Friedman and Schustack (2016) explained that Eysenck acknowledged there were a few logical flaws arising when creating research and testing plans to validate the nervous-system-based temperament theory. The theory posits that extroverts have a lower level of brain arousal which results in them seeking more stimulation from social settings, while introverts have a higher level of brain arousal, or central nervous system arousal, thereby seek less stimulation and shy away from overly exciting social environments (Friedman & Schustack, 2016). It is difficult to derive conclusive empirical data to validate this as there have not been definitive ways to catalog and measure all human nervous arousals, or reactions to various stimuli.
Another important disadvantage of this theory is the nature of the human body – it is self-regulating and continuously adapting to internal and external stimuli (Derryberry & Rothbart, 1988; Friendman & Schustack, 2016). It works to continuously bring a person’s emotional and physical well-being in a constant balanced state. Balance can include the need to seek excitement and the need to seek solitude. For example, an introvert will not always hide away at home, they might carry on a normal life and recharge or rebalance themselves when they return home at the end of the day or when they go on short vacations away from society. An extrovert might be the exact opposite and would look to spend more time in busy social settings to recharge or rebalance themselves.
While medical technology is advancing rapidly, there remains no definitive measurement too or testing procedure which would allow us to accurately test biological differences to high versus low arousals. Further, how might researchers discriminate one type of arousal from another in the two sets of people? Would neurotransmitters behave differently in different social settings/ Researchers frequently disagree as to which dimension of temperament is most important to measure. For example, Eysenck focused on introversion/ extroversion and neuroticism, whereas Gray emphasized emotional aspects related to “arousal, attentional, and behavioral components (Derryberry & Rothbart,1988).”
References
Derryberry, D., & Rothbart, M. K. (1988). Arousal, affect, and attention as components of temperament. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 55(6), 958-966.
Friedman, H. S., & Schustack, M. W. (2016). Psychoanalytic Aspects of Personality. In Personality: Classic Theories and Modern Research (6th ed.). (pp. 106-107). Pearson.
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