Extraversion or Introversion
Which one do you Prefer?
What gets you
ENERGIZED?
Does the person in the picture at the
right prefer Extraversion or Introversion? As you
think about it, concentrate on how he gets his
energy.
Extraverts are drawn to people, events,
and activities—the world outside their heads. If
they try to do something alone, they may feel
only half-alive. One Extravert said, “I’d rather
talk to a chair than just sit by myself.”
What about the person on the left?
Introverted or Extraverted? Introverts get energy
by connecting with their own thoughts, feelings,
ideas, and awareness—their inner world. They
like doing things by themselves. And after highenergy times—like a day at school—they may
crawl for their rooms, headphones, CDs, or
hobby purchase.
Think through movie characters. Who might have a preference for
Introversion? Write one of the characters you think of in the blank below:
________________________________________________
Justify your idea. What did that character do that makes you think he or she
might prefer Introversion? Write your reason below so you’re ready to talk
about it.
Extraversion or Introversion isn’t about shyness: Shy people can still be
Extraverts who like the outer world of people and action. They just may want
more of the same people and familiar faces.
Extraversion and Introversion aren’t about who is most popular, either.
Introverts can still have lots of friends—they just need more space and more
time on their own. Both are great ways to be!
What do I need
at school?
You’ve learned that students who prefer Extraversion
• Think best when they can talk
• Need action and interaction to get ideas in their heads
• Like to say what they’re thinking
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• Might want to talk with a teacher or friend to check out whether
they’re doing an assignment the right way
• Think working in a group is more fun than working alone.
Students who prefer Introversion:
• Think best when there’s some silent time
• Need to reflect or make a few notes to get thoughts into their heads
• Like to think about what they’re going to say before they speak
• Might want to look at an example or check their own work to see if
they’re doing an assignment the right way
• Would often rather work alone or with one other person than in a
group.
What does my
brain need?
BUT…
Each of us has Extroverted and Introverted
sides to our personalities. And we need to use both
sides to learn!
That picture to the right? Those are brain
neurons with dendrites. Neurons send signals.
Dendrites are little fibers that grow out of the neurons
in your brain. The more dendrites your neurons have,
the better the signals are and the easier it is for your
brain to process information. The little neurons under
“A” in the picture aren’t developed very well yet. The ones under “B” have lots
of dendrites, letting more, and stronger, signals fire through the brain.
So how do you get those dendrites growing? You need to do two things:
1. Get new information into your brain. Some of it will come from
books and from things you think up on your own—your Introverted
side. But a lot of new information comes from the outside world—
information from your teachers, the opinions and ideas of other
students, science experiment results, watching movies—your
Extraverted side. Whether you prefer Extraversion or Introversion,
you need Extraverted time to expand what you know.
2. You need to reflect on that new information. Some of this happens
in class discussions using Accountable Talk or through hands-on
experiments, when you try something and then make adjustments—
your Extraverted side. However, dendrites actually grow best when
you’re quiet. You need time away from noise, talk, and discussion
to strengthen those “neural connections.” Dendrites grow best
when you’re making meaning of what you learned through drawing
or writing about it, thinking about it, or quietly working to connect it
with something else you know. Whether you prefer Extraversion or
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Introversion, you need Introverted time to make meaning of what
you’ve learned—and to retain it!
At school, which learning activities use your Extraverted side? Which
use your Introverted side? Make some notes below so you can remember your
ideas for the class discussion.
What do other
students say
about
Extraversion
and
Introversion?
Students often journal about what they’ve learned about their
preference for Extraversion and Introversion. The activity uses their
Introverted side so they can make meaning of the information. Here are some
samples from other students.
I am an Extravert because I have more than one friend and I can’t pick just
one. I like having more than on e thing going on. I like to do my homework
where people will be. I like to do things with all my friends, just not one. At
my birthday party there never can be too many people. I love to talk. When I
get an idea I say it. I get bored if I spend time by myself.
I think that I’m an Extravert because I enjoy coming to school in the
morning and can’t wait to see people (especially my friends and teachers). I
also love field trips because there are tons of people you can see and not
just the students, but the teachers, parents, and the people running or
monitoring whatever the place is.
