[Screwhead24]

Came up on this very interesting article on different scales of introversion spectrum..



A Compelling Theory About Introversion, Extroversion, and Autism | Psychology Today

The more I examine introversion the more confusing it is.

We've had no consensus in discussions here about introversion. We're not shy or socially anxious except some of us are. Some of us like people, some of us would prefer to spend time with a book, thank you very much. Some of us fear the telephone, some of us dislike the telephone, some of us don't mind it. Some of us can behave as extroverts, some don't bother. And then there's psychologist Elaine N. Aron's theory about the Highly Sensitive Person, which seems a bit of an outlier in terms of introversion.

And the whole energy discussion--about how being with people drains us while it energizes extroverts--is compelling, but nobody has really been able to pin down empirically what that means. What is energy, in this context?

Well, a very interesting young thinker, Jennifer O. Grimes, has noticed this too. We've already heard Grimes' energy theory, and we've heard from her mentor, Jonathan M. Cheek, at Wellesley.

Grimes has a master's in interdisciplinary studies, combining philosophy, neuroscience, psychology. She is currently a research assistant at Wellesley and Harvard, and she continues puzzling over introversion.

"There is such a struggle at what is at the core of introversion/extroversion," Grimes told me in a recent interview. "What we were noticing was a popular movement to bring a little more clarity to the definition, but there's not been an awful lot of psychometric work with that."

Grimes is all for the introvert-positive movement, to which this blog belongs. "I like its goal, " she says. "But I'm not sure I like so much how it pulls it off, because some of the literature reads like an idiosyncratic account of a personal experience."

Grimes, Cheek, and researcher Julie K. Norem (who also has done wonderful research into pessimism) started trying to tease apart all the various definitions we see of introversion. They did a literature review, and examined existing measurement tools--such as Marti Olsen Laney's introversion scale. "I did a factor analysis of Laney's scale," Grimes says. "It really tests psychometrically as a shyness scale."

Grimes, Cheek, and Norem developed a four-factor model of introversion, dividing it into Social Introversion (prefers solitude to people); Thinking Introversion (reflective and introspective); Anxious Introversion (shy and ruminative); and Inhibited Introversion (resists new experiences).

That's interesting enough, but where Grimes went next in her exploration of introversion is compelling, likely to be controversial, and quite possibly right on the money---research (someday) will tell.

In her master's thesis (read it here) Grimes posits that introversion is not the opposite of extroversion, but that they are two different traits altogether. And she proposes something that has come up here from time to time: That introversion actually is on the autism scale.

Grimes' thesis explains that if you take each of the factors this new model proposes and follow it along a continuum to their most extreme expressions, they correlate with the widely used Baron-Cohen Autism Spectrum Quotient.

Depending on how much we have of each factor (and how they interact with other personality traits), we can be simply introverted or, moving along the continuum, have Asperger's syndrome or, moving further yet, have autism.

Consider, for example, that many of us tend to think slowly and are not quick at communicating. At the introvert level, no big deal. Take that communication difficulty and move it along the scale Grimes proposes and you get to Asperger's and then autism.

Same with our tendency to focus deeply: At the healthy end of the scale that can be perseverance. Take it further, and you hit perseveration, which is not so good.

Grimes suspects Aron's sensitivity theory is outside of introversion. "That sounds like it belongs more in openness, the tendency to become frazzled and overwhelmed coupled with physical sensitivity is its own thing."

Grimes' theory is an interesting approach to pinning down the slippery definition of introversion and, she says, it might help us gain deeper understanding of autism. "There are some things we haven't yet figured out about autism that we have figured out about introversion. Introverts who do spend a lot of time in introspection have a good account of what it's like. We could use the studies that we've done so far, with both areas, to perhaps scaffold each other."

Is this theory disparaging to introverts? Not to my mind, not at all. We fret about being misunderstood, and if this opens doors to deeper understanding into our ways, that's good. It would explain the phenomenon of the "extroverted introvert" or the "swashbuckling introvert" (as readers here have described themselves). It eases the polarized attitudes we sometimes see between introverts and extroverts. And it might help further acceptance of our way of being and start chipping away at the concept of extroverts being "happier" and better at socializing. If you're a Temple Grandin fan, as I am, it's a lot easier to accept autism as a different way of being rather than, necessarily, a lesser way.

It also raises another fascinating question: If introversion requires its own scale, it follows that extroversion does too. And if autism is on one far end of the introversion scale, what's on the far end of an extroversion scale? Narcissism? Exhibitionism? Lady Gaga?

[NekoNinja]

Grimes, Cheek, and Norem developed a four-factor model of introversion, dividing it into Social Introversion (prefers solitude to people); Thinking Introversion (reflective and introspective); Anxious Introversion (shy and ruminative); and Inhibited Introversion (resists new experiences).

I think I can agree with just this. It makes sense. It would explain how people can be introverted but still very social, or introverted but still very spontaneous and outgoing.

I dont think I agree with the autism theory, however. Introversion on the same scale as autism? Are they trying to say that introverts are capable of autism or everyone? Also are they trying to say autism is a personality disorder?

