Extraverts savor their behavior: examining extraversion and positive affect with momentary savoring

More often than not, human beings want to maximize life satisfaction, well-being and happiness. Research suggests that the Big-Five personality traits have a strong relationship with subjective well-being. Certain traits help create life event and drives behaviors that optimize well-being. Prior research has found a robust relationship between extraversion and positive affect. However, scant is known of the behavioral mechanisms that drive this relationship (Lucas & Fujita, 2000; Lucas & Diener, 2001), though there is evidence to suggest that extraversion entails qualities that facilitate savoring-an emotion regulation behavior that allows individuals to intentional prolong positive emotions and experiences (Bryant & Veroff, 2007). In order to better understand how and why extraversion increases positive affect, the current research seeks to test savoring as a behavioral mediator of this robust relationship. Across three studies, we find empirical evidence to suggest that extraverts have a higher capacity to savor, and acting extraverted regardless of dispositional personality, allow individuals to savor positive emotions more. However, of note, we also found that being introverted rapidly decreases individual's capacity to savor.