Are all techies, such as laboratory staff, introverts? According to NATA Senior Learning & Development Trainer, Alasdair Stark, the answer is a clear no because there are often as many extroverts as introverts.
Stark spoke about the stereotype during his presentation at Accreditation Matters 2024, where he shared his observations from his many years of training staff from different laboratories.
“We often talk about people who come on our courses as being introverts, and people on our courses also often say they are introverts,” he said. “However, when they self-assess, it turns out that very often they are not.”
Stark said this type of thinking is often the result of assumptions, generalisations, misconceptions, and even myths around the subject.
An even split
Data from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality assessment tool, which categorises people into types based on their preferences, has actually found that there are just as many introverted people as extroverted.
When MBTI was used to survey librarians, which are often stereotyped as being introverted, it was found that there were almost as many extroverts as introverts.
“The introverts liked the solitude, independence, and quiet of the library,” Stark said. “The extroverts thought it was a great place to meet, interact, and help different people every day.”
Therefore, Stark said it is important to not make assumptions and impose those lables on people just because of “what you might think or the role that they carry out.”
“It is also worthwhile not to adopt the lable for yourself,” he said. “Instead, consider whether that is really you or just a label which is convenient for what you do more than who you are.”
For furthers insights by Stark into the topic, view the full recording of his presentation.