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SOCIAL SCIENCE PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH ON VERY HAPPY
PEOPLE AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS
Very Happy People Individuals in the top 10% of happiness.
Sample Size 222 undergraduates studied for happiness.
Social Relationships Very happy people have stronger social connections.
Extraversion Trait associated with being outgoing and sociable.
Personality trait reflecting kindness and
Agreeableness
cooperativeness.
Neuroticism Tendency towards negative emotional states.
Minnesota Multiphasic Psychological assessment measuring various personality
Personality Inventory traits.
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Satisfaction With Life Measures life satisfaction from 5 to 35.
Scale
Global Self-Reported Difference between positive and negative emotions
Affect Balance reported.
Ratings from informants on participant's emotional
Informant Affect Balance
experiences.
Daily Affect Balance Daily tracking of positive and negative moods.
Positive Emotions Emotions that contribute to overall happiness.
Negative Emotions Emotions that detract from overall happiness.
Feedback from peers regarding an individual's
Peer Reports
happiness.
Combined assessment of happiness from multiple
Aggregate Happiness
sources.
Occasional Negative Very happy people still experience some negative feelings.
Moods
Ability to react appropriately to life events.
Functioning Emotion
System
Psychopathology Scales Measures of psychological disorders and dysfunction.
Research Imbalance More studies on unhappy than happy individuals.
Emphasis on understanding abnormal over normal
Clinical Psychology Focus
processes.
Life Satisfaction Overall contentment with one's life circumstances.
Euphoric Feelings Intense feelings of happiness and excitement.
Calibrated Feedback Accurate emotional responses to life events.
SOCIAL SCIENCE PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH ON VERY HAPPY
PEOPLE AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS
Very Happy People Individuals in the top 10% of happiness.
Sample Size 222 undergraduates studied for happiness.
Social Relationships Very happy people have stronger social connections.
Extraversion Trait associated with being outgoing and sociable.
Personality trait reflecting kindness and
Agreeableness
cooperativeness.
Neuroticism Tendency towards negative emotional states.
Minnesota Multiphasic Psychological assessment measuring various personality
Personality Inventory traits.
, 2
Satisfaction With Life Measures life satisfaction from 5 to 35.
Scale
Global Self-Reported Difference between positive and negative emotions
Affect Balance reported.
Ratings from informants on participant's emotional
Informant Affect Balance
experiences.
Daily Affect Balance Daily tracking of positive and negative moods.
Positive Emotions Emotions that contribute to overall happiness.
Negative Emotions Emotions that detract from overall happiness.
Feedback from peers regarding an individual's
Peer Reports
happiness.
Combined assessment of happiness from multiple
Aggregate Happiness
sources.
Occasional Negative Very happy people still experience some negative feelings.
Moods
Ability to react appropriately to life events.
Functioning Emotion
System
Psychopathology Scales Measures of psychological disorders and dysfunction.
Research Imbalance More studies on unhappy than happy individuals.
Emphasis on understanding abnormal over normal
Clinical Psychology Focus
processes.
Life Satisfaction Overall contentment with one's life circumstances.
Euphoric Feelings Intense feelings of happiness and excitement.
Calibrated Feedback Accurate emotional responses to life events.
