Behavioral Tendencies of Success: Toward a Verb-Like Conception of Successful Life Functioning

Can a test reveal whether individuals will succeed or struggle in their lives? This question was pursued through the use of a Behavioral Tendencies in Life Test (BTLT), which asks individuals whether they would respond to 40 life-modeling scenarios in each of 4 ways. A prototype of the successful person was created using the same materials and then applied to each person's BTLT ratings. In two studies (total N = 352), participants who received higher, relative to lower, behavioral tendencies of success (BT-S) scores used approach-related coping strategies, pursued important goals, were capable of meeting their basic psychological needs, and reported higher levels of life satisfaction and flourishing. Individuals who received lower BT-S scores were prone to internalizing and externalizing problems and were deemed to be less skilled by peers. The research integrates bottom-up and top-down perspectives in emphasizing the verb-like nature of successful (versus unsuccessful) life functioning.