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Quizzes > Books & Literature

Authentic Happiness Test: How Well Do You Know the Book?

Quick, free happiness quiz to test your knowledge. Instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Corey MillicanUpdated Aug 24, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art coral background with layered cutouts and bold Authentic Happiness quiz text referencing the psychology classic

This quiz helps you test your knowledge of Authentic Happiness and its core ideas, from PERMA to signature strengths. Get a quick sense of what you remember and what to revisit. For more ways to reflect, see the life satisfaction quiz, the are you truly happy quiz, or the strengths finder quiz.

Who is the author of the psychology book "Authentic Happiness"?
Sonja Lyubomirsky
Daniel Kahneman
Martin Seligman
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Authentic Happiness was written by Martin E. P. Seligman, who is often called the father of positive psychology. The book explores theories and interventions designed to foster genuine well-being and happiness from a scientific perspective. It laid the groundwork for empirical research into positive emotion, engagement, and meaning. For more details, see .
According to Seligman in "Authentic Happiness", which of the following is NOT one of the three types of happiness he describes?
The Meaningful Life
The Engaged Life
The Accomplished Life
The Pleasant Life
Seligman outlines three forms of happiness: the Pleasant Life (enjoying positive emotions), the Engaged Life (deep involvement in activities), and the Meaningful Life (using strengths to serve something larger than self). The Accomplished Life is not one of the three core types introduced in Authentic Happiness. Instead, achievement as a formal dimension comes later in Seligmans PERMA model in his subsequent work. Read more at .
What primary psychological field does "Authentic Happiness" by Martin Seligman promote?
Psychoanalysis
Cognitive psychology
Behaviorism
Positive psychology
Authentic Happiness is foundational in the establishment of positive psychology, focusing on strengths, well-being, and flourishing rather than pathology. Seligman argues for empirical study of positive emotions and traits, advocating scientific interventions to enhance happiness. This field contrasts with traditional psychologys emphasis on mental illness and dysfunction. Further reading at .
The Authentic Happiness Inventory, presented in the book, is designed to measure what?
IQ scores
Authentic happiness levels
Personality traits
Emotional intelligence
The Authentic Happiness Inventory is a self-report questionnaire developed by Seligman to assess an individuals level of authentic happiness and well-being. It asks participants to rate statements about pleasurable experiences and satisfaction to generate a composite happiness score. This tool has been used widely in positive psychology research to evaluate interventions. For more information, see .
In "Authentic Happiness", Seligman distinguishes between hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Which best describes eudaimonic well-being?
Brief mood boosts
Financial success
Pleasure and sensory enjoyment
Deep engagement and meaningful purpose
Eudaimonic well-being, as discussed by Seligman, refers to living in accordance with ones true self and values, involving engagement, purpose, and personal growth. It contrasts with hedonic well-being, which focuses solely on pleasure and immediate happiness. Seligman argues eudaimonia leads to more sustainable and fulfilling happiness. For a scholarly overview, see .
According to Seligman, using ones signature strengths regularly is most likely to result in what outcome?
An increase in stress levels
A significant increase in well-being and life satisfaction
A temporary mood swing
A decrease in creativity
Seligmans research shows that identifying and applying personal signature strengthssuch as curiosity or kindnessleads to higher levels of happiness, engagement, and life satisfaction over time. The exercise of these strengths creates positive psychological outcomes and resilience. This principle underlies many positive psychology interventions. More details at .
How many character strengths are included in the VIA Classification system introduced in "Authentic Happiness"?
12
30
6
24
Seligman, along with Peterson, developed the VIA (Values in Action) Classification of character strengths comprising 24 measurable, universal traits organized under six broad virtues. This taxonomy was designed to provide researchers and practitioners a framework for studying positive human qualities systematically. The VIA Survey assesses these strengths to promote flourishing. See .
Which positive psychology intervention, recommended in "Authentic Happiness", involves writing letters to express appreciation to others?
Systematic desensitization
Gratitude letter exercise
Dream journaling
Cognitive restructuring
The gratitude letter exercise asks participants to write and sometimes deliver a letter expressing thanks to someone who has had a positive impact on their life. Seligman reports that this intervention can boost happiness and reduce depressive symptoms for weeks. It is one of several empirically supported positive interventions in the book. Learn more at .
Which psychologists concept of flow is cited in "Authentic Happiness" to explain deep engagement?
Carl Rogers
Albert Bandura
B.F. Skinner
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Seligman references Mihaly Csikszentmihalyis concept of flowan optimal psychological state of total absorption in challenging activitiesto illustrate the importance of engagement in well-being. Flow experiences are linked to increased creativity, performance, and happiness. This collaboration between scholars highlights multidisciplinary foundations of positive psychology. For more, visit .
The Authentic Happiness Inventory typically uses which scale format for responses?
A 0 to 10 numerical rating scale
A 1 to 100 percentile scale
A 1 to 5 Likert scale
A 1 to 7 semantic differential scale
Participants respond to statements on the Authentic Happiness Inventory by rating how each statement applies to them on a 0 (not at all) to 10 (very much) scale. This granular format allows for sensitive measurement of changes in well-being. A 010 scale is standard in many positive psychology assessments for ease of interpretation. See .
In the VIA classification outlined in "Authentic Happiness", which of the following is NOT considered one of the six core virtues?
Wisdom and knowledge
Gratitude
Transcendence
Courage
The six core virtues in the VIA system are wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. Gratitude is one of the 24 character strengths under the virtue category of transcendence, not a virtue itself. Seligmans framework distinguishes overarching virtues from individual strengths. For the full classification, see .
What type of research design does Seligman primarily endorse in "Authentic Happiness" to validate positive psychology interventions?
Randomized controlled trials
Case studies
Thematic analysis
Qualitative interviews
Seligman emphasizes the use of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to empirically test the effectiveness of positive psychology interventions, ensuring that observed effects on happiness and well-being are attributable to the treatment itself. RCTs are considered the gold standard in psychological research for establishing causal relationships. This methodological rigor distinguishes positive psychology from anecdotal self-help approaches. Read more at .
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand Foundational Principles -

