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The clamming-up phenomenon seems to be more common in women and in people with higher IQs, according to the report, published in January in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B.
Virginia Tech Carilion Research Explains Why Some People Don't Speak Up in Small Groups - WSJ.com
Seeded on Thu Feb 9, 2012 3:57 PM EST
Article Source: Wall Street Journal
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Initially, all the brain scans showed spikes in activity in the amygdala, the part of the brain that registers fear and processes emotion. But after answering 10 or so questions, 13 subjects recovered and ended up with scores that were closer to their initial performance. Meanwhile, 14 didn't recover.Robert Murphy describes himself as confident and talkative but says he clams up in certain group settings.
As they saw their rankings go down, they seemed to panic, and they answered more questions incorrectly. (One scanned individual didn't complete the questions and so was excluded.)
"It was like the 'Survivor' show," says Read Montague, leader of the study, director of the Human Neuroimaging Laboratory and the Computational Psychiatry Unit at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute and professor of neuroscience at University College London.
"Some people stayed stressed and freaked out the whole time, and some people habituated relatively quickly and started solving small problems," Dr. Montague said.
- 5 votes
#1 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 3:59 PM ESTI usually don't have a problem speaking in groups, large or small. But I sure have experienced that "clam-up" phenomenon. It's quite an uncomfortable feeling.
The solution? Practice, practice, practice. . . . being in front of people. For me, that "practice" was being in a lounge band and saying all of the silly things "lounge lizards" say to an audience.
The article gave some suggestions in over-coming that "clamming up" phenomenon. It's well worth the read.
Help For the Tongue-Tied
Do you often find it difficult to speak up in a small group? Here are some ways to cope:
•Pair up with a peacock. Join with someone who is more outgoing than you, or has a higher position within the group. In a social situation, this person can introduce you and keep talk flowing, or bring up your points in a business meeting and then toss you an opening into the conversation. 'You find an avenue where you are being pulled in,' says Michael Woodward, a New York organizational psychologist.
•Talk to the person running the meeting beforehand. Mention the points you want to discuss and ask for an opportunity to bring them up. Explain why you are asking.
•Prepare. In a business meeting, know what you want to say, practice your delivery and bring notes. This will help prevent you from being distracted by what others are saying and wondering how you should respond. 'Any good politician knows his talking points,' Dr. Woodward says.
•Take a break. If you are in a situation that is making you anxious or draining your mental energy, get some water or take a walk. Think of this as resetting your brain, just as you'd turn your computer off to reset it if it were frozen.
•Realize others in the room likely feel the same way. And remember: The people who froze the most in the Virginia Tech study were actually the smartest.
- 4 votes
#3 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 1:12 AM ESTInteresting. Not only do I believe this study, but I've been there, done that. I find myself in a group, and I'm sometimes afraid to speak up, because my comment might not be in line with the conversation, or might be perceived as stupid by others in the group.
In fact, something like it happened today. I was with a group of people who I know to have I.Q.s on the low side of average. Mine is substantially higher than any of that group. They were talking about subjects I was intimately familiar with (healthcare issues, economics, and politics), and the things they were saying showed them to be ignorant, uninformed people; yet there I was, the only person with an I.Q. substantially higher than average, afraid to speak up lest I be thought of as ignorant.
On reflection, I realized two simple things: 1) I have Got to find some intelligent people to talk with, and 2) Those folks wouldn't have known enough to be able to understand what I was saying, anyway.
- 4 votes
#4 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 2:19 AM ESTThis article leads one to believe that being silent is a bad thing.
In my opinion, it is only bad if you want to speak and don't.
And there can be valid reasons for not speaking when you have an opinion to express. The environment can be so hostile to your point of view that the energy at your disposal is inadequate to deal with the hostility. I can relate to that.
Sometimes, it is better just to move on.
- 7 votes
#5 - Sun Feb 12, 2012 2:17 AM ESTAl and Orly, I agree with both of you.
Some speek only to hear their own words.
Silence is golden. If one is in a hostile environment, it is wise to remain silent. There are times to be confrontatioinal and times not to be.
- 6 votes
When I went to college and then back a second time to college I found that most students were too afraid to ask questions and so I would ask the questions and sometimes I would get hostile remarks. Once I finally got so disgusted with the lack of participation in the class that I told the class that they had by God start participating and asking questions or I would quit asking and we could all fail the damn class. There was some laughter and then surprisingly some of the students started asking questions. The drop out rate in the class stopped and the overall class performance improved but I had to put up with some initial snide insulting remarks before there was a more mature approach to learning.
