Research on individual differences in affective reactivity should use weak, ambiguous situations rather than the strong situations used in typical affect induction procedures

Neuroticism is consistently linked to lower well-being, particularly through heightened negative affect. Yet the specific affective processes underlying this association remain unclear. Affective reactivity has been proposed as one candidate mechanism, but laboratory evidence using affect induction procedures has been mixed. We suggest this inconsistency may stem from the design of these procedures, which often minimize individual differences to maximize experimental effects. Such an approach may inadvertently obscure the role of neuroticism in shaping affective responses. Building on situational strength theory, we examined whether neuroticism relates to affective reactivity differently in strong versus weak situations. Strong situations, characterized by clear demands and expectations, tend to constrain affective responses and reduce variability across individuals. Weak situations, by contrast, provide less structure, leaving room for subjective interpretation and amplifying personality-linked differences. We tested this idea across six laboratory experiments ( N = 1552). Results showed that neuroticism was unrelated to affective reactivity in strong situations but strongly associated with reactivity in weak situations. These findings highlight negative event appraisals as a central mechanism linking neuroticism to affective responses. More broadly, they underscore the importance of considering situational strength when studying affective reactivity—an area that may require approaches beyond standard affect induction procedures.