Illustration by Samantha Bullis/The Dialog
Whether you are a social extrovert or a quiet introvert, according to studies, can have an impact on a student’s academic performance.
The academic performance and success rates of students, revolves around the question of extraversion and introversion and whether personality types have an impact.
According to a study by Extraversion and Introversion in Canadian Second Language Students, introverts tend to do better in college, which supported the prediction that they also performed better academically.
Introversion, described as being typically concerned with one’s own thoughts and feelings versus extraversion, described as the concern with what is outside of one’s self such as environmental influences and factors, is usually difficult to distinguish among students.
Students tend to surround themselves with others whom they view as similar to them. Through observations within a college setting, the people seen more frequently at social gatherings or school events are typically extroverts.
Assertiveness training certificate program at GBC educates students on how to
handle criticism, defensiveness and manipulation. According to program instructor Michael Nakou, “this program slightly touches the topic of introversion and extraversion.”
The life skills coaching certificate program at GBC was also designed to help students develop or broaden their existing interpersonal skills, and to incorporate life skills into their own lives. However, this course does not educate students directly on the topic of introversion and extraversion.
According to Psychology Wiki’s Extraversion and Introversion website, “People fluctuate in their
behaviour all the time, and even extreme introverts and extraverts do not always act according to their type.”
This makes distinguishing a real introvert from an extravert difficult and confusing, but can be simplified into a
classification of ambivert – a combination of the two.
Extraversion and Introversion in Canadian Second Language states that, “It is fair to say that extraverted learners have little trouble with communication,” when it comes to academic performance, while introverts are more socially inapt when it comes to academic leadership and event success.
