Behavioral Tendencies of Happiness: A Person-In-Context Approach to Construct Measurement

Situations figure prominently in people's lives, but extant approaches to assessment rarely model situational specificity.

Using a situational judgment base, the present studies (N = 356) created a behavioral tendency of life test that sought to simulate person-specific responses to a wide variety of life situations. Behavioral tendencies thought to be conducive to happiness were quantified by linking each participant's 160 self-likelihood ratings to a prototype of the happy person, with the idea that participants who matched the prototype to a greater extent would act in ways that promote happiness in their daily lives.

This person-in-context approach to assessment worked in that higher behavioral tendencies of happiness (BT-H) scores were strongly predictive of happiness and well-being, with additional results providing insights into how the relevant tendencies operate.

The research demonstrates the value of understanding broad constructs, such as happiness, on the basis of more particular person-situation-behavior units.