Introverts and Social Multitasking

Introverts and Social Multitasking

Reviewed by Faisal Zaidi

Introverts decoded nonverbal cues less accurately only when decoding was a secondary task.

What it is

Most earlier studies had found little link between extraversion and reading nonverbal cues. Lieberman and Rosenthal reported that introverts decoded cues less accurately than extraverts only when decoding had to share attention with another task, and linked the result to working memory and executive efficiency.

In effect

In the article on the difference between introverts and extroverts, it shows that a difference can depend on the demands of the moment.

What it does not say

It does not say that introverts read people poorly; the gap appeared only under divided attention.

Sources

  1. Lieberman, M. D., & Rosenthal, R. (2001). Why introverts can't always tell who likes them: Multitasking and nonverbal decoding. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80(2), 294-310.