The DOI matches its Crossref record; 433 of the 437 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The Benefits of Frequent Positive Affect: Does Happiness Lead to Success?
Open accessAbstract
Numerous studies show that happy individuals are successful across multiple life domains, including marriage, friendship, income, work performance, and health. The authors suggest a conceptual model to account for these findings, arguing that the happiness-success link exists not only because success makes people happy, but also because positive affect engenders success. Three classes of evidence--crosssectional, longitudinal, and experimental--are documented to test their model. Relevant studies are described and their effect sizes combined meta-analytically. The results reveal that happiness is associated with and precedes numerous successful outcomes, as well as behaviors paralleling success. Furthermore, the evidence suggests that positive affect--the hallmark of well-being--may be the cause of many of the desirable characteristics, resources, and successes correlated with happiness. Limitations, empirical issues, and important future research questions are discussed.
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“Lyubomirsky, King, and Diener (2005) demonstrated that happiness is correlated with, predictive of, and causally determinative of success in multiple domains of life including social, relational, financial, work and (mental and physical) health domains.”
From Rational beliefs, happiness and optimism: An empirical assessment of REBT's model of psychological health (2019) · cites this paper as Lyubomirsky, King, and Diener (2005)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Evidence has accrued that addressing specific skills in these domains can promote overall well-being [18,19].”
From Feasibility and effectiveness of a web-based positive psychology program for youth mental health: Randomized controlled trial (2014) · cites this paper as [18]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“What remained constant across different studies is the formulation that happiness is an antecedent, correlate and predictor of positive psychological outcomes (Parks, Della Porta, Pierce, Zilca, & Lyubomirsky, 2012;Lyubomirsky, Diener, & King, 2005).”
From Exploring Filipino adolescents’ conception of happiness (2012) · cites this paper as Lyubomirsky, Diener, & King, 2005
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“In general, people who are happier with their day-to-day life tend to be more extroverted, energetic, lively, sociable, interested in exploring new things, and engaged in social interactions (Lin et al., 2017; Lyubomirsky et al., 2005).”
From Risk, Trust, and the Roles of Human Versus Virtual Influencers (2024) · cites this paper as Lyubomirsky et al., 2005
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In the citing paper
“Positive affect is strongly related happiness and success (Lyubomirsky et al. 2005), thereby promoting adherence to physical activities (Schneider et al. 2009).”
From Adolescents’ dual affective response to dance in training, grading, and competition (2020) · cites this paper as Lyubomirsky et al. 2005
In the citing paper
“The most successful of these interventions have a variety of components and interactive elements to encourage engagement (including Beating the Blues, which is approved for use by the British National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence [35,36,37,38,39,40].)”
From An online positive affect skills intervention reduces depression in adults with type 2 diabetes (2014) · cites this paper as [39]
In the citing paper
“Optimism and positive affect appear to lead to greater social outreach and perception of social support [76], and people with higher ratings of positive psychological well-being report more social satisfaction [64, 76].”
From Positive Psychological Interventions for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Rationale, Theoretical Model, and Intervention Development (2015) · cites this paper as [76]
In the citing paper
“Positive psychological states and attributes can also increase social interactions and perceived social support.”
From Positive Psychological Interventions for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Rationale, Theoretical Model, and Intervention Development (2015) · cites this paper as [76]
In the citing paper
“Experimental and longitudinal studies have found that increased positive emotions lead to social, occupational, and health benefits [9].”
From Disseminating Self-Help: Positive Psychology Exercises in an Online Trial (2012) · cites this paper as [9]
In the citing paper
“The positive affect system also fosters approach-oriented behaviors, such as exploration and social initiation, that increase exposure to potentially rewarding outcomes,31 thereby facilitating the acquisition of social, physical, and intellectual resources9, 10, 32 that promote resilience during stress and overall well-being33.”
From Upregulating the positive affect system in anxiety and depression: Outcomes of a positive activity intervention: Taylor et al. (2017) · cites this paper as [10]
In the citing paper
“The benefits of positive emotions9, 10 and their potential clinical utility for psychopathology19–21 are increasingly well-documented.”
From Upregulating the positive affect system in anxiety and depression: Outcomes of a positive activity intervention: Taylor et al. (2017) · cites this paper as [10]
In the citing paper
“prior research suggesting that both positive affect (e.g. Fredrickson, 2013; Lyubomirsky et al., 2005) and negative affect (e.g. Keltner & Kring, 1998) contribute to social connections, and that positive affect may especially so (see Clark & Watson, 1988; Watson, Clark, McIntyre, & Hamaker, 1992; Taylor, Pearlstein et al., 2017; Taylor, Pearlstein, & Stein, 2020).”
From Enhancing social connectedness in anxiety and depression through amplification of positivity: Preliminary treatment outcomes and process of change (2020) · cites this paper as Lyubomirsky et al., 2005
In the citing paper
“The perception that we are connected to others is a basic human need that is linked to mental and physical well-being (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018; Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010, 2015; Lyubomirsky et al., 2005).”
From Enhancing social connectedness in anxiety and depression through amplification of positivity: Preliminary treatment outcomes and process of change (2020) · cites this paper as Lyubomirsky et al., 2005
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Citations
Cites
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Positive Psychology Progress: Empirical Validation of Interventions.
Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.60.5.410 · Cited by 5,947
The Handbook of Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis
(2019) · doi:10.7758/9781610448864 · Cited by 4,553
Relative Income, Happiness, and Utility: An Explanation for the Easterlin Paradox and Other Puzzles
Clark, A. E., Frijters, P., & Shields, M. A. (2008) · Journal of Economic Literature · doi:10.1257/jel.46.1.95 · Cited by 3,159
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Steptoe, A., Deaton, A., & Stone, A. A. (2014) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(13)61489-0 · Cited by 2,538
Metadata
- Authors
- Lyubomirsky, S., King, L., & Diener, E.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Riverside (US)
- University of Missouri (US)
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
- Venue
- Psychological Bulletin
- Published
- 2005-11
- Volume
- 131
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 803-855
- ISSN
- 0033-2909 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1455
- OpenAlex
- W2108577177
- Cited by
- 7,143
- References
- 437
- Citations by year
- 2026: 228 · 2025: 437 · 2024: 436 · 2023: 510 · 2022: 461 · 2021: 506 · 2020: 557 · 2019: 435 · 2018: 430 · 2017: 392 · 2016: 372 · 2015: 386 · 2014: 390 · 2013: 340 · 2012: 324
- FWCI
- 11.68
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- escholarship.org
- Locations
- Psychological Bulletin (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- SSRN Electronic Journal (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Optimism, Hope, and Well-being
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Keywords
- happiness, positive affect, success, well-being, life satisfaction, employee performance, income, marriage, friendship, conceptual model
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Affect, Happiness, Health, Humans, Income, Job Satisfaction, Marriage, Models, Psychological, Negativism, Personal Satisfaction, Time Factors, Friends
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