NASA has discovered new research in conjunction with psychology researches that may suggest those who identify as extroverted are not good fits for a future manned mission to Mars. It was concluded by researchers that extroverts may even be a possible "liability" during the long, isolated missions.
"People who are extroverted might have a hard time coping because they want to be doing a lot; they want to be engaged in a lot of things," said study researcher Shanique Brown in a statement to Nature World News, "And there won't be that much to do - things become monotonous after a while, and you're seeing the same people." Extroverts have a natural tendency to socialize with others to relieve boredom, and may have a rough time adjusting to an environment where there aren't new social opportunities or changing activities.
In one study of a spacecraft simulation, an extroverted team member was ostracized by two other members who were more reserved, the Huffington Post reports. "They thought he was too brash, and would speak his mind too much, and talk too much," said study researcher Suzanne Bell, who is an associate professor of psychology at DePaul University in Chicago.
All of these studies do not automatically mean that extroverts are banned from travelling into space; there is still much more research to be done before a mission to Mars can be properly planned.