Published

2026-02-12

Dissimilar Mechanisms Underlie Perceived Happiness of the Introverts and Extraverts: A Thematic Analysis

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v35n1.100672

Keywords:

extraversion, happiness, introversion, thematic analysis, personality (en)
extraversión, felicidad, introversión, método de análisis temático, personalidad (es)

Downloads

Authors

The study explored the mechanisms behind differences in the perceived happiness of introverts and extraverts. Using
a qualitative research design, 22 introverts and 27 extraverts were chosen through their scores on the revised Eysenck
personality questionnaire. The data were collected through a semi-structured interview that included questions on the
meaning, causes and sources of happiness. The verbatim transcriptions were analysed through the thematic analysis
method. Five themes were identified: dissimilar conceptualizations of happiness, differences in the inclination towards
happiness, dissimilar loci of happiness, differences in the temporal quality, and the sources of happiness. The extraverts
were more inclined towards short-lived and dynamic nature of happiness whereas permanency, meaningfulness, and
stability pervaded in the meaning of happiness of the introverts. The introverts value internal and achieved sources
whereas external and ascribed sources of happiness find expressions in extraverts. For introverts, happiness originated
from individual activities whereas interpersonal activities caused happiness in extraverts. These differences may be due
to their dissimilar conceptualizations and sources of happiness.

El estudio exploró los mecanismos detrás de las diferencias en la felicidad percibida de los introvertidos y extrovertidos. Utilizando un diseño de investigación cualitativo, se eligieron 22 introvertidos y 27 extrovertidos a través de sus puntajes en el cuestionario de personalidad de Eysenck revisado. Los datos fueron recolectados a través de una entrevista semiestructurada que incluyó preguntas sobre el significado, las causas y las fuentes de la felicidad. Las transcripciones textuales fueron analizadas a través del análisis temático. Se generaron cinco temas: disímiles conceptualizaciones de la felicidad, diferencias en la inclinación hacia la felicidad, disímiles loci de la felicidad y diferencias en las fuentes de la felicidad. Los extrovertidos estaban más inclinados hacia la naturaleza dinámica y de corta duración de la felicidad, mientras que la permanencia, el significado y la estabilidad impregnaban el significado de la felicidad de los introvertidos. Los introvertidos valoran las fuentes internas y logradas, mientras que las fuentes externas y atribuidas de felicidad encuentran expresión en los extrovertidos. Tanto los introvertidos como los extrovertidos informaron felicidad percibida que sugería fuentes y mecanismos diferentes. Estas diferencias pueden deberse a sus diferentes conceptualizaciones y fuentes de felicidad.

References

Argyle, M., Martin, M., & Crossland, J. (1989). Happiness as a Function of Personality and Social Encounters. In J. P. Forgas, & J. M. Innes (Eds.), Recent Advances in Social Psychology: An International Perspective (pp. 189-247). Elsevier Science Publishers B. V.

Ashton, M. C., Lee, K., & Paunonen, S. V. (2002). What is the central feature of extraversion? Social attention versus reward sensitivity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83(1), 245–252. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.83.1.245

Barbour, R. S. (2001). Checklists for improving rigour in qualitative research: A case of the tail wagging the dog? BMJ, 322(7294), 1115-1117. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.322.7294.1115

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2016). (Mis)conceptualising themes, thematic analysis, and other problems with Fugard and Potts’ (2015) sample-size tool for thematic analysis. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 19(6), 739–743. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2016.1195588

Chamorro-Premuzic, T., Bennett, E., & Furnham, A. (2007). The happy personality: Mediational role of trait emotional intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences, 42(8), 1633-1639. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2006.10.029

Cloninger, S. C. (2013). Theories of personality: Understanding persons (6th ed). Pearson Education.

Corr, P. J. (2008). The reinforcement sensitivity theory. In P. J. Corr (Ed.), The reinforcement sensitivity theory of personality (First, pp. 347-376). Cambridge University Press.

Costa, P. T., & McCrae, R. R. (1980). Influence of extraversion and neuroticism on subjective well-being: Happy and unhappy people. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 38(4), 668-678. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.38.4.668

Costa, P. T., & Mccrae, R. R. (1998). Trait Theories of Personality. In D. F. Barone, M. Hersen, & V. B. Van Hasselt (Eds.), Advanced Personality (pp. 103–121). Springer US. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8580-4_5

Creswell, J. W. (2004). Designing A Mixed Methods Study In Primary Care. The Annals of Family Medicine, 2(1), 7-12. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.104

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed). SAGE Publications.