I am an Introvert because I feel more energized when I am in my room. I go
crazy when I am in a place with lots of people. I only keep my thoughts inside
my head, instead of blurting it out. I have only six best best friends. I feel
fine doing things by myself. Noise distracts me. I like to skateboard or bike
ride alone. It is hard for me to talk to lots of people. I feel comfortable
sitting with my close friend and not with lots of people.
I am an Introvert because usually after school I want to be alone because I
was with people all day and it drives me crazy if 12 people talk to me at once
and I have to do 12 things at once. Sometimes when I’m around tons of
people, I start having a headache and I even get mad at my friends! Also if
even just a few people talk to me all the time I get a little frustrated.
What about
you?
On the back of this page, use your Introverted side to journal about
which preference describes you best. Use examples similar to those you read
in the journal entries from other students.
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Sensing or Intuition:
Which One Do You Prefer?
What
INFORMATION
grabs your
attention??
Consider the picture on
the right. What do you see?
When you look at
pictures, you’re taking in
information, but people don’t
notice the same information
even when they’re looking at
the same picture, do they!
When
we’re
taking
in
information, type theory says
that people pay attention to two
very
different
kinds
of
information.
Those who prefer Sensing first notice what is—what their five senses
can gather or what they’ve experienced in the past. If asked, “What do you
see in this picture?” they usually talk about elements in this picture—the
ladder, barrel, knife, harp, and so on. Those who prefer Intuition first notice
what could be—hunches, connections or ideas fueled by their imaginations.
They usually name a theme for the picture such as chaos, doom, a crazy
dream—or they start to weave it into a story, “Once upon a time…”
Just as all of us can eventually pick out both images in the pictures
above, we can also all use Sensing and Intuition. Gazing at the above picture,
Sensing types will start to put the pieces together and venture to name a
theme. And, Intuitive types will use details from the painting to support their
interpretation. But, one of the ways to perceive is easier and more natural.
What
INFORMATION
do you need
for school??
At school, you’re constantly taking in information, whether you’re
reading, listening to a teacher, taking part in class discussions, looking at
maps, or doing a science experiment. Your preference for Sensing or Intuition
influences what you pay attention to first, but everyone can use both
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preferences, just as you could find both images in the optical illusions above
once you knew they were there.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Think about
how you learn
best
Every student needs to use the Sensing preference to:
Note details in texts and hands-on projects
Understand and follow directions
Be accurate in math, science experiments, and writing
Memorize facts in any subject
Learn from past experiences and reality—what is happening now?
Put things in order—sequence events or the steps in a project or the
value of numbers.
Every student also needs to be able to use the Intuitive preference to:
Make connections among the things they’re learning
Be innovative—come up with new ideas for stories or experiments or
approaching a math problem
Using their imaginations. How could the world be different? What might
the future be like?
Understand big concepts and theories
Form hypotheses and come up with ways to test them
Synthesize information from many sources to form new ideas.
When you look at the lists above, which activities are you confident
that you can do well? Take a look at the activities below. The ones on the left
are more Sensing. The ones on the right are more Intuitive.
Add -2 + 4 + -7
Give three different integers whose sum
is -5.
Write about what it would be like to dig a
hole in the movie Holes. What would you
see, hear, taste, touch and smell as you
dig?
Imagine yourself as a character in the movie
Holes. Write out a conversation between
you and your parole officer that explains
your opinion of Camp Green Lake.
Which ones would you choose to do first? Circle your choices.
What questions would you have about the other assignments? Write
your questions below:
Of course, every student can do both kinds of assignments. Intuitive
students need to concentrate on details and directions when they need to use
their Sensing side. Sensing students might need strategies for brainstorming
or might wish to check their hunches with a teacher or classmate to know
they’re on the right track when they need to use their Sensing side.
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Practice: Using
Sensing and
Intuition
Let’s practice how this might work. Below are the first few
paragraphs of a book. Your assignment: Decide whether the narrator is
more Sensing or Intuitive. How will you do that?
• If you prefer Sensing, first read through the checklist below. Then
as you read the passage, look for examples in which the narrator
fits the items in the checklist. For example, do you see evidence
that the narrator approaches things step by step or more
randomly?






