DEFINITION:
The term “introversion” refers to a personality trait characterized by anxiety in social situations and aversion to social interaction.
In behavioral terms, introversion manifests in a variety of ways, such as reflectiveness, taciturnity, social reserve, stimulation-avoidance, preference for working alone (rather than as a member of a team), and aversion to being the center of attention.
In present professional usage, the term is used as part of a dual concept, along with the term “extraversion” (see Glossary entry, extraversion). The two terms are conceived of as opposite poles of a continuum representing the mental trait of sociability.
ETYMOLOGY:
The term “introversion” (as well as “extraversion”) was introduced into the medical literature by the Swiss psychiatrist Carl G. Jung (1875–1961) in his book Psychologische Typen [Psychological Types], published in 1921.
The English noun “introversion” is taken over directly from Jung’s German term, Introversion.
In English, as in German, “introversion” consists of two elements, namely, the prefix “intro-“ and the noun “version.” The etymology of the first element is as follows:
The English prefix “intro-,” as well as related adjectival, nominal, and adverbial forms, are all attested from around the turn of the nineteenth century. They all ultimately derive, via Middle French and Medieval Latin, from the Classical Latin adjective externus, meaning “outside” or “external.”
For the etymology of the second element, the noun “version,” see the Glossary entry, extraversion.
DISCUSSION:
Although the term “introversion” (like “extraversion”) originates in the work of Carl Jung, its present meaning has been heavily influenced by the theoretical use ascribed to it by the German-born, British psychologist Hans Eysenck (1916–1997) in his 1947 book Dimensions of Personality.
For further discussion of Eysenck’s contribution to our contemporary understanding of introversion, see the Glossary entry, extraversion.