DeNeve, K. M., & Cooper, H. (1998). The happy personality: A meta-analysis of 137 personality traits and subjective well-being. Psychological Bulletin, 124(2), 197-229. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.124.2.197

Eysenck, H. J., & Kelly, B. N. (1983). I do: Your guide to a happy marriage. J. Wiley & Sons Canada.

Fishman, I., Ng, R., & Bellugi, U. (2011). Do extraverts process social stimuli differently from introverts? Cognitive Neuroscience, 2(2), 67–73. https://doi.org/10.1080/17588928.2010.527434

Fleeson, W., & Jayawickreme, E. (2015). Whole Trait Theory. Journal of Research in Personality, 56, 82–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2014.10.009

Furnham, A. (1981). Personality and activity preference. British Journal of Social Psychology, 20(1), 57-68. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8309.1981.tb00474.x

Furnham, A., & Petrides, K. V. (2003). Trait emotional intelligence and happiness. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 31(8), 815-823. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2003.31.8.815

Guest, G., MacQueen, K. M., & Namey, E. E. (2012). Applied thematic analysis. Sage Publications.

Hills, P., & Argyle, M. (2001). Happiness, introversion-extraversion and happy introverts. Personality and Individual Differences, 30(4), 595-608. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(00)00058-1

Kirkpatrick, B. L. (2015). Personality and Happiness. Undergraduate Honors Theses, 28.

Levitt, H. M., Bamberg, M., Creswell, J. W., Frost, D. M., Josselson, R., & Suárez-Orozco, C. (2018). Journal article reporting standards for qualitative primary, qualitative meta-analytic, and mixed methods research in psychology: The APA Publications and Communications Board task force report. American Psychologist, 73(1), 26–46. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000151

Levitt, H. M., Motulsky, S. L., Wertz, F. J., Morrow, S. L., & Ponterotto, J. G. (2017). Recommendations for designing and reviewing qualitative research in psychology: Promoting methodological integrity. Qualitative Psychology, 4(1), 2–22. https://doi.org/10.1037/qup0000082

Lu, L., Shih, J. B., Lin, Y. Y., & Ju, L. S. (1997). Personal and environmental correlates of happiness. Personality and Individual Differences, 23(3), 453-462. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(97)80011-6

Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K. M., & Schkade, D. (2005). Pursuing Happiness: The Architecture of Sustainable Change. Review of General Psychology, 9(2), 111-131. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.9.2.111

McCrae, R. R., & Costa, P. T. (1987). Validation of the five-factor model of personality across instruments and observers. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52(1), 81-90. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.52.1.81

Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research & evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice (Fourth edition). SAGE Publications, Inc.

Saunders, B., Sim, J., Kingstone, T., Baker, S., Waterfield, J., Bartlam, B., Burroughs, H., & Jinks, C. (2018). Saturation in qualitative research: Exploring its conceptualization and operationalization. Quality & Quantity, 52(4), 1893–1907. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-017-0574-8

Schmidt, S. J. (2016). Personality Diversity: Extrovert and Introvert Temperaments. Journal of Food Science Education, 15(3), 73–74. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4329.12091

Senf, K., & Liau, A. K. (2013). The Effects of Positive Interventions on Happiness and Depressive Symptoms, with an Examination of Personality as a Moderator. Journal of Happiness Studies, 14(2), 591-612. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-012-9344-4

Sosnowska, J., Kuppens, P., De Fruyt, F., & Hofmans, J. (2020). New Directions in the Conceptualization and Assessment of Personality-A Dynamic Systems Approach. European Journal of Personality, per.2233. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.2233

Tiwari, T., Singh, A., & Singh, I. (2009). The short-form revised Eysenck personality questionnaire: A Hindi edition (EPQRS-H). Industrial Psychiatry Journal, 18(1), 27. https://doi.org/10.4103/0972-6748.57854

How to Cite

APA

Tiwari, G. K., Pandey, R., Sharma, D. N., Parihar, P., Raj, R., Mudgal, S., Singh, A., Vishwakarma, S. & Singh, A. K. (2026). Dissimilar Mechanisms Underlie Perceived Happiness of the Introverts and Extraverts: A Thematic Analysis. Revista Colombiana de Psicología, 35(1), 63–78. https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v35n1.100672

ACM

[1]
Tiwari, G.K., Pandey, R., Sharma, D.N., Parihar, P., Raj, R., Mudgal, S., Singh, A., Vishwakarma, S. and Singh, A.K. 2026. Dissimilar Mechanisms Underlie Perceived Happiness of the Introverts and Extraverts: A Thematic Analysis. Revista Colombiana de Psicología. 35, 1 (Feb. 2026), 63–78. DOI:https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v35n1.100672.