SENSING
Likes facts and concrete things
Experience first
Sees the trees—details
Wants clear expectations
Step-by-step learning
Practical, common sense






INTUITION
Likes ideas & imagination
Explanation first
Sees the forest—big ideas
Wants room to roam
Random learning
New insights
• If you prefer Intuition, first read the passage. What’s your hunch?
Is the narrator more Sensing or Intuitive? Then go back through
the passage to find evidence that supports your hunch.
I never thought I would save the world—or die saving it. I never believed in
angels or miracles either, and I sure didn’t think of myself as a hero. Nobody
would have, including you, if you had known me before I took the world’s most
powerful weapon and let it fall into the hands of a lunatic. Maybe after you hear
my story you won’t think I’m much of a hero anyway, since most of my heroics (if
you want to call them that) resulted from my being a screwup. A lot of people
died because of me—including me—but I guess I’m getting ahead of myself and
I’d better start from the beginning.
It began with my uncle Farrell wanting to be rich. He never had much money
growing up and, but the time Mr. Arthur Myers came along with his once-in-alifetime deal, my uncle was forty years old and sick of being poor. Being poor isn’t
one of those things you get used to, even if being poor is all you’ve ever been. So
when Mr. Myers flashed the cash, all other considerations—like if any of it was
legal, for instance—were forgotten. Of course, Uncle Farrell had no way of
knowing who Mr. Arthur Myers actually was, or that his name wasn’t even Arthur
Myers.
But I’m getting ahead of myself again. Maybe I should just start with me.
(The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp, Rick Yancey, pp. 1-2)
Do you think the narrator is more Sensing or Intuitive? Know that
there isn’t a right or a wrong answer. The text doesn’t tell you for sure.
Instead, you have to make inferences and use what you’ve learned about
Sensing and Intuition. On the next page, write at least three reasons that
support your choice and the evidence from the text that supports your
reason. Be ready to explain your reasons during the class discussion.
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I think the narrator prefers ___________________ because



Which do you
prefer?
Sensing or
Intuition?
Now what about you? Do you prefer Sensing or Intuition? Give
evidence from your own life—examples, not just the phrases from the
checklist, that support your reason.
I think that I prefer ___________________ because



And remember, school success doesn’t depend on which preferences
you have, but on:
• Understanding how you learn
• Knowing when to ask for strategies that will help you complete tasks
that are less natural for you
• Using the right preferences to do the best work on each assignment!
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Thinking or Feeling:
How Do You Make Decisions?
Which do you
prefer?
Thinking or
Feeling?
Almost every second of your life you’re making decisions—what you’ll
wear to school, who you’ll sit with at lunch, when you’ll do your homework,
which movie you want to see next, and so on. Some decisions are more
important than others. And some affect not just you, but other people as well.
What if a referee based his calls on which players
he liked best? It wouldn’t be fair, would it? Basketball
referees need to use the Thinking preference and stick
to the rules of the game. People who prefer Thinking
make their decisions based on logic and principles.
Or, what if you chose the person you’ll marry by
flipping a coin? That wouldn’t be very smart, would it?
Most people use their Feeling function to decide who
they’ll date, even if they really prefer Thinking. People
who prefer Feeling make decisions by stepping into the
shoes of people who will be affected and considering
values. You can use both Thinking and Feeling, but
knowing your preference for making decisions is key to
making good decisions.
Let’s say you’re trying to decide whether to go out
for a team. It could be a football, cheerleading, debate,
or math team. If you prefer Thinking, you might ask yourself questions like,
• Am I good enough to make the team? Thinking types like to be good at
what they do.
• Is the coach good? Thinking types want to learn from experts.
• Is the team good? Will we win? Thinking types tend to like to hang out
with people who are as skilled as they are.
• If I don’t play, will that blow my chances for next year? Thinking types
often think about precedents and patterns.
If you prefer Feeling and are trying to decide whether to go out for a
team, you might ask yourself questions such as,
• Will my friends be playing? Feeling types like to do things with their
friends and may not care about who is and isn’t good at something.
• Will it be fun? Feeling types don’t care about winning as much as
Thinking types. They want to have a good time.
• Will everyone get along? Feeling types like harmony and don’t enjoy
teams where players use put-downs.
• Will the coach like me? Feeling types do their best when they know a
coach likes them.
