Eudaimonic Motives Research Articles

Hedonic vs. Eudaimonic Ways of Living on the Path to Well-Being and Psychological Distress: Turkish Validation of HEMA-R

The Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives for Activities-Revised (HEMA-R) measures eudaimonic, hedonic, hedonic pleasure, and hedonic comfort motivations. We tested the psychometric properties of the HEMA-R among Turkish-speaking university students (N = 255) and adults (N = 460). Confirmatory factor analyses among university students demonstrated both two-factor and three-factor solutions of the HEMA-R, while confirmatory factor analyses among adults identified a three-factor solution. Internal consistencies of the HEMA-R were largely over α and ω > .80. In both samples, eudaimonic motivation always had at least slightly more positive associations with well-being indicators compared to hedonic motivation, hedonic pleasure motivation, and hedonic comfort motivation, while having negative weak relationships in half of the analyses with ill-being indicators. Hedonic motivation had mostly weak positive associations with the majority of well-being outcomes, while surprisingly having weak positive associations with several indices of ill-being. Hedonic pleasure motivation had weak positive associations with the majority of well-being indicators, and hedonic comfort motivation did not have any association with some of the well-being indicators. They predominantly had no associations with ill-being indicators. Eudaimonic and hedonic indicators of motivation both related to need satisfaction and meaning in life indicators. Implications are discussed for future research.

Understanding the Dynamics of Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives on Daily Well-Being: Insights from Experience Sampling Data

Previous studies have consistently found that hedonic and eudaimonic motives positively predict subjective well-being. In this study, we emphasized the importance of considering curvilinear effects alongside main effects and interactions to fully understand these relationships. Using polynomial regression models, we examined the relationships between hedonic motives, eudaimonic motives, and subjective well-being. To examine both trait-level and momentary-level relations with well-being, we used experience sampling methodology to collect real-time data from 161 participants over a 7-day period. Our findings suggested that engaging in activities towards fulfilling both motives was associated with positive experiences, and individuals with high levels of hedonic and eudaimonic motives in their daily lives generally reported higher subjective well-being. Nevertheless, we also identified negative interaction effects between both motives on subjective well-being, which imply that there may be a limit to the positive contributions of combinations of both motives to subjective well-being. We discuss the implications of our findings for understanding the nuanced relationships between hedonic and eudaimonic motives and subjective well-being.

The Moderating Role of Psychological Needs on the Relationship between Eudaimonia and Mental Health

Cultivating an eudaimonic lifestyle benefits mental health. However, it is not known under which circumstances the benefits of eudaimonia are the most pronounced. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) as the moderators of the effects eudaimonia has on mental health (general mental health, positive and negative mental health). In total, 328 young adults took part in this study, of which 36.6% were males, whose ages ranged between 18 and 30, with a median of 19 years (SD = 1.32). Questionnaires were used to measure eudaimonia (The Eudaimonia Scale from The Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives for Activities), psychological needs (The Basic Psychological Needs Scale), and mental health (The Mental Health Inventory). To analyze the data, hierarchical regression analyses and analyses of variance have been performed. The results revealed that of all psychological needs, only the need for relatedness moderated the relationship between eudaimonia and general mental health and eudaimonia and negative mental health. Individuals with high eudaimonia and a highly satisfied need for relatedness had good general mental health and fewer mental health disturbances. The findings suggest that if one practices meaningful behaviors, the positive change in the mental health domain is greatest when those actions benefit not only this individual but others as well.

Personality and individual differences in the relationship between hedonic and eudaimonic motives and well-being in daily life

To understand the role of personality in the relationship between hedonic motives (e.g., pleasure), eudaimonic motives (e.g., excellence/meaning), and subjective well-being, we sampled 218 university students who completed an online questionnaire and a week of experience sampling surveys. Besides documenting the associations between personality and both motives, we found that the impact of both motives on average subjective well-being did not differ across different levels of the Big Five personality traits. Adding to these trait-level findings, we found that people high on neuroticism generally had more negative experiences when they did not engage in either motive. People high on neuroticism may have a lower setpoint of well-being compared to their peers but may equally benefit from engaging in either motive.

