Explaining the extraversion/positive affect relation: sociability cannot account for extraverts' greater happiness.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Level by design analogy (non-clinical): observational repeated-measures experience-sampling cohort studies.
PubMed 18399958 · doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.2008.00490.x
What was done
Two experience sampling studies evaluated two instrumental models proposed to explain the relationship between extraversion and positive affect: a mediation model (higher positive affect is driven by increased social activity) and a person-by-situation interaction model (extraverts react more positively to social situations than introverts).
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical values. It found only weak support for both instrumental models. A moderate direct association between extraversion and positive affect remained after controlling for social activity and differential reactivity, consistent with temperament models.
Why it matters
This paper demonstrates that extraverts' higher positive affect is not simply a byproduct of greater sociability or greater enjoyment of social situations, reinforcing direct temperamental explanations over instrumental ones.
Limits
The abstract does not report sample size, participant demographics, study duration, sampling frequency, or quantitative statistics (effect sizes, confidence intervals). Findings rely on observational, self-reported experience sampling.
Cited by
- supports In daily life experience sampling, both introverts and extraverts report feeling better when spending time with other people compared to when they are alone.