Which set of questions is most like the ones that run through your
mind? Knowing whether you prefer Thinking or Feeling helps you make the
best decisions because sometimes choices are messy. For example, what if
you prefer Thinking and the coach is good but a lot of the best players
graduated? The team may lose a few games, or maybe lose a lot of games! Do
you still want to play?
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Or what if you prefer Feeling and none of your friends want to join the
team but it’s your favorite activity? Do you try to make new friends instead of
quitting altogether? You might have to use your values to sort out what is
most important in this case: getting a chance to be on a team or getting better
at your favorite activity?
Decisions Go
to the Movies…
Some decisions are so important that all of us need to use both
Thinking and Feeling questions and ideas to decide wisely. Using only Thinking
or only Feeling reasons can cause trouble.
For example, in the movie The Empire Strikes Back, Luke Skywalker
promises that he’ll finish Jedi Knight training with Yoda the Jedi Master. Luke
is sure he’s not a quitter. Then he finds out that Darth Vader has captured his
friends and is torturing them. He immediately quits his Jedi training and goes
to rescue his friends. He makes his decision through his preference for
Feeling. His values drive him to save his friends. If he’d had a preference for
Thinking, he might have been driven by logic and thought to himself:
I’m the last hope of the Rebellion. If I don’t finish my training, then it
would be easier for the Emperor to turn me to the Dark Side.
Therefore, I will finish my training and then save my friends. I’ll be
stronger and more likely to succeed. If I go now, the Emperor will
probably capture me as well. “Yoda, how fast can we finish?”
Was Luke wrong to rescue his friends? Maybe not. It all worked out,
but barely!
Think of another book or movie where a main
character had to make a decision and answer the
questions below. Remember to record how you justify your
answer so you’re ready for the class discussion. For
example, you might write,
Character:
Harry Potter
Decision:
Claiming the Triwizard Cup for
himself or sharing it with
Cedric Diggory.
Thinking or Feeling: Harry made this decision
through Feeling. Even though he’d won, according
to the contest rules, he wanted Cedric to share
the victory because they’d helped each other. If
Harry preferred Thinking, he’d have been more
likely to stick to the rules.
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Now it’s your turn.
Book or movie character: _____________________________
What decision did he or she have to make?
Did the character use the Thinking or Feeling function to make the
decision? Or both? Give your reasons and be ready to share your ideas with
the class.
Now take a moment to think about a decision you’ve made—a pretty
important decision. Do you think you used Thinking or Feeling? Write your
answer below in at least two paragraphs. Here’s an example.
Thinking About
Your Own
Decisions!
Last week, one of my friends wanted to borrow my iPod Shuffle,
saying, “I have to rake leaves at my Grandma’s house and I need
music. Pleeeze—I’ll return it right after!”
I used Feeling and let the friend borrow it because I thought it’d make
her feel good. If I’d used Thinking, I’d have thought about the last time
I loaned her something, my jacket. When she gave it back it had a big
smudge on it. My mom had to scrub forever to get it out. Now that I
realize I’m a Feeling type I’m going to be more careful when my friends
ask to borrow my stuff.
Write your own in the space below and on the back of this sheet.
Remember, Thinking and Feeling are both great ways to make decisions, but
sometimes we need to use a little bit of Thinking and a little bit of Feeling to
make wise choices.
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Judging or Perceiving:
How Do You Approach Life?
Work? Play?
Which comes
first for you?
Imagine that it’s a Saturday and you’re out of
bed before 9 because of all the noise on your street
this morning. You know you
have to clean up your room
and fold laundry before
supper
or
you’ll
be
grounded. Other than that
the day is yours. What will
you do?
If
you
prefer
Judging, you like to plan
your work and work your
plan. Maybe you’ll do your
chores right away so you’re free to play. Nothing to
worry about. Or, you might decide, “I’ll call my
friends first and find out when they can hang out.
Once I know that, I can figure out when I need to
clean my room.” Remember, Judging types
Organize their time so they can do everything they want to do.
Like to do their work before play. That way, they feel free.
Work at a steady pace so they can finish.
Like schedules and/or lists so they feel in control of their time.
Enjoy finishing. Then they can relax—or move on to the next
thing on their list.
