The Relationship between Extraversion and Happiness

Abstract

A known link between extraversion and happiness has existed for decades. While this relationship is largely not understood, several theories have emerged recently to help explain this link. R.E. Lucas and E. Diener (2001) argued that extraverts may be more sensitive to rewarding social situations than introverts, and that this may manifest itself as greater feelings of happiness by extraverts. Additionally, Pavot, Diener, and Fujita (1990) suggested that extraverts and introverts both enjoy social situations, though extraverts select more social situations, resulting in greater happiness. In the present study, the Day Reconstruction Method (Kahneman, 2003) was utilized to test both the reward-sensitivity hypothesis as well as the situation-selection hypothesis. Data from a sample of 109 respondents were used to test the 2 hypotheses with a repeated measure of happiness on multiple reconstructed episodes. The results clearly show support for the situation-selection hypothesis with no significant support for reward-sensitivity.