J2: Comparisons With Otber Situations. Happines can also be influenced by judgment comparisons made in relation to two kinds of situation: those that were expected, and those that might otherwise have occurred. In the first case (J2A in Table 9.1), it has been argued that “unexpected success gives pleasure and happiness; unexpected failure gives dissatisfaction and leads to unhappiness” (feedman, 1978, p. 224). Systematic research into contrasts of that kind has mainly been carried out in laboratory settings. For example, Feather (1969) found that unexpected or failure in an anagram-solving task was rated as more satisfying or less satisfying, respectively, than expected outcomes, Similarly, bad news felt worse, and good news felt better, when it was unexpected rather than expected in laboratory research by Shepperd and McNulty (2002).