Introverted Persons Are More Likely To Become Tired At Work

September 12, 2002

(Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research) -- Introvert people have a higher risk of becoming tired than their extravert colleagues. This was revealed in the first large-scale and systematic study into the influence of personality on tiredness, which was carried out by researchers from Tilburg University.

Psychologists from Tilburg University followed more than 700 people for a period of two years. Every six months these employees completed questionnaires concerning personality, styles of coping with problems, (work-related) stress and social support. Demographic aspects, such as having a child, were also included in the study.

The study revealed that after two years, introvert persons have greater a chance of becoming tired than extrovert persons. The degree to which people experience their workload is also significant. Employees who think that they are busy, have a greater chance of becoming tired than colleagues who do not think they are that busy.

The Tilburg study also revealed that the manner in which an individual copes with problems does not influence tiredness. For example, an employee who acts as if a problem does not exist is not more susceptible to tiredness than somebody who is the same in almost every aspect, but approaches and deals with problems in a systematic manner.