I disagree. Personality disorders can only be diagnosed after early childhood and in a person's teen years or later (I dont remember what year exactly.) This is because a person's personality isnt fully developed until then and is thus subject to change, just as someone can be very extroverted as a child and then introverted as they age. Autism is, however, easily identifiable at a very early age. Introversion in my opinion is clearly part of a person's personality, so to say its on the same scale as autism doesnt seem right to me. Whether or not its on the same scale as extroversion is still however debatable in my opinion.

[uncreative_name]

I think I would be either Thinking or Anxious, maybe a combo of some sort. I'm not the other two. I like to have a healthy balance of solitude/social interaction. When either is at the extreme I do into a weird sort of funk. And I want to experience everything, so I'm not inhibited.

[firedell]

Social Introversion or Inhibited Introversion.

[NekoNinja]

I would probably be a bit of Social, Thinking, and Anxious Introverted. Id say theres a little more to being introverted than just those four things though. I mean we are Fi after all. And I dont think Fi really fits into any of those four.

Im about to read the paper Grimes wrote on this theory -

http://etd.fcla.edu/CF/CFE0003090/Gr..._201005_MA.pdf

[dizzygirl]

That is an interesting article @Screwhead24 thanks for sharing. It's an interesting p.o.v the one that Grimes has put forward.
We were made to study the Sally-anne test that Baron-Cohen-Leslie and Frith conducted. What i don't understand is, autism is more than just being a recluse. how can introversion be in the autism spectrum?

I am citing wikipedia at a loss of better reading material, "Once a child with PDD-NOS enters school, he or she will often be very eager to interact with classmates, but may act socially different than peers and are unable to make genuine connections. As they age, the closest connections they make are typically with their parents. Children with PDD-NOS have difficulty reading facial expressions and relating to feelings of others. They do not know how to respond when someone is laughing or crying. Literal thinking is also characteristic of PDD-NOS. They are unable to understand figurative speech and sarcasm"
These seem like serious problems rather than just wantin to be alone or something.

"Asperger syndrome or Asperger's syndrome or Asperger disorder is an autism spectrum disorder that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development. Although not required for diagnosis, physical clumsiness and atypical use of language are frequently reported"

"Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder of the grey matter of the brain that affects females more commonly than males. The clinical features include small hands and feet and a deceleration of the rate of head growth (including microcephaly in some). Repetitive hand movements, such as wringing and/or repeatedly putting hands into the mouth, are also noted. People with Rett syndrome are prone to gastrointestinal disorders and up to 80% have seizures. They typically have no verbal skills, and about 50% of individuals affected are not ambulatory. Scoliosis, growth failure, and constipation are very common and can be problematic."

"Childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD), also known as Heller's syndrome and disintegrative psychosis, is a rare condition characterized by late onset (>3 years of age) of developmental delays in language, social function, and motor skills. Researchers have not been successful in finding a cause for the disorder."

"Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old"

One thing that is constant in all 5 of the disorders in the Autism Spectrum scale is the repetition of certain kinds of behaviour. i will be interested to see how she incorporates introversion in this spectrum! thanx @NekoNinja for the thesis paper.

[NekoNinja]

Id also like to note that just because something is a symptom of a disorder does not make it only part of that disorder. Hallucinations is a symptom of schizophrenia but that is not the only cause of hallucinations. There are several things that can cause a state of psychosis, even insomnia. So for someone to say that hallucinations were on the same scale as schizophrenia is just silly, and stupid. The same would go for introversion and autism. It could definitely be argued that introversion is a symptom of autism. But for one, its not the only symptom of autism, and it doesnt make sense to just say its on the same scale.

[Screwhead24]

Id also like to note that just because something is a symptom of a disorder does not make it only part of that disorder. Hallucinations is a symptom of schizophrenia but that is not the only cause of hallucinations. There are several things that can cause a state of psychosis, even insomnia. So for someone to say that hallucinations were on the same scale as schizophrenia is just silly, and stupid. The same would go for introversion and autism. It could definitely be argued that introversion is a symptom of autism. But for one, its not the only symptom of autism, and it doesnt make sense to just say its on the same scale.

I agree with this statement

[hmwith]

[They] developed a four-factor model of introversion, dividing it into Social Introversion (prefers solitude to people); Thinking Introversion (reflective and introspective); Anxious Introversion (shy and ruminative); and Inhibited Introversion (resists new experiences).

Interesting and more encompassing than most definitions, but where would "Feeling Introversion" fall, inside of "Thinking Introversion"?

It would explain the phenomenon of the "extroverted introvert" or the "swashbuckling introvert"... And it might help further acceptance of our way of being and start chipping away at the concept of extroverts being "happier" and better at socializing.

It would also explain the phenomenon of the "introverted extrovert" or the "inhibited extrovert". And it might help further acceptance of our way of being and start chipping away at the concept of introverts being "sadder" and more introspective.

[Alexz]

@hmwith

Ooh, another ENFP. :3