I knew before I spoke up that it could likely make me a target. My IQ was measured at gifted but strength and courage are necessary to speak up in a group situation where you may be subjected to ugly remarks. Character in my opinion has little to do with IQ and the article does not mention that. The type of intelligence that elevates human behavior is gained from wisdom. Wisdom is gained from a desire to find the truth of an idea and is not controlled by animal instincts. Animal cunning has everything to do with self protection and self promotion. I have always seen a correlation between the intelligence of adaptability and animal cunning. Studies also show that IQ can be increased as the result of formal training.
Bottom line is if you have an idea that you deem worthy to share or a question that needs to be answered you either show your fortitude to put yourself forth even though you may become a target or you remain quiet and hopefully remain safe. The problem with the illusion of safety is that not speaking up and taking a stand can also cause you to be targeted. Wisdom helps you to know when to remain quiet and when to speak up.
- 4 votes
#6 - Sun Feb 12, 2012 12:09 PM ESTfight for freedom, I have learned more by asking questions and listening then I have from reading. Reading helps you to know something, but to understand it involves asking questions.
My college was done at night so my class mates and instructors usually had day jobs like me. Because I was such a jerk in high school, in college I had to be super ready for each class. I would pre-read each assignment and do all the problems before class so in class I could take notes and clear up any questionable issues I had. Even when I thought I knew it all, someone would ask a question which I did not even consider. And I learned more. It was great. I overcame my reluctance to ask questions very quickly. I figured my questions helped other students, as well as myself. I just barely got through high school, but graduated magma cum laude from college. The credit goes to questions asked and answered.
- 3 votes
Very interesting seed, Loretta.
and in people with higher IQs
That makes a lot of sense.
- 2 votes
#7 - Wed Feb 15, 2012 5:52 AM ESTAs a child, I thought it was my fault that I could not make the other kids understand was I was talking about. I did not learn about IQs until my senior year in high school and when I asked questions, I was told, "A really smart girl pretends she's dumb so the boys will like her."
I didn't learn what a high IQ actually entailed until years later. It's a whole different way of viewing the world, far more complex than most people think. That was why I could not get them to understand. Once I realized that, I was able to translate my thoughts into less complx dynamics and my communication problem was over.
But trying to struggle through before I learned that did make me unwilling to share my thoughts.
At some point, I realized I really did not want to engage in discussions going on around me. They held no importance, especially in a large group setting. It was usually trivia, gossip, and the like. That's just the nature of a large group, like at a party.
And even later, I realized I am an introvert, which again is related to an entirely different way of thinking. An introvert's brain takes a longer path to assess new information, which mean the introvert is chronically behind on a fast moving discussion by extroverts.
I'm no longer afraid to speak up, but in real life, I often don't because of the latter two reasons.
- 4 votes
Loretta, I am not sure why you shared that personal information about being an introvert but I am glad you did. Thanks.
When I was young the definition of shy was introvert. I looked no further and just concluded that I was shy and therefore an introvert. I gave it no further thought until reading your article.
I justified my shyness to the social/economic status of our family compared to that of other kids in my school.
You add an interesting twist to be considered when you mention:
An introvert's brain takes a longer path to assess new information, which mean the introvert is chronically behind on a fast moving discussion by extroverts.
That describes me perfectly. I wonder how you came by that conclusion and if the brain's processing speed/path choice is set at birth or gets established during life's experiences?
- 2 votes
Al-316
While working on my masters (years ago) one of the psychology courses I took was on experiments, ect., but of interest to what you asked concerning the brain's processing speed/path. Please read the following, very short article: http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/24030/
You also asked if the precessing speed can be increased. Yes, there are several short articles on the net sharing some simple activities one can practice to assist. An experiment that was a part of the class' (mentioned above) assignment for completion involved student participation. The experiment was a simple visual lexical decision test involving reaction time to words viewed upon a computer screen and how quickly we could react to the stimuli, etc., etc., etc. The term "lexical" refers to how we store information. Unlike a filing cabinet we do not store information such as A, B, C, or 1, 2, 3. The end result is that those who speak more than one language have a faster processing speed than those as me, than those who only speak one language.
- 2 votes
I first began learning about introversion decades ago and have slowly accumulated facts surrounding it. There are books about it that are very complete.
It isn't that our brains work slower. It's that the neural pathway new information takes is longer with a more complex system of crosschecking against knowledge we already possess. Because this takes extra time and extra energy, we typically feel refreshed and energized when we are alone while an extrovert feels energized from being around others. Large groups exhaust me.
Here's a couple sites that deal with it. The first one has a system for ranking our personality types. Here's the one for introversion.BTW, Meyers Briggs is at the center of personality testing and well respected
I like getting my energy from dealing with the ideas, pictures, memories, and reactions that are inside my head, in my inner world. I often prefer doing things alone or with one or two people I feel comfortable with. I take time to reflect so that I have a clear idea of what I’ll be doing when I decide to act. Ideas are almost solid things for me. Sometimes I like the idea of something better than the real thing.
The following statements generally apply to me:
- I am seen as “reflective” or “reserved.”
