introversion-extroversion

n. 1. A dimension of personality in which people who are shy, withdrawing, and tending to experience negative emotions are on one end, and active, socially engaging people who tend to experience more positive emotions are on the other end of the spectrum. 2. A dimension of a basic attitude toward life in which the individual finds meaning and a sense of direction in the inner world of thoughts and feelings, on one end of the spectrum, or an attitude in which the meaning and direction in life are discovered in the external world of things and actions. 3. A dimension of the excitability of the nervous system in which persons who react strongly to stimuli are at one end and those who are relatively unreactive are on the other end. Since stimuli affect introverted persons more, they seek to reduce stimulation level, while extroverted persons are less affected and seek more stimulation, so both maintain an inner level of stimulation at about the same level.