays a strong influence in human behavior. Additionally, a quality like 'sloppiness' is not due to a single trait -- sloppiness can be the result of carelessness, inattention, clumsiness, a lack of energy, or emotional resistance to an overly tidy household.

3) Self-fulfilling expectations are part of the reason that individuals who are suspicious and withdrawn are more likely to meet with calamites, while individuals who are extroverted and open are more likely to meet with good fortune. However, it is important to note how 'good fortune' is defined in our society -- marriage and success at most jobs requires dealing with people. A neurotic who cannot deal with other people well is likely unable to make the social connections required to foster what is called 'success' in life and is thus much less engage in productive social relationships like a marriage. Even weight gain may be more likely for an asocial individual because an introvert will be less responsive to social concerns and pressures to maintain a healthy body. Stress, low self-esteem, and other traits associated with neuroticism make the sufferer less apt to perform at an optimal level and less able to find friends to bolster his or her self-esteem through 'rough' times.