    Gain clarity on Seligman's authentic happiness framework and how it defines genuine well-being.

  2. Analyze Core Theories -

    Examine the central concepts from the authentic happiness book to reinforce your grasp of positive psychology.

  3. Navigate the Authentic Happiness Test -

    Learn how to take and interpret the authentic happiness test, drawing on authentichappiness.org test resources for accuracy.

  4. Apply Quiz Insights -

    Utilize results from the authentic happiness quiz online to pinpoint your emotional strengths and areas for growth.

  5. Compare with Psychology Benchmarks -

    Contrast your responses against established happiness psychology quiz standards for a deeper perspective on well-being.

Cheat Sheet

  1. PERMA Model for Well-Being -

    The PERMA framework, developed by Martin Seligman at the University of Pennsylvania, outlines five core elements of flourishing: Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. Use the mnemonic "PERMA salad" to recall each ingredient when taking the authentic happiness test or an authentic happiness quiz online. Research in the Journal of Positive Psychology confirms that balanced scores across all five dimensions predict higher life satisfaction.

  2. Signature Strengths Assessment -

    The VIA Institute on Character hosts the authentichappiness.org test to help you identify your top five character strengths, such as gratitude or perseverance, drawn from over 240 traits in positive psychology. Applying your signature strengths in daily tasks fosters engagement and boosts scores on an authentic happiness book test or happiness psychology quiz. Studies published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology show that strength-based interventions raise well-being by 12 - 15% over six weeks.

  3. Flow State and Optimal Experience -

    Csikszentmihalyi's flow theory, often featured in happiness psychology quizzes, describes a state where Challenge ≈ Skill, minimizing anxiety and boredom. Remember the simple formula Flow = High Challenge + High Skill > Boredom/Anxiety, and check how you rate in this dimension on the authentic happiness quiz online. Empirical work in American Psychologist indicates regular flow experiences correlate with lasting increases in subjective well-being.

  4. Learned Helplessness vs. Learned Optimism -

    Originally detailed in the authentic happiness book, learned helplessness shows how attributing failures to stable, internal causes undermines motivation. Counter by applying Seligman's ABC model (Adversity - Belief - Consequence) to reframe setbacks into temporary, external issues - this technique often surfaces in the authentic happiness book test. Clinical trials in Behaviour Research and Therapy find that learned optimism training reduces depressive symptoms by over 30%.

  5. Reliable Measurement Scales -

    The Authentic Happiness Inventory and Satisfaction With Life Scale are widely used, with Cronbach's alpha coefficients above .85, ensuring reliability in both lab-based happiness psychology quizzes and the authentichappiness.org test. Familiarize yourself with sample items like "In most ways my life is close to my ideal" to sharpen your test-taking skills. Meta-analyses in Psychological Bulletin confirm these scales' strong convergent validity with measures of eudaimonic well-being.

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