# @science on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DYu3ukAoHKe
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/65837977-science-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/30526742de.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-05-24T19:00:21.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Science 🧬 (@science) — https://gondola.cc/science

## Caption

For this study, researchers wanted to investigate if a more prolonged period of forced extraversion would result in similar feelings of well-being.⁠
“The findings suggest that changing one’s social behavior is a realizable goal for many people, and that behaving in an extraverted way improves well-being,” says study co-author Sonja Lyubomirsky in a media release. Lyubormirsky, a UCR psychologist, says psychologists favor the term “extravert” over “extrovert,” because of its historic academic use, and the Latin origins of “extra,” meaning “outside.”⁠
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One of the initial challenges researchers faced was society’s general belief that it is more favorable to be an extrovert than an introvert. For example, most people would want to be described as “dynamic” over “shy.” So, in order to combat this stigma, study participants were told that both personality types were found to be beneficial in their own way.⁠
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So, during the first week of the experiment, all participants were asked to be as talkative, assertive, and spontaneous as possible; then, the following week, they were asked to be as quiet and reserved as possible. Each participant was reminded of their intended behavior via email three times each week.⁠
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After the two weeks, participants’ feelings of well-being were measured. Across the board, participants reported feeling better after being more social and outgoing, and also reported feeling worse after acting withdrawn for a week. Interestingly, even self-described introverts said they felt better after getting over their initial fears of being more social.⁠
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“It showed that a manipulation to increase extraverted behavior substantially improved well-being,” Lyubomirsky says. “Manipulating personality-relevant behavior over as long as a week may be easier than previously thought, and the effects can be surprisingly powerful.”⁠
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#introvert #socialanxiety #happiness #science #biology

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## Tags

science, introvert, happiness, socialanxiety, biology

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