- I feel comfortable being alone and like things I can do on my own.
- I prefer to know just a few people well.
- I sometimes spend too much time reflecting and don’t move into action quickly enough.
- I sometimes forget to check with the outside world to see if my ideas really fit the experience.
Introversion
The energy of introverts is inward toward concepts and ideas. They need little external stimulation - and in fact they can easily be over-stimulated. it is possible that they focus more on their inner worlds because they suffer from sensory overload if they spend too much time outside and focusing on other people. They thus bottle up their own emotions, which can explode if pushed too far.
Rather than trying to change the world, they just want to understand it. They think deeply about things and often do better at University than they did at school.
Their attitude is reserved and questioning and they can seem subtle and impenetrable. They tend to think before they act.
At work they like to work alone and often seek quiet for concentration. They tend to prefer work that has depth rather than breadth.Extraverts may see them as egocentric and passive.
There is a view that introverts may act as they do because they are more easily overwhelmed by external stimuli, as opposed to extraverts who have a higher basic stimulation threshold and need the more visceral external stimulation to avoid boredom.
With introverts:
- Include introduction time to get to know you and trust you.
- Encourage responses with questions as, “What do you think?”
- Use polling techniques for input and decision making.
- Allow time for thinking before responding and decision-making.
- Make use of written responses where practical.
- Concentrate on one-on-one activities.
- Do not assume lack of interest.
- 4 votes
Loretta, some people are going to do away with me this afternoon, running late, which I hardly ever do. You are so correct, what you are writing about has nothing to do with processing speed, and believe it or not, it truly doesn't have anything to do with how high a person's IQ is. Were dealing in a realm where there is much controversy and still much speculation. However, I had to reply due to loving what you shared in #7.4. The statements shared under "With extroverts" appear to strongly apply to me, and I'm considered an extravert.
And yet, with much caution, at least from what I've learned in the past, almost anyone can run a test, or several tests, the results are defined by those who either ran the tests, or those who paid for the tests. I remember years back when I used to write up natal horoscopes for many of my friends (and their friends) that the general statements were always positive statements, statements that any within the general population would enjoy claiming.
Off to enjoy a couple of days . . .
Truly enjoy your information.
- 2 votes
We all have both extrovert and introvert traits. It became important to me to understand myself because I just never seemed to fit in. I'd go to parties and wish I was at home reading a book. If I stayed home reading a book, my friends would fuss, "We want you here." I just seemed so different than them.
Turns out I was right. Now that I have learned more about introversion, I can adjust my schedule and plan ahead for group outings. I can plan a period of quiet both before and after the party which allows me to energize ahead of time and replenish myself afterward.
I truly do like being alone most of the time, something I used to catch a lot of criticism for. Even as a child, I loved to play alone quite a lot. So I was following what was best for me without knowing why it was best for me.
My career choices also reflected these needs without knowing why I was choosing them or even that they all were perfect for the same traits within me. But looking back, I can see the pattern clearly.
- 3 votes
Loretta and Gray Therapy, I can't you interesting and exciting this information is.
I can vividly remember on one occasion when I was on a camping trip with the Boy Scouts, another scout, younger and smaller than I was, kept following me around. I was a patrol leader so that may have been why he was following me, but I did not want anyone around me. I had to actually yell at him and chase him before he would leave me alone.
Later, as an adult, I started my own business I was invited to join all the professional groups and attend meetings like everyone else in my profession. I joined, but stopped going to meetings soon afterwards because I considered the meetings a waste of time when I would rather be with my family.
Am I going to take this new found information and draw a plan to turn my life around to be like other people? No. I am who I am and I have gotten used to it as have the people I love. They are the ones I care about anyway.
Thanks again, your introverted friend, Al.
- 2 votes
I was so relieved to learn about introversion....because I'd spent my whole life being labeled "anti-social." Well, in some senses, I am anti-social, in that I don't want to be at most social affairs. But in other senses, I'm certainly not anti-social.
I too didn't use the information to try to change myself to fit into an extrovert world. It is an extrovert world because they're the people out there making the social rules, but that doesn't mean I have to defy my own nature and attempt to become an extrovert. It means I am naturally different, it isn't a character flaw and my lifestyle is as legitimate as theirs.
It still confounds my friends when I have absolutely no interest in their social affairs. They worry that I'm depressed, etc and "need to get out more." While I appreciate their caring, I am also better able to withstand the pressure to perform according to their comfort level and accept my own.
- 3 votes
Hey Loretta...
