Shy people may be quiet, but there’s a lot going on in their heads. When they encounter a frightening or unfamiliar situation–meeting someone new, for example–a brain region responsible for negative emotions goes into overdrive. But new research indicates that shy people may be more sensitive to all sorts of stimuli, not just frightening ones.
The Rewards of Being Shy — Hochman 2006 (613): 3 — ScienceNOW