Are extroverts really happier?

Published: Sept. 6, 2019, 7:45 p.m.

Sociable, lively, outgoing people are highly valued in certain cultures - think of the stereotype of the hyper-confident American. And there\u2019s even evidence that extroverts all over the world tend to be happier. But are the positive qualities that quieter types can bring to society being ignored or underappreciated? And couldn\u2019t introverts be just as happy as extroverts, if only they lived in a more accepting culture?\n \nThese are controversial areas of personality psychology into which CrowdScience strayed earlier this year when exploring the question \u201cWhy am I shy?\u201d It prompted a whole bunch of other questions from our listeners which we tackle in this follow-up programme, with the help of psychologist and shyness expert Professor Jonathan Cheek. We probe the links between happiness, personality and culture, and find out what makes introverts happy.

Presenter: Datshiane Navanayagam \nProducer: Cathy Edwards

(Photo: A woman smiling with her arms spread out. Credit: Getty Images)