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Kids who grow up with the influence of outgoing parents, and parents who push their kids into more "extroversion" activities are more likely to become extroverts. More social opportunities at a young age usually shape the child into liking being around people, and they seek dopamine from it. But, when kids grow up in a quiet household, when they are rarely around people, they are more likely to become introverts. Not having positive social experiences in the little times they do see people will turn them off from socializing and they will find it hard to be around people. Also, when they see their parents rarely socializing with other people, introverted tendencies are normalized to them so they get used to being on their own.

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Growing up in a small suburb community where there are rarely social events will influence introversion because they will spend so much time alone, that they will need that constant alone time, which restricts how much they socialize. They will probably prefer to be in quiet settings because they find it more comforting to be by themselves.

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When kids are unwillingly pushed into too many social settings and have so many negative experiences, some sort of social anxiety will build inside the person. The level of social anxiety will obviously vary between each person, but it can get very severe where they will never go into social settings unless they are forced to go. This turns them more introverted, even if maybe they were more extroverted before because of the toll anxiety has on them.

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Everyone has certain set points in our brains which decipher how much social interaction you can do in a day with moderate comfortableness that are genetic. In this article, they describe set points in our brains really well because she compares them to a thermostat.

"You might program your thermostat to keep your house between 68 degrees and 74 degrees Fahrenheit. Within that range you’re comfortable and no climate control is needed. But if it gets too cold or too warm, the heater or AC kicks on and you have to spend energy to get back to the comfort zone.The brain works the same way. As an introvert you might want more social time one day and less another day, and as long as you’re within your “set points” you’re okay. But if the stimulation takes you beyond your upper set point—maybe by going to a big birthday party—we all know how drained you’re going to feel."

So, extroverts have very wide set points, and introverts have narrower set points. You can't decide what set points you are born with, it is just how your brain works.

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Are You Born an Introvert, or Do You Become One?

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Do people “learn” to be introverts as they grow up, or are we introverts from birth? In other words, what makes you an introvert — your genes, your upbringing, or some mix of both?

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Introversion is a personality trait with 50% genetic causation.

in a study done, they observed that the ABO B allele was the the likely cause of introversion in patients. The test showed higher scores for introversion tendencies in ABO AB compared to ABO O and other blood phenotypes. so, if you have that blood phenotype, there is a much higher chance you are an introvert.

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doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2021.110513.

Affiliation

¹ University of Tennessee, Chattanooga College of Medicine, 1751 Gunbarrel Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421, United States. Electronic address: Donna.Hobgood@erlanger.org.

doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2021.110513.

Affiliation

¹ University of Tennessee, Chattanooga College of Medicine, 1751 Gunbarrel Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421, United States. Electronic address: Donna.Hobgood@erlanger.org.

Abstract

Although personality is thought to be 50% heritable, consensus has not been reached about the specific genes involved, interest in genes affecting personality and behavior continues because of the linkage of personality traits with both physical and mental illness. One hundred and twenty years of study of the ABO blood types and the genes causing them has led to more precise assignment of genotype-phenotype linkage. Countries like Japan and Korea with 100 years history of study of ABO blood groups and personality as well as other countries have published research with no consensus. Introversion is a well-studied personality trait with 50% genetic causation. Dopamine system has been linked to the introversion-extroversion spectrum with high dopamine linked to introversion. Dopamine beta hydroxylase determines the ratio of dopamine to norepinephrine. Dopamine beta hydroxylase gene, DBH, is in linkage disequilibrium with ABO gene thus offering insight into the ABO findings related to personality traits. ABO blood groups have been studied with some but not all studies finding type AB associated with introversion. One explanation for the inconsistent replication of findings could be that genotypes would show more differences than phenotypes. ABO A allele, ABO B allele or the synergism of both alleles could be the driver of introversion trait in ABO AB. Patients in an obstetric gynecology practice appeared to demonstrate a tendancy to introversion in phenotype ABO B. Since we had access to ABO blood phenotypes instead of genotypes of our obstetric gynecology office patients, we hypothesized that phenotype ABO AB when compared with ABO O would be associated with higher introversion since these phenotypes were also genotypes and since ABO O unlike ABO AB is not found associated with introversion in extant research. Though ABO B allele was observed to be the likely cause of introversion in patients and since we had available only phenotypes of ABO to use in search of genetic allele that causes introversion trait, ABO AB needs to be dissected to see whether ABO A allele or ABO B allele is the driver of the introspective trait. Based on the literature and on observation, the hypothesis was that ABO B is the driver of introversion trait. A pilot student of 225 obstetric gynecology patients using the online NPA personality test showed higher scores for introversion tendancies in ABO AB compared to ABO O and when ABO AB was compared to ABO A. This supports ABO B as the driver of introversion tendancies in the ABO gene. Studies using ABO genotypes instead of ABO phenotypes should provide further support for this hypothesis. Given the support for introversion tendancies in personality caused by higher dopamine genetically with dopamine beta hydroxylase low activity and this dopamine state being common mechanism for such conditions as schizophrenia and autism, continued discoveries of genes that impact this state will lead to many health implications.