As always, I've enjoyed reading your article and I'm simply astounded that you're considered an introvert because you come across as such an informed, intelligence and wise woman. I was actually telling a girl friend of mine about you and your articles and described my view of you as "the big sister I never had" (being the oldest child in my family)
In any case I have found that as I grew older I stopped caring about the socializing that most people do - partially because I can at least say I've done it (when I was younger) and partially because people change. Because of my own personal long-term friendships (30+ years) I kind of understand how people who are married might simply grow apart with it being neither party's fault because some of my relationships with friends and family members no longer provide the things that I need and value. What I've found is that most people drain my energy, and only a small handful have the ability to restore, sort of like the emotional vampires referred to in my column.
Anyway, I'm thinking I'm probably more of an introvert than an extrovert because I'm generally more content to curl up with a good book or work on designing some software to streamlines some of the tasks I have to perform, as I would going out and socializing. The only thing that changes that is when I discover a deep & genuine interest in a guy, but then again I've found that when I meet someone like that, everything changes, which kind of goes back to what I was saying about only very few people having the ability to restore my energy. When I'm mentally, emotionally & physically attracted to someone then everything about that person and interacting with him is energizing to me.
And I can also relate to clamming up because it happens to me all of the time when interviewing. I can sit and talk to someone one-on-one or in a small group about what I do all day long if they express an interest. But the minute they use the word "interview" it's like the tunnel vision they say you get when in extremely high stress situations of fight or flight (or the deer in the headlights phenomenon).
I've been following your article over the last few days and figured now would be a good time to chime in and also ask that if you have time would you please take a look at the top article in my column and forward any suggestions to the sponsors of the House Bill there (HB 2464 - The Stalking Protection Order Act). From many of your articles I got the impression that you're very knowledgeable in this area. I don't think being a resident of the state of Washington is a requirement for submitting input or testimony.
- 3 votes
Wow. Big sister. What an honor. I'm grateful.
Many people think introvert means shy. I'm not shy. It also isn't agrophobic, which means you're afraid of leaving the house and being in public. I function just fine in public when I choose to be there, including leading a group.
When you say I'm knowledgable, I have to say it's partly because I'm an introvert. I prefer to be learning in silence to being out socializing. Anything that sparks my attention if far more interesting than making small talk, so the knowledge and being an introvert kind of go hand in hand.
I too have friendships that are ancient. I am still friends with friends from grammar school. My closest friendships are all decades old. I lov being able to talk with them because I don't have to explain things involving my history. They know what I'm talking about because they were there. A sort of emotional shorthand.
But I've also left other behind, for the same reason you mentioned: we no longer relate. That bothered me at first, until I accepted this was normal. They've developed their interests different than I've developed mine -- and that's okay.
- 3 votes
Two more cents worth, it isn't much, but maybe interesting.
Of importance I want to share this with Loretta, AL-316, Mariyam, and anyone else who considers themselves as an introvert.
Yes, all three of you are correct, I'm in agreement with you, and believe many who are reading these replies will also agree that introverts and their characteristics have so often, in the past, been looked at as not belonging, not joining in, outsiders, not part of the team, not part of the mainstream, and were given many other negative descriptors.
However, in today's society the traits so often given to introverts are now looked at in a more positive light, with importance given to these traits as being important in the survival of early teen to late teen adolescence, and on into adult life. Yes, we still have the screaming parents who want their child to be prize athletes in the realm of sports, and parents who want the children to participate in cheer leading, etc. And yet we are seeing a rapid increase of parents who do not want their children to join into various groups quickly. We hear the term "reserved" being used more and more when describing the introvert, and it is being defined more and more as a positive trait or characteristic. And its about time. There are many positive traits of those who are defined as being introverts.
- 4 votes
They've developed their interests different than I've developed mine -- and that's okay.
If only it were that simple for me. Instead I got resentment, crazy, emotional blackmail and my life ambushed. Oh and how can I forget "see what you started?".
When I was a child growing up after reading books about slavery, the Holocaust (The Diary of Anne Frank), all the wars we've sent our troops off to fight (and die) in, and all of the ills that plague our world, I wanted to fully participate in life even knowing on one hand that the odds were not in my favor and on the other hand, not willing to give in to what I perceived as lies mean to keep me malleable and controllable.
- "You'll never succeed"
- "No one will ever love you as much as your parents"
- "You don't need to go to college. Why don't you become a secretary"
- "You'll never be accepted"
- "You don't really want to be a pilot do you? What don't you be a flight attendant"
- "They'll never let you do that"
Even if any or even all of the above are true, I know myself well enough to know that while I can live with failure I could never live with myself in the face of cowardice so it's good to know GrayTherapy that according to your perception, things are changing for the better.
- 2 votes
Mariyam, it sounds like there was at least one person in your life that took pleasure in making you feel inadequate. Shame on them.
You, Lorreta, and I may be introverts but we are not inferior. But we are not superior either, we are all just different. ((((Mariyam))))
Your friend, Al
- 3 votes
I just wanted to say thank you to all of you. Take care...
- 3 votes
Loretta, truly enjoyed your seed. The brain is a marvelous machine.
- 6 votes
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