Examining the relationship between pro-environmental consumption behaviour and hedonic and eudaimonic motivation

The present study examines the factors that influence the adoption of environmentally friendly products and environmentally conscious consumption by individuals. The conceptual framework incorporates environmental knowledge, perceived behavioral control, environmental concern, and perceived consumer efficacy in order to highlight the factors that contribute to environmental consciousness. Incorporating the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior, 479 participants completed structured questionnaires as part of this study. The study examined the mediating effects of hedonic and eudaimonic perspectives, in addition to the moderating effects of age and consumer attributes. Structural Equation Modeling Artificial Neural Networks (SEM ANN) were utilized for validation. Findings confirm the substantial influence of predictors from the Theory of Planned Behavior on hedonic motivation, amplifying cognitive rational processes and ultimately resulting in satisfaction and repeat product purchases. Individuals are driven by eudaimonic motivations to take part in sustainable actions, even if they have limited environmental knowledge. This reflects their deeper values of fulfillment and social responsibility. Generation Z and millennials have unique motivations that influence their decision to purchase green products. Regular buyers' hedonic motivations have a significant impact on their purchase intentions, whereas eudaimonic motivations consistently influence purchase decisions regardless of the type of buyer. The findings of the study offer significant insights for marketers of environmentally friendly products, enabling them to comprehend the aspects that impact pro-environmental considerations and successfully establish their green products as a brand.

Конструктивные функции мечты: от теоретической модели к эмпирической валидизации. Часть 2.

<p>The second part of the article presents an empirical investigation of the hypotheses concerning the positive functions of dreaming set forth in the first part of the article. Study 1 describes the development and validation of the Constructive dreaming Inventory (CDI). The bifactor four-factor ESEM model showed good agreement with empirical data: the questionnaire includes the Overall Constructive Dreaming Index and four specific scales (Dream Presence, Dream Value, Dream Absorption, and Belief in one’s Dream). CDI showed good evidence of structural and convergent validity and sufficiently high scale reliability (a>0.76) for research purposes. In study 2, we tested hypotheses about the correlation of the constructive dreaming (CD) intensity with a range of indicators of positive functioning. We discovered that CD has moderate connections with mental health and well-being, personal autonomy and self-determination, balanced time perspective, eudaimonic motives, and a more positive prognosis of one’s ability to reach one’s personal goals. The hypothesis about the positive associations of CD with the predominance of intrinsic aspirations over extrinsic ones was not proven. Nevertheless, the results suggested that dreams and dreaming play an important role in emotional and motivational regulation of mental activity.</p>

Decoding the dual desire: Expressive and impressive motivations for neo-luxury wearables

ABSTRACT In today’s rapidly evolving consumer landscape, understanding the motivational drivers behind consumer interaction with brands and purchase intentions is paramount for effective marketing communications. This research dives deep into the impressive and expressive consumer motivations influencing attitudes and purchase intentions for neo-luxury smart wearables. By employing a blended methodology of qualitative conceptual mapping and quantitative fsQCA analysis on consumer survey data, we uncover the integral role of both hedonic (pleasure-seeking) and eudaimonic (meaning-seeking) motivations for the contemporary neo-luxury consumer. Our findings underscore that a harmonious interplay between these motivations can bolster purchase intentions, even mitigating potential deterrents like skepticism or price-related apprehensions. This research offers invaluable insights for marketing communicators, including a nuanced understanding of these dual motivations as essential to crafting resonant messages for smart wearables. This paper reveals the strategies practitioners should adopt to effectively communicate the value proposition of innovative neo-luxury wearables, ensuring that messaging appeals to the expressive and impressive desires of the modern consumer.

