ABSTRACT Introduction Situations figure prominently in people's lives, but extant approaches to assessment rarely model situational specificity. Methods 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. Results 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. Conclusions The research demonstrates the value of understanding broad constructs, such as happiness, on the basis of more particular person‐situation‐behavior units.
Robinson et al. (Fri,) studied this question.