If you prefer Perceiving, you like to go with the flow. You may not
have any plan for Saturday. Instead, you might look around your room,
wondering where to start. Perhaps you spot your PS2 and decide to play. Or,
your cell phone rings and when you finish that call, making another seems like
a good idea. Pretty soon it’s noon and you haven’t really done anything. But,
it’s been a great morning. Remember, Perceiving types
Like to stay flexible—schedules make them worry that they’ll miss
something.
Play and work at the same time. They might pick up a few things in
their room, read part of a magazine, clear up papers on the floor,
then play a game…
Often work best at the last minute—they’ll dash back from a friend’s
house to finish folding laundry right before supper.
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Often make spur-of-the-moment plans. They’re usually available
when a friend calls because they don’t have plans yet.
Enjoy starting. They may get half their room clean and then head out
to play instead of finishing right away.
The “Dark
Side” of How
You Approach
Life
Which sounds more like you? Sometimes it’s hard to tell because the
adults in your life may have rules like, “You can’t go outside until I say your
room is clean.” However, which feels more natural to you: Knowing ahead of
time what you might do on Saturday? Or waiting until you see what the
weather’s like or how you feel before making plans with a friend? Judging
types want to decide. Perceiving types want to stay open.
Both are great ways to approach life. Both approaches also have a
dark side.
Yes, Judging types get things done on time, or even early. But
sometimes they rush through their work and don’t do a good job. Or, they
make a choice too fast and don’t consider enough options. Maybe they buy a
new CD at the first store that has it. Then they find it on sale at another store
in the same mall.
On major decisions, rushing
can create even bigger problems. Back
in 1986, some engineers at NASA
wondered if perhaps it was too cold to
launch the space shuttle Challenger
one January day. Other people said,
“It’ll be fine. Let’s follow the schedule.”
Seventy-three seconds into the flight,
the Challenger exploded and all seven
astronauts were killed, including
Christa McAuliffe, an elementary
school teacher.
Perceiving types may naturally avoid many of these kinds of problems
with their natural flexibility, but they, too, can run into trouble. Even if they do
their best work at the last minute, sometimes they start too late and miss
deadlines. Being late with homework may mean not getting full credit. Being
late to work may mean getting fired or losing pay. For example, NBA teams
often fine players if they’re late to training camp. Yao Ming of the Houston
Rockets had to pay a fine even though he was late so he could be part of the
Special Olympics opening ceremony. Being on time counts!
Remember, though, that Judging and Perceiving isn’t just about being
early or late. Perceiving is also about staying open long enough to find out
what you need to know to make good choices—getting more perceptions.
Judging is also about making those decisions soon enough that you can be
responsible—coming to closure or judgment. And, all of us can use both
preferences.
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Judging or
Perceiving on
Vacation
Here’s another example of how someone
approaches life. As you read this excerpt from The
Watson’s Go to Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul
Curtis, think about whether the character Momma prefers
Judging or Perceiving. Her family is driving to Birmingham,
Alabama.
We weren’t even on the expressway before Momma started
reading out of her notebook telling us everything that was planned
for the next three days.
“Day One, today. We leave Flint and drive for three
hundred miles in about five or five and a half hours, that will take us to Cincinnati…
“Day Two, tomorrow…we rise and shine real early in the morning and drive for two
hundred and fifty miles in about five or six hours. That should put us right outside of
Knoxville, Tennessee. Mr. Johnson says that there are some clean, safe rest stops there so
we can spend the night in the car. If that’s true we’ll stay there, if not we’ll have to see if we
can find a motel room in Knoxville…”
Momma had everything planned about the trip, everything! Where we’d eat, when we’d
eat, who got baloney sandwiches on Day One, who got tuna fish on Day Two, who got
peanut butter and jelly on Day Three. She’d figured out how long we could hold ourselves
between going to the bathroom, how much money we’d spend on hamburgers, how much was
for any emergencies, everything. She’d figured out who’d get the windows on each day and
who was responsible for keeping paper and junk from piling up in the car.
(pages 131-132)
Do you think Momma is more Judging or Perceiving? _______________
List 3 things that would be good about traveling with Momma and give
your reasons:
•
•
•
List 3 things that might annoy you about traveling with Momma and
give your reasons:
•
•
•
Again, both ways of approaching life are great. Learn which way you
prefer so you can make the most of each day.
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