The ‘Euphoria’ effect: A popular HBO show, Gen Z, and drug policy beliefs

AbstractObjectiveCan a fictional show affect its audience's perspectives on the issue of drug use and addiction in society? This article aims to answer that question.MethodsWe use a survey with an embedded experiment to assess the relationship between the popular HBO show Euphoria and attitudes of Gen Z on the issue of drugs, including: feelings toward drug users and those caught up in drug addiction; beliefs regarding the causes of drug addiction; and, attitudes toward harm reduction, treatment, and punitive drug policies. Subjects were recruited from Amazon's Mechanical Turk.ResultsWe found that reevoking the show by showing photos of two of the main characters led to drug attitudes consistent with the messages about drugs found in Euphoria. We also found that self‐reported exposure to the show was associated with perspectives on drugs consistent with the content of the show for respondents who scored higher on individual transportability—results that conform closely to theoretical expectations. The fact that these results were found in a study 8 months after the final episode of Euphoria was aired hints at the durability of the show's effects.ConclusionsThe results add to the growing body of research on the political effects of entertainment media and provide additional validation of new and important measures of the propensity of individuals to be transported by narratives and eudaimonic motivation in entertainment media choice.

A New Factor "Otherism" Added to the Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives for Activities Scale (HEMA) in Chinese Culture.

Due to different understandings of happiness, people adopt different tendencies to act, which is called orientation to happiness (OTH). Our previous study found that OTH had two core themes, Self-focused and Other-focused in Chinese culture, which was different from OTH structures in Western culture. However, no corresponding measurement tool has been developed or revised. The Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives for Activities Scale (HEMA) was the most commonly used measurement tool of OTH in recent years. The present study aimed to develop a Chinese version of the HEMA. A total of 1729 Chinese adults participated in this study. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to examine the underlying structure of the Chinese version of the HEMA. The results supported the 3-factor structure of the translation instrument, and the 15-item scale had good convergent and discriminant validity. The three dimensions were named Hedonism, Eudaimonism, and Otherism. Among them, Otherism is a new dimension, which means "the pursuit of the harmony of the group and achieving happiness by fulfilling their responsibilities in the group". The revised tool was named the Hedonic, Eudaimonic, and Otheristic Motives for Activities Scale-Chinese (HEOMA-C). The results showed that the HEOMA-C has good reliability and validity. Overall, the present study provided an effective tool to assess the OTH in Chinese culture.

The Role of Eudaimonic Motivation on the Well-Being of College Athletes: The Chain-Mediating Effect of Meaning Searching and Meaning Experience

Subjective well-being is an essential indicator for evaluating the quality of life of college athletes. According to self-determination theory, eudaimonic motivation is a positive psychological characteristic that is supposed to have a favorable influence on college athletes’ acquisition of subjective well-being. In order to examine the relationship between the two and test the mediating effects of meaning searching and meaning experience, this study investigated the relevant data of 593 college athletes from four different provinces in China. The findings are as follows: (1) the direct effect of eudaimonic motivation on college athletes’ subjective well-being was significant and positive. (2) The mediating effect of meaning searching between eudaimonic motivation and subjective well-being was nonsignificant. (3) However, meaning experience mediated the positive influence of eudaimonic motivation on subjective well-being. (4) Eudaimonic motivation was related indirectly and positively to subjective well-being via the chain-mediating effect of meaning searching and meaning experience. The present study provides empirical evidence for the relationship between positive psychological characteristics and the subjective well-being of college athletes and suggests that educators look for positive qualities to cultivate from the perspective of positive psychology, which can help to prevent psychological disorders and improve the well-being of college athletes.