ACS

(1)
Tiwari, G. K.; Pandey, R.; Sharma, D. N.; Parihar, P.; Raj, R.; Mudgal, S.; Singh, A.; Vishwakarma, S.; Singh, A. K. Dissimilar Mechanisms Underlie Perceived Happiness of the Introverts and Extraverts: A Thematic Analysis. Rev. colomb. psicol. 2026, 35, 63-78.

ABNT

TIWARI, G. K.; PANDEY, R.; SHARMA, D. N.; PARIHAR, P.; RAJ, R.; MUDGAL, S.; SINGH, A.; VISHWAKARMA, S.; SINGH, A. K. Dissimilar Mechanisms Underlie Perceived Happiness of the Introverts and Extraverts: A Thematic Analysis. Revista Colombiana de Psicología, [S. l.], v. 35, n. 1, p. 63–78, 2026. DOI: 10.15446/rcp.v35n1.100672. Disponível em: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/psicologia/article/view/100672. Acesso em: 21 feb. 2026.

Chicago

Tiwari, Gyanesh Kumar, Rakesh Pandey, Devaki Nandan Sharma, Priyanka Parihar, Ritu Raj, Sujata Mudgal, Abhilash Singh, Sharda Vishwakarma, and Ajit Kumar Singh. 2026. “Dissimilar Mechanisms Underlie Perceived Happiness of the Introverts and Extraverts: A Thematic Analysis”. Revista Colombiana De Psicología 35 (1):63-78. https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v35n1.100672.

Harvard

Tiwari, G. K., Pandey, R., Sharma, D. N., Parihar, P., Raj, R., Mudgal, S., Singh, A., Vishwakarma, S. and Singh, A. K. (2026) “Dissimilar Mechanisms Underlie Perceived Happiness of the Introverts and Extraverts: A Thematic Analysis”, Revista Colombiana de Psicología, 35(1), pp. 63–78. doi: 10.15446/rcp.v35n1.100672.

IEEE

[1]
G. K. Tiwari, “Dissimilar Mechanisms Underlie Perceived Happiness of the Introverts and Extraverts: A Thematic Analysis”, Rev. colomb. psicol., vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 63–78, Feb. 2026.

MLA

Tiwari, G. K., R. Pandey, D. N. Sharma, P. Parihar, R. Raj, S. Mudgal, A. Singh, S. Vishwakarma, and A. K. Singh. “Dissimilar Mechanisms Underlie Perceived Happiness of the Introverts and Extraverts: A Thematic Analysis”. Revista Colombiana de Psicología, vol. 35, no. 1, Feb. 2026, pp. 63-78, doi:10.15446/rcp.v35n1.100672.

Turabian

Tiwari, Gyanesh Kumar, Rakesh Pandey, Devaki Nandan Sharma, Priyanka Parihar, Ritu Raj, Sujata Mudgal, Abhilash Singh, Sharda Vishwakarma, and Ajit Kumar Singh. “Dissimilar Mechanisms Underlie Perceived Happiness of the Introverts and Extraverts: A Thematic Analysis”. Revista Colombiana de Psicología 35, no. 1 (February 12, 2026): 63–78. Accessed February 21, 2026. https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/psicologia/article/view/100672.

Vancouver

1.
Tiwari GK, Pandey R, Sharma DN, Parihar P, Raj R, Mudgal S, Singh A, Vishwakarma S, Singh AK. Dissimilar Mechanisms Underlie Perceived Happiness of the Introverts and Extraverts: A Thematic Analysis. Rev. colomb. psicol. [Internet]. 2026 Feb. 12 [cited 2026 Feb. 21];35(1):63-78. Available from: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/psicologia/article/view/100672

Download Citation

CrossRef Cited-by

CrossRef citations0

Dimensions

PlumX

Article abstract page views

218

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.