EXTROVERSION AND NOISE SENSITIVITY - A REPLICATION OF DORNIC AND EKEHAMMAR STUDY

In a replication of a study by Dornic and Ekehammar (1990; Personality and Individual Differences, 11, 989-992), 75 undergraduates completed the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) and Weinstein's Noise Sensitivity Scale (NSS). The significant negative correlation between EPI-extraversion and NSS reported by Dornic and Ekehammar was replicated. In contrast to the original findings, however, EPI-neuroticism did not correlate with NSS, and no interaction of extraversion and neuroticism on NSS was obtained. Finally, the EPI also was scored for impulsivity and sociability. Both impulsivity and sociability exhibited a significant negative correlation with NSS. Extraversion and impulsivity, but not sociability, produced significant main effects when combined with neuroticism in analyses of variance on NSS scores. Findings are interpreted as consistent with Eysenck's model linking extraversion scores with variations in sensitivity to stimulation.