engleski

Extraversion and audiomotor reflex

This report deals with the relationship between extraversion and unconditioned reflex reaction to sound—the audiomotor reflex (AMR). Audiomotor reflex is the motor reflex reaction to a short, intense sound stimulus, appearing at skeletal muscles. It is most obvious in the muscles of eyelids and face. Since the reflex arc of the AMR reaches the mesencephalic level, AMR is proposed as an indicator of subcortical arousal. On the basis of Eysenck's theory of extraversion, an investigation of AMR m.orbicularis oculi was carried out on 12 extraverts, 12 ambiverts and 12 introverts. The groups were obtained by selection based on the EPI questionnaire (A form). Stimulation was done by means of tone intensity of 100 dB, frequency 1000 Hz, duration of 100 msec, binaurally. Reflex response from the AMR m.orbicularis oculi was detected by electromyograph. A statistically significant difference was obtained for the intensity of reflex reaction between introverts and the other two groups (extraverts and ambiverts), which did not differ among themselves, at the 0.01 level. The difference was in the predicted direction, introverts showing the highest reflex response amplitude on the average. Results show that AMR amplitude increases with increasing degree of introversion. This was interpreted as a higher subcortical electrophysiological arousal in introverts.

extraversion ; personality ; audiomotor reflex

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