This study examined how extraversion and shyness influence social interactions online versus face-to-face. The researchers hypothesized that extraverts would be liked more face-to-face, while shy people would be liked more online. Contrary to their hypotheses, both shy people and extraverts were disliked after face-to-face interactions and based on Facebook profiles. However, shy people reported feeling more comfortable self-presenting on Facebook through more open profiles.

1. Comparing Extraversion and Shyness
Online Versus Face-to-Face
Eulho Jung, John S. Kim, & Mark Snyder
University of Minnesota

2. • Although social interaction on the Internet has become increasingly
similar to real-world social interaction, the Internet is still a
fundamentally different social environment compared to real life.
• This study examines how personality characteristics might
differentially influence interactions in these two unique settings.
Why Extraversion and Shyness?
• Extraverts are better able to express themselves in face-to-face
settings, while introverts are better able to express themselves on
the Internet (Amichai-Hamburger, Wainapel, & Fox, 2002).
• Shy people report more social competence online (Stritzke,
Nguyen, & Durkin, 2004).

3. • This study will ultimately extend these findings by collecting
measures on how these individuals are actually judged by others,
both on Facebook and in real life.
• If extraverted people are more competent in face-to-face settings
and shy people are more competent on the Internet, then judgments
of these people based on face-to-face interactions and Facebook
profiles should reflect this difference.
Hypothesis
• Shy people should be disliked by interaction partners after a face-
to-face interaction, but liked by external raters making judgments
based on their Facebook profiles.
• We might see the reverse pattern for extraverts.

4. • 84 college students completed Big Five and shyness scales, plus the
extent to which people are getting to know them for “who they
really are” on Facebook and in real life.
• Then, they engaged in a face-to-face interaction with another
participant, after which they judged that person on likability.
• They also provided their Facebook profiles, from which their
likability was later judged by external raters.
Measures
• Big Five scale (35 items; Goldberg, 1992)
• Shyness Scale (13 items; Cheek & Buss, 1981)

5. Main findings
• After the face-to-face interaction, partners disliked shy people (r = -.27, p < .02) and
assumed they were disliked by their peers (r = -.34, p < .01).
• After the face-to-face interaction, extraversion did not influence likability (r = .18, p >
.10), but partners assumed that extraverted people were liked by their peers (r = .37, p <
.01)
• Interestingly, external raters also disliked shy people based on their Facebook profiles (r
= -.23, p < .05) and assumed that they were disliked by their peers (r = -.36, p < .01).
• Extraversion did not influence likability based on Facebook profiles (r = .13, p > .27) but
external raters assumed that extraverted people were liked by their peers (r = .28, p < .02)
Also…
• Extraverts feel like other people are getting to know them for who they are in face-to-face
interaction (r = .30, p < .01), while shy people feel the opposite (r = -.25, p < .02)
• This pattern disappeared on Facebook (r = .00, p > .98 for extraversion, r = -.09, p > .42
for shyness).
• Interestingly, shy people have more public settings on Facebook (r = .25, p < .03), while
this was not seen for extraverts (r = -.13, p > .26).

6. • Extraverts feel more comfortable in face-to-face social settings,
while shy people feel less comfortable. However, this difference
disappears when it comes to Facebook. Moreover, shy people are
more likely to open up their Facebook profiles to the public,
reflecting their increased comfort on the Internet.
• Contrary to our hypotheses, this increased comfort is not reflected
in actual judgments of likability!
– On Facebook or face-to-face, people disliked shy people and assumed that
they were disliked by their peers.
– On Facebook or face-to-face, people assumed that extraverted people were
liked by their peers.

7. • This study has obvious methodological limitations, mainly in that
different people provided likability ratings for face-to-face and
Facebook. Ideally, the same person would have done both ratings.
• Shy people may still benefit from Facebook. However, this benefit
may be more self-oriented.

8. • Amichai-Hamburger, Y., Wainapel, G., & Fox, S. (2002). “On the
Internet no one knows I’m an introvert”: Extroversion,
neuroticism, and Internet interaction. CyberPsychology &
Behavior, 5, 125-128.
• Cheek, J.M., & Buss, A.H. (1981). Shyness and sociability. Journal
of Personality and Social Psychology, 41, 330-339.
• Goldberg, L. (1992). The development of markers for the Big-Five
factor structure. Psychological Assessment, 4, 26-42.
• Stritzke, W., Nguyen, A., & Durkin, K. (2004). Shyness and
computer-mediated communication: A self-presentational
theory perspective. Media Psychology, 6, 1-22.