Putting personality in social context: extraversion, emergent leadership, and the availability of rewards

Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2003 Dec;29(12):1547-59. doi: 10.1177/0146167203256920.

Abstract

The present research tested relations between extraversion and emergent leadership among men in situations that differed in potential reward availability. Four-person groups of men engaged in a Leaderless Group Discussion (LGD) task and were randomly assigned to be evaluated by an attractive female observer, an attractive male observer, or not be evaluated. Evolutionary theories suggest that impressing a female evaluator in an intrasexually competitive situation should hold greater reward potential for men than impressing either a male evaluator or no evaluator. Accordingly, more extraverted men (who are more sensitive to reward cues) should display more group leadership when being evaluated by a woman than either a man or no one. Self-and peer ratings confirmed that more extraverted men were significantly more likely to emerge as leaders, but only in the female-evaluator condition. The results are discussed in terms of the interplay between personality, situational factors, and evolutionary principles.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Competitive Behavior
  • Extraversion, Psychological*
  • Female
  • Gender Identity
  • Humans
  • Leadership*
  • Male
  • Motivation
  • Personality Inventory
  • Personality*
  • Reward*
  • Self Concept
  • Social Environment
  • Social Identification
  • Social Support*
  • Students / psychology