were asked to provide a daily mood report for 84 consecutive days (Larsen &
Kasimatis, 1990). As shown in Figure 10.2, the researchers found an interestingpattern when they compared moods on days of the week. Perhaps not surpris-
ingly, Monday was the students ’least favorite day, with the week becoming
progressively better as Saturday approached. But the figure also illustrates that
no matter what the day of the week, extraverts reported higher levels of posi-
tive mood than introverts. One team of researchers found that extraversion
scores could predict levels of positive affect measured 2 years later (Headey &Wearing, 1989). Another investigation used extraversion scores to predict the
number of pleasant experiences people would have over a 4-year period
(Magnus, Diener, Fujita, & Pavot, 1993). Finally, one team of researchersfound that the higher the average extraversion score in a country, the higher
the average citizens ’sense of well-being (Steel & Ones, 2002).
In short, extraverts generally experience more happiness than introverts.
But why might this be the case? Researchers have uncovered at least two
reasons. First, extraverts tend to socialize more than introverts (Srivastava,
Angelo, & Vallereux, 2008). Extraverts have more friends, and they interactwith those friends more often. Researchers have repeatedly found that social
contact is closely tied to feelings of well-being (Diener, 1984). Interacting with
friends is usually pleasant, as are other extraverted behaviors, such as going
to dances, parties, and football games. Many basic needs, such as feeling
competent and worthwhile, are also satisfied in social settings. In addition,
friends often serve as a buffer against stress (Cohen & Wills, 1985). That is,
people usually cope with their problems better with friends ’help than when
they try to handle the situation alone. Consistent with this observation, one
study found that extraverts were more likely than introverts to seek out
friends when they had a problem (Amirkhan, Risinger, & Swickert, 1995).
Positive Mood Scores
Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat. Sun..51.01.52.02.53.0
IntrovertsExtraverts
FIGURE 10.2 Happiness Ratings of Extraverts and Introverts
Source: Adapted from Larsen and Kasimatis (1990).Extraversion-Introversion 263