In spite of differences within the general category, certain characteristic
features occur in the "Eu" types of adaptation. In broad terms, it can be said that the "Eu" individual retains his predominantly perceptual awareness; the direct, spontaneous quality of his relationships; and the naturally high level of his behavioral activity. He will also be more or less relaxed., not having developed the characteristic tension inherent in compensation.
An "Eu" mode of adjustment, however, represents a number of different developmental possibilities. In addition to possible variations in the degree of the externalized tendency Itself, the "Eu" individual may also remain either moderate or extreme in the extent of his lack of compensation. Such qualitative differences are reflected in the symbol system of the theory, by a series of special notations. The primitive Externalizer who is extremely uncompensated at the basic level is represented as an [e+=Eu+], while the more moderately uncompensated state is symbolized as an [e=Eu].
An [e=Eu] or an [e+=Eu+], at the basic level of his personality development, is thus an individual who begins life as an active infant, and continues as an active adolescent. In the interim, his preferred direction of development has not met with strong environmental opposition, so that he has not been pressured into internalized defensiveness. In consequence, his development has been predominantly in one direction, so that he has no recourse to internalized alternatives.
The one-sided nature of the [e=Eu] and the [e+=Eu+] adjustments is most apparent under conditions fostering regression, such as fatigue or stress. At such times, the individual will be pushed still further in the one direction which is available to him. He will tend to become over-active, over-stimulated and over-responsive. His environmental dependence will also increase, intensifying his interpersonal involvements and his environmental demands.
In general, an [e=Eu], and, to a lesser extent, an [e+=Eu+], can learn to control his perceptual reactivity sufficiently to permit him to respond to perceptual and ideational stimuli more or less appropriately. He will, however, have great difficulty in integrating his perceptual and ideational activities to the point of smooth functioning, and the two will tend to remain uncoordinated and "split." The dissociated nature of his reactivity in this respect limits his spontaneous and his formal learning. However, although it curtails his efficiency in both the ideational and perceptual areas, it does not render him completely ineffectual in either.
The [e=Eu], or the [e+=Eu+], with varying degrees of efficiency, can acquire relatively simple ideational skills, especially if he can learn them through perceptually-oriented methods, and in interpersonal situations. He can achieve perceptual skills as well, provided he has succeeded. in routinizing his ideational contacts sufficiently to prevent them from intruding excessively on his perceptually-oriented undertakings. He will not, however, tend. to develop self-initiated and self-maintained control of perceptual reactivity, and will remain highly dependent on external guidance to supply him with the necessary control in this connection.
The chief difference between the [e+=Eu+] and the [e=Eu] is essentially one of degree. The [e+=Eu+] is characterized by minimal internalized reactivity, and has in consequence, less control of his perceptual responsiveness. He also lacks appropriate selectivity within the perceptual field, and is highly distractable as a result. This tendency toward indiscriminate externalized over-responsiveness, in the extreme, approaches a kind of perceptual mania. Having acquired little or no self-sufficiency, he retains the intense environmental dependence and fear of isolation which characterize the primitive Externalizer. His need organization is such that he must engage in constant activity, environmental interactions, and interpersonal involvements.
The inherent ability of the [e=Eu], and more especially of the [e+=Eu+], for quick response to, and utilization of, the external perceptual world, has a number of obvious practical advantages, if it can be controlled and channelized. The effectiveness of these orientations rests primarily on the overall pattern of the individual's particular personality structure and the quality of the environment with which he interacts. If he is fortunate in these respects, he can learn to capitalize on his perceptual acuity with profit. The [e+=Eu+], in particular, needs external control in the management of perceptual responsiveness. He is markedly distractable experiencing rapid emotional shifts in response to alterations in the perceptual field.. His feeling states are therefore rarely sustained, and the individual himself can exert little control over them. He is therefore characteristically fickle in his emotional attachments, and unstable in his loyalties.
The [e+=Eu+] is especially likely to suffer from strong feelings of inferiority in intellectual areas. Intellectually, he is highly undisciplined. Further, his attention span is short, his verbal memory is poor, and the transfer value of his past learning in such areas is low. He tends to find motor activities, such as sports, far more satisfying, and may, in fact, become over-involved and preoccupied with them, in order to prevent mental stimuli from intruding on his attention, and reminding him of his intellectual inadequacies.
The [e=Eu], whose basic adjustment is somewhat more temperate, can make efforts to control his tendencies toward emotional fluctuations and perceptual distractability. He is also more available to internalized stimuli than is the [e+=Eu+], although he, too, remains predominantly externalized. He can achieve some amount of intellectual discipline, though he will maintain this control with considerable effort, and cannot usually sustain it for long. Although his development has not been entirely static, he has not moved far from his primitive direction, and his hold on his small ideational gains is tenuous. Under stress or fatigue, he will shift toward [e+=Eu+] behavior fairly readily.