Self-Transcendence Values Influence Meaningful Sports Consumption Behavior: The Chain Mediator of Team Identification and Eudaimonic Motivation

With the improvement of people’s material conditions and the change of their values, sports consumption has shifted from hedonistic consumption, which simply pursues pleasurable experiences, to meaningful consumption, which seeks self-growth and life values. Meaningful sports consumption behavior has also received attention from scholars. The primary purpose of this study is to explore the mechanisms of meaningful sports consumption behavior from the perspective of individual values. Using self-transcendence values as the independent variable, team identification, and eudaimonic motivation as mediators, and introducing subjective on-field performance and hypo-egoic mindset as moderating variables, this study explores how self-transcendence values influence meaningful sports consumption behavior. The empirical analysis based on 910 questionnaire data in China revealed that self-transcendence values have a significant positive impact on meaningful sports consumption behavior through the chain mediating role of team identification and eudaimonic motivation. Subjective on-field performance and hypo-egoic mindset play a moderating role in this influence. This study enriches the study of sports consumption behavior, deepens the research on meaningful sports consumption behavior, and introduces a new research perspective to sports consumption behavior. The results of this study provide new management ideas for sports marketers to attract and increase consumer stickiness.

Players Just Want to Have Fun? An Exploratory Survey on Hedonic and Eudaimonic Game Motives

Research has shown that seeking fun and enjoyment (i.e., hedonic reasons) motivates playing digital games. However, recent scholarship revealed that gaming also evokes eudaimonic entertainment experiences, such as meaningfulness and being moved. Yet, it is unclear whether players turn to games to have such eudaimonic experiences. Hence, the present study explored potential eudaimonic gaming motives in an online survey among fans ( N = 894) of five yet-to-be-released games. Specifically, it was examined whether eudaimonic motives, derived from gaming research and scholarship in positive psychology, complement an existing scale measuring gaming motives. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (split-half method) demonstrated that “Eudaimonia” represents a distinct reason to play—alongside the well-known motives of “Absorption” and “Social Interaction.” Moreover, the Eudaimonia motive for using the five games was positively related to general eudaimonic orientations in life and trait-like eudaimonic game preferences. The results suggest that digital gaming may also be eudaimonically motivated.

Informal learning and wellbeing outcomes of gameplay and their associations with gameplay motivation.

Educational functions of digital games are often seen only in the light of the serious and purposeful activities that aim for learning outcomes, in contrast with non-educational games that are designed for entertainment. The focus of this paper is in studying players' learning outcomes from playing non-educational games, and how these relate to wellbeing outcomes of playing, and gaming motivation. The data for this study was collected via a survey (N = 1,202) in the United Kingdom and the United States. The survey respondents answered the question regarding what players perceive they have learnt by playing digital games. A generic data-driven qualitative content analysis of the responses to this question yielded 11 categories representing different types of game-based learning outcomes. A consequent cluster analysis suggested three groups of informal game-based learning, which differed in their emphasis on (1) learning persistence, (2) learning practices and community, and (3) learning to perform. Our analyses indicated substantial connections between the learning outcomes and gameplay motives and gameplay activity preferences. Such connections point out how gameplay activity has an inherently close relationship with learning. Moreover, the results yielded significant association between learning outcomes, wellbeing measures, and eudaimonic motives to play digital games. These results indicate that playing games because gaming is aligned with players' core values and need for self-realization are clear precedents for both wellbeing and learning outcomes.

Sources of Wellbeing Amongst Saudi Arabian Women Academic Leaders: An Explorative Study

Although Saudi Arabian women increasingly attain leadership positions in a national reform movement, few studies have examined their wellbeing during this time of cultural change. Contributing to filling this gap, we engaged ten Saudi women academic leaders in semi-structured interviews, inquiring into their perspectives on wellbeing. Three thematic sources of wellbeing—ecological building blocks, spiritual wellsprings, and eudaimonic motivations—highlight that these Saudi women leaders are drawing from varied sources, from skydiving or culturally unique iterations of ‘me time’ to socio-spiritual activities and relationships. The women identified stresses including balancing ageing parents and young children with their high-pressure positions and co-workers with outdated mindsets. Describing their work as social contributions, acts of worship, and charitable offerings of knowledge, the women’s voices counter stereotypes while illuminating culturally specific sources of wellbeing across life domains.

A growing concern for meaning: Exploring the links between ego development and eudaimonia.