Keywords: ABO blood groups; Dopamine; Genotypes; Introversion traits; Neurologic diagnoses; Personality traits; Phenotypes.

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national center for biotechnology information

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ABO B gene is associated with introversion personality tendancies through linkage with dopamine beta hydroxylase gene - PubMed

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Although personality is thought to be 50% heritable, consensus has not been reached about the specific genes involved, interest in genes affecting personality and behavior continues because of the linkage of personality traits with both physical and mental illness. One hundred and twenty years of st ...

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Both depression and anxiety can be hereditary. It is most likely hereditary if you discover it an an age younger than 20. Both of these can make a person more introverted for many reasons:
- anxious to leave their house
- anxious about meeting and talking to new people
- too depressed to leave their house
- sometimes the two can be so severe and life threatening so people don't want to socialize and end up needing way more time alone to feel somewhat content and have that "safe" feeling.

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Right from when you are little, positive/negative social experiences are so important because they follow through with you for your whole life. they pretty much decipher if you are an introvert or extrovert.

although it is important to do social activities when you are a kid, a lot of times kids have so much anxiety prior to these experiences, so when they are forced into and anxiety filled situation, it will most likely go poorly. this leads to extreme introversion and might lead to mental illness because of piled up anxiety and social anxiety that greatly affects children's childhoods.

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There was a study in 2007 on the neurotransmitter dopamine and introverts and extraverts and how it affects our individual personalities. There is something called the Met/Met genotype of the COMT: this gene had a greater need to seek out dopamine. On the other hand, the Val/Met genotype did not have a great need for dopamine. This means that people with the Met/Met genotype are more extraverted, but people with the Val/Met genotype were more introverted because they were overstimulated during the study.

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References

1. V. E. Golimbet, I. K. Gritsenko, M. V. Alfimova, and R. P. Ebstein, "Polymorphic markers of the promoter region of the D4 dopamine receptor gene and temperament in mentally healthy humans from the Russian population," Genetika, 41, No. 7, 966-972 (2005).

2. J. Kauhanen, T. Hallikainen, T. P. Tuomainen, M. Koulu, M. K. Karvonen, and J. T. Aalonen, "Association between the functional polymorphism of catechol-O-methyltransferase gene and alcohol consumption among social drinkers," Alcoholism: Clin. Exptl. Res., 24, 135-139 (2000).

3. J. A. Schinka, E. A. Letsch, and F. C. Crawford, "DRD4 and novelty seeking: results of meta-analyses," Amer. J. Med. Genet., 114, No. 6, 643-648 (2002).

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Relationship between dopamine system genes and extraversion and novelty seeking - Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology

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Dopamine transmission is known to play an important role in the reinforcement system of the brain. Studies have identified dopamine system genes whose polymorphic variants have been linked with the intensity of psychological traits reflecting the tendency to form behaviors characterized by impulsivity and the need for additional stimulation.

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Although personality can be considered nurture, it is also nature. Your personality develops along side you brain and body, and grows with you each day. You are born with a personality, your traits don't show up one day but they are from your genetics and correlate with your brain stem and brain pathways. Your personality is constantly developing with you every day.

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Sometimes, traumatic experiences alter our personalities and affect how our mind thinks. Especially as a kid, trauma might make a child feel the need to get energy from being alone, more introverted. These experiences stay with you forever so it is the type of thing that shapes your personality at times.

For example, if a death in the family occurs, the person might need more time alone to process this detrimental event, and then they get used to that and receive dopamine and energy from being by themselves and in calm situations