Understanding extraverts' enjoyment of social situations: The importance of pleasantness

Extraversion is a broad, multifaceted trait, yet researchers are still unsu re of its defining characteristics. One possibility is that the essential f eature of extraversion is the tendency to enjoy social situations. An alter native possibility is that extraversion represents sensitivity to rewards a nd the tendency to experience pleasant affect. In three studies, participan ts rated situations that varied on two dimensions: (a) whether they were so cial or nonsocial and (b) whether they were very pleasant, moderately pleas ant, moderately unpleasant, or very unpleasant. Extraverts only rated socia l situations more positively than introverts did when the situations were p leasant, and extraverts also rated nonsocial situations more positively tha n introverts did if the situations were pleasant. Thus, the pleasantness of situations was more important than whether they were social or nonsocial. in determining extraverts' and introverts' enjoyment.