Eudaimonia, in contrast to hedonia, is theorized to be a more complex type of positive functioning that involves personal growth and is guided by the pursuit of meaning. However, the existing evidence linking eudaimonia to personality development is rather scarce. To fill this gap, we aimed to explore whether ego development is related to eudaimonic well-being and eudaimonic orientations, most notably, the concern for meaning: we explored both the quantitative differences in the presence of meaning and the search for it, as well as qualitative differences in lay theories of meaning. Russian-speaking volunteers recruited online (N = 364, aged 18 to 85, 63% female) completed measures of ego development (Washington University Sentence Completion Test), meaning in life (Meaning in Life Questionnaire), lay theories of meaning (and original 20-item measure), hedonic and eudaimonic motives for activities (HEMA), and well-being (Mental Health Continuum-Short Form). Ego development emerged as a weak, but significant positive predictor of well-being and this effect was fully mediated by the presence of meaning and eudaimonic motives. Latent profile analysis of the items tapping into lay theories of meaning revealed four distinct individual approaches to meaning that mainly differed in the subjective importance and salience of meaning. Participants with stronger concern for meaning revealed higher scores on ego development, both presence and search for meaning, eudaimonic motives, and well-being. The results add to the evidence concerning the links between ego development and well-being and are in line with the theoretical view of eudaimonia as a process of growth guided by personal concern for meaning. The findings suggest that eudaimonia might be more easily attained by individuals at higher stages of personal development.

Music, Pleasure, and Meaning: The Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motivations for Music (HEMM) Scale

Many people listen to music that conveys challenging emotions such as sadness and anger, despite the commonly assumed purpose of media being to elicit pleasure. We propose that eudaimonic motivation, the desire to engage with aesthetic experiences to be challenged and facilitate meaningful experiences, can explain why people listen to music containing such emotions. However, it is unknown whether music containing violent themes can facilitate such meaningful experiences. In this investigation, three studies were conducted to determine the implications of eudaimonic and hedonic (pleasure-seeking) motivations for fans of music with violent themes. In Study 1, we developed and tested a new scale and showed that fans exhibit high levels of both types of motivation. Study 2 further validated the new scale and provided evidence that the two types of motivations are associated with different affective outcomes. Study 3 revealed that fans of violently themed music exhibited higher levels of eudaimonic motivation and lower levels of hedonic motivation than fans of non-violently themed music. Taken together, the findings support the notion that fans of music with violent themes are driven to engage with this music to be challenged and to pursue meaning, as well as to experience pleasure. Implications for fans' well-being and future applications of the new measure are discussed.

Life Satisfaction and Self-Esteem in Older Adults Engaging in Formal Volunteering: A Cross-Sectional Study in Taiwan.

Previous research has reported an association between life satisfaction, self-esteem, and volunteering. However, it is unclear whether self-esteem is associated with life satisfaction in older adults who are already engaged in volunteering. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the association between life satisfaction and self-esteem in older adults who were formally volunteering at a non-governmental organization in Taiwan. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 186 formal volunteers aged ≥ 65 years who were recruited from the Keelung chapter of the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation in Taiwan. A hierarchical stepwise linear regression was used to examine the association between scores on the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and the Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives for Activities-Revised (HEMA-R) scale. The results showed that SWLS was significantly associated with RSES score (standardized beta (std. β) = 0.199, p = 0.003), the eudaimonic subscale score of the HEMA-R (std. β = 0.353, p < 0.001), a vegetarian diet (std. β = 0.143, p = 0.027), and volunteering for five days or more a week (std. β = 0.161, p = 0.011). In conclusion, improving self-esteem and promoting eudaimonic motives in older adults who are formally volunteering could be effective strategies for enhancing their levels of life satisfaction.

Why are hedonists less happy than eudaimonists? The chain mediating role of goal conflict and mixed emotions.

