An Investigation of The Big Five, Narrow Traits, and Positive Psychology in Relation to Life Satisfaction

The present research explored the relationship between personality and Life Satisfaction. The Big Five and Narrow Traits have been used to predict Life Satisfaction and Subjective Well-Being. There is a newer movement in psychology explore qualities about the individual that facilitate thriving and happiness, a movement known as Positive Psychology. The associated traits could lead to better prediction of Life Satisfaction. To test the degree to which the Positive Psychology traits better predict Life Satisfaction, upper-class college students took a computer-based Personality Measure. The measure consisted of many sub-scales, including the NEO Five-Factor Personality Measure, Narrow Trait measures, and the VIA Positive Psychology Scale. Regression analysis was performed to assess the degree to which Positive Psychology measures contribute variance in Life Satisfaction. Results showed that Positive Psychology accounts for significant variance in Life Satisfaction above the Big Five and/or Narrow Traits, particularly along the dimension of Love.