Cheerfulness

A low score is not sadness, which belongs to neuroticism. Low scorers are not unhappy; they are even, and they feel joy as a quiet thing rather than a loud one. The two facets vary independently: people can be low on both, high on both, or one of each.

A high score is not optimism in the sense of expecting good outcomes, and it is not a guarantee of a happy life. It is a disposition to feel good readily, which circumstances still test.

Four items make a short scale. A facet score moves more between attempts than the 24-item domain score, and it describes a tendency in ordinary life as the person reports it, not a diagnosis of anything.

High. People high on this facet say they radiate joy, have a lot of fun, love life and look at the bright side. In daily life that shows as laughter that others catch, enthusiasm for small things, a quick recovery of good spirits, and being the person others want at a party or a bedside.

Low. People low on this facet say they do not radiate joy and are not often described as fun. In daily life that shows as an even temper, pleasure that is felt more than shown, and a reserve that others may read as seriousness. Many low scorers are deeply content.

• Extraversion: the broad trait this facet belongs to, with five sibling facets.

Of all thirty facets, positive emotions, which this facet measures, is the strongest single correlate of life satisfaction and happiness. (Anglim and others, 2020)

Extraverts respond with more positive feeling to pleasant and rewarding situations, a difference in emotional reactivity that this facet captures. (Smillie and others, 2012)

Sensitivity to reward and the pleasant feelings that follow it appear to be the core of extraversion across cultures, with sociability a consequence. (Lucas and others, 2000)

• Friendliness
• Gregariousness
• Assertiveness
• Activity level
• Excitement-seeking