Human motivation for happiness involves two main orientations of hedonia and eudaimonia. Numerous studies have shown that hedonic motivation has a much smaller effect on happiness outcomes than eudaimonic motivation, but little is known about the reasons for this. According to the Self-Determination Theory and the Levels of Valence Model, this may be related to the different goal conflicts and mixed emotions elicited by the two motivations. To demonstrate this, the study examined the mediating effect of the above two variables between happiness motivation and life satisfaction. Furthermore, it explained why hedonists are less happy than eudaimonists by comparing the two happiness motivations in terms of their respective path effects. The study randomly selected 788 college students from 13 different provinces of China to examine the relationships between hedonic motivation, eudaimonic motivation, goal conflict, mixed emotions, and life satisfaction. The result showed that (1) the direct effect of hedonic motivation on life satisfaction was marginally significant, and the effect size was much smaller than that of eudaimonic motivation. (2) The direct and indirect effects of hedonic motivation were the opposite, with a large suppressing effect. In contrast, all paths of eudaimonic motivation positively affected life satisfaction. (3) Hedonic motivation negatively influenced life satisfaction through mixed emotions and the chain mediating effect of goal conflict and mixed emotions, whereas eudaimonic motivation positively influenced life satisfaction through these two mediating paths. (4) The effects on all paths of hedonic motivation were significantly smaller than those of eudaimonic motivation, except for the path mediated by goal conflict. This study explains why hedonists are less happy than eudaimonists from the perspective of goal pursuit, emphasizes the critical role of differences in goal pursuit state and experience between happiness motivation and life satisfaction, and provides new ideas for the study of the influence mechanism of happiness motivation. At the same time, the deficiencies of hedonic motivation and the advantages of eudaimonic motivation presented by the study provide directions for cultivating happiness motivation for adolescents in the practice field.

Academics–Athletics Conflict and College Athletes’ Well-Being: The Mediating Effect of Negative Emotions and the Moderating Effect of Life Motivation

For college athletes who perform dual roles (student and athlete), the academics-athletics conflict is inevitable in daily life. Although existing studies have focused on the adverse effects of this conflict on the well-being of college athletes, they have not yet determined the underlying mechanism and effective measures to alleviate it. To explore the underlying mechanism of academics-athletics conflict, which affects the well-being of college athletes, we constructed a moderated mediating model to examine the critical role of negative emotions and life motivation in the relationship between them. The study randomly selected 802 college athletes from China to examine the relationships between academics-athletics conflict, negative emotions, eudaimonic motives, hedonic motives, and life satisfaction. The results showed that (1) negative emotions played an important mediating role between academics-athletics conflict and college athletes' life satisfaction, with more than 79% of the effect of academics-athletics conflict being achieved through negative emotions. (2) Eudaimonic motives significantly moderated the first half of the mediation path of negative emotions between academics-athletics conflict and life satisfaction. Individuals with high eudaimonic motives experienced fewer negative emotions in the medium and weak conflict conditions. (3) Hedonic motives had a significant moderating effect on the second half of the mediation path. Individuals with high hedonic motives had greater life satisfaction across negative emotion conditions. This study provides important insights for a comprehensive understanding and in-depth study of the relationship between conflict and the well-being of college athletes, as well as a reference for the quality-of-life enhancement and motivation development for college athletes.

Moving lifestyle migration beyond the sun: a eudaimonic well-being approach

ABSTRACT Lifestyle migration studies have gained increasing attention from various disciplines, yet the eudaimonic well-being approach is a neglected research area in the relevant field. This study examines international lifestyle migrants’ eudaimonic motivations and experiences, thus focusing on beyond the widely investigated external factors such as climate and economic conditions. To this end, using a qualitative approach, interviews were conducted with lifestyle migrants who permanently live in Alanya, a resort town on the Mediterranean coast in Turkey, to reveal their everyday life practices. The findings indicate that lifestyle migrants benefit from the new living condition in various ways to fulfill their eudaimonic well-being including its dimensions such as autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, purpose in life, positive relations, and self-acceptance. Thus, the study reveals that migration to Mediterranean coastal regions includes not just enjoying better economic and weather conditions but also existential issues as well. Therefore, the research uncovers the eudaimonic aspect of questing well-being through lifestyle migration, hence, offers a new perspective. The study provides theoretical and managerial implications and contributes to the tourism and migration field.