Abstract :
Extraversion is always linked to outgoing and enjoyable characteristics, but its ‘hidden" side, i.e., art preference, is unexplained and undocumented. This study aims to investigate the cognitive responses of extraverts to abstract and non-abstract images in comparison to non-extraverts. A total of 28 participants (N = 14 extraverts) from Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia were invited to take part in the Event Related Potential (ERP) experiment that was held in the Neuroscience Laboratory at Universiti Sains Malaysia. In the odd-ball paradigm, the visual stimulus of abstract, non-abstract, and neutral images was presented to participants. The P300 latency at the central parietal region (Pz) showed a significant interaction effect between extraversion level and type of visual stimulus. Extraverts had faster cognitive responses to non-abstract images as compared to non-extraverts. However, no difference was seen for abstract images between extravert and non-extravert. This finding revisits the Eysenck Theory of Extraversion in visual art perception and indicates an implication for therapeutic interventions such as art-therapy.
