When Do Hedonic and Eudaimonic Orientations Lead to Happiness? Moderating Effects of Orientation Priority.

Hezhi Chen,Zhijia Zeng

doi:10.3390/ijerph18189798

Abstract

The effects of hedonic and eudaimonic orientations on individual well-being have received much scholarly attention. However, the empirical findings from previous research are not consistent, raising the question of when the pursuit of hedonia and eudaimonia lead to actual improvements in individual well-being. We argue that the relationship between orientations to happiness and well-being outcomes are moderated by orientation priorities, which reflect the relative level of importance individuals place on eudaimonic motives compared to hedonic motives. A total of 312 Chinese undergraduate students completed surveys assessing hedonic and eudaimonic orientations, orientation priorities, and well-being outcomes, including psychological well-being, positive affect, and negative affect. The results revealed that a eudaimonic orientation was positively related to psychological well-being, a hedonic orientation was positively related to positive affect, and both relationships were moderated by orientation priorities. For individuals who prioritized eudaimonia over hedonia, both orientations improved well-being. For individuals who prioritized hedonia over eudaimonia, the benefits related to well-being from both orientations decreased or disappeared. These findings suggest that orientation priorities are of equal importance in regard to hedonic and eudaimonic orientations.

Highlights

Orientations to happiness represent the values, motives, and goals of individuals that guide their behaviors to achieve happiness [1]
We propose that the priority individuals place on a eudaimonic orientation relative to hedonic orientation may be a crucial moderator, and that pursuing both hedonia and eudaimonia will improve well-being only for those who prioritize eudaimonia over hedonia
Orientation priority was positively related with the eudaimonic orientation (r = 0.48, p < 0.001) and negatively related with the hedonic orientation (r = −0.34, p < 0.001)

Summary

Introduction

Orientations to happiness represent the values, motives, and goals of individuals that guide their behaviors to achieve happiness [1]. Previous studies have reported inconsistent results, with some research showing that both hedonic and eudaimonic orientations promote well-being [3,4], whereas others have found that pursuing hedonia does not bring happiness and can even be harmful [5,6]. These conflicting findings suggest that the beneficial effects of hedonic and eudaimonic orientations are not straightforward and raise the question of when orientations to happiness improve individual well-being

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Methods

Discussion

Conclusion