Hedonic Components Research Articles

The effect of hedonic and eudaimonic happiness in driving altruistic food choices

AbstractThis study investigates whether individual happiness affects prosocial behavior in food choices. We considered two distinct dimensions of happiness: hedonic and eudaimonic. The hedonic component is focused on pleasure, joy, and immediate gratification, while the eudaimonic aspect is related to a sense of purpose in life, personal growth, and the fulfillment of individual aspirations. We conducted a discrete choice experiment to assess if happy people are more prone to altruistic choices when buying food. The results indicate that individual happiness exerts distinct effects according to its two dimensions, eudaimonia and hedonism. We found that happiness influences the demand for ethical foods, whereas it exerts a detrimental effect on preferences for food with environmental labels.

The Art of Slowness: Slow Motion Enhances Consumer Evaluations by Increasing Processing Fluency

Slow motion is a popular video editing tool used to enhance short-form videos (e.g., reels, stories, GIFs), which are commonly found in media entertainment and marketing communications. This research shows that slow motion increases the virality (e.g., likes, votes, views) of short-form videos and boosts brand liking, choice, and willingness to pay. The effect occurs because slow motion enhances the hedonic component of the viewing experience via processing fluency. By documenting how the success of slow motion is subject to moderators, this work shows marketers, entertainment producers, and everyday people how to use slow motion more effectively. Across a large-scale field data set and six experiments, the authors highlight that slow motion is especially effective when applied to short-form videos that are inherently pleasant and that involve complex movements that are difficult to perceive at regular speed. However, even simple movements benefit from slow motion when content creators zoom in on subtle movements to increase complexity. Moreover, slow motion is more effective when viewers engage in less elaborate processing. Finally, the authors show that the perceived disfluency of fast-motion editing is effective at boosting brand evaluations when viewers desire excitement.

Disentangling the role of NAc D1 and D2 cells in hedonic eating

Overeating is driven by both the hedonic component (‘liking’) of food, and the motivation (‘wanting’) to eat it. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a key brain center implicated in these processes, but how distinct NAc cell populations encode ‘liking’ and ‘wanting’ to shape overconsumption remains unclear. Here, we probed the roles of NAc D1 and D2 cells in these processes using cell-specific recording and optogenetic manipulation in diverse behavioral paradigms that disentangle reward traits of ‘liking’ and ‘wanting’ related to food choice and overeating in healthy mice. Medial NAc shell D2 cells encoded experience-dependent development of ‘liking’, while D1 cells encoded innate ‘liking’ during the first food taste. Optogenetic control confirmed causal links of D1 and D2 cells to these aspects of ‘liking’. In relation to ‘wanting’, D1 and D2 cells encoded and promoted distinct aspects of food approach: D1 cells interpreted food cues while D2 cells also sustained food-visit-length that facilitates consumption. Finally, at the level of food choice, D1, but not D2, cell activity was sufficient to switch food preference, programming subsequent long-lasting overconsumption. By revealing complementary roles of D1 and D2 cells in consumption, these findings assign neural bases to ‘liking’ and ‘wanting’ in a unifying framework of D1 and D2 cell activity.

Mobile phone-enabled internet services and the technology readiness of the users

At a time the ecosystem of mobile phones continues to evolve, this study investigates the impact of the users’ technology readiness (TR) and perceived value (PV) of mobile phone-enabled internet usage (MPEIU). The primary aim of this study is to examine the potential roles of TR and the dimensions of PV as antecedents of mobile data usage and to contribute to the debate on the determinants of technology acceptance and usage by individuals. The perceived value of mobile phone-enabled internet is conceptualised under five dimensions, viz: (1) utilitarian value, (2) hedonic value, (3) uniqueness value, (4) epistemic value, and (5) economic value, in a survey conducted by using a validated questionnaire, with a sample of 550 adult mobile phone users in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. The data analysis employs covariance based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM) analytical process and the findings reveal that their adoption intention (AI) has a direct positive influence on the MPEIU. It is discovered that the utilitarian, epistemic, and hedonic value dimensions of MPEIU indicate a direct influence on their AI while TR indicates an indirect influence on it. The findings imply that the generic strategic approaches (i.e., cost and differentiation) to mobile internet services may be an ineffective solution and suggest that the focus should shift towards improving the utilitarian, epistemic, and hedonic components of mobile internet services. Accordingly, the users with a higher level of TR indicated an affinity to have a higher AI and higher usage. Therefore, the user’s TR is recommended here as the basis for market segmentation.

Distant local-guided tour perceptions and experiences of online travellers

This paper investigated travellers’ perceptions and experiences of using distant local guided tours during the COVID-19 pandemic utilising a qualitative methodology. The reviews’ content of online travellers regarding distant local-guided tours offered by a sharing economy platform – Withlocals – in different destinations was analysed. The results demonstrated that travellers’ distant local-guided tour experiences include celebration, togetherness and socialising, escape and relaxation, memorable, educational, and hedonic components. Additionally, travellers perceived distant local-guided tours as an alternative travel type, preparation for an actual visit, and inspiration for face-to-face experiences. Therefore, distant local-guided tours can be defined as engaging alternative travel types that provide multidimensional experiences and help explore a destination before the in-person visit. Apart from playing a guidance role for scholars and practitioners, this research fills the gap of research on distant local-guided tours in the literature. However, future attempts could shed more light on the subject.

Spanish perspective on meat consumption and consumer attitudes

This paper analyses meat consumption and consumer attitudes towards meat and meat analogues in Spain, as well as the barriers and motives that could modify meat consumption in the future. Probably, the trend observed in the decline in meat consumption before the pandemic, which stabilized during the pandemic, will be observed again, with health, animal welfare and environmental issues being the main concerns and reasons for the reduction of consumption. The main drivers of meat consumption are the hedonic component, its nutritional characteristics, and its perception as a healthy and indispensable in a balanced diet. Meat analogues can be found in most Spanish supermarkets, some of them produced by large meat industries. Finally, authors highlight the need to provide Spanish consumers with reliable and credible information that will enable them to be aware of the efforts made by the different production players in the meat sector to achieve a more sustainable product and guarantee animal welfare.

Considerations for providing feedback to patients and families regarding clinical high-risk for psychosis status

Subjective well-being in people with schizophrenia is likely to be impaired by positive and negative psychotic symptoms. However, these may impact differentially on hedonic (satisfaction and interest in life) and eudaemonic (optimal psychological and social functioning) components.We hypothesized that positive symptoms would influence the hedonic component, while negative symptoms would be linked to eudaemonic well-being.We tested this using longitudinal data (N = 1208) from the EUROSC study. Measures were repeated after 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. Hedonic and eudaemonic features were identified using the Quality of Life Interview. Positive and negative symptoms were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. We used latent variable structural equation modelling to investigate the impact of positive and negative symptoms at each of the four data points on well-being components 6 months later, controlling for depressed mood.The measurement model yielded acceptable fit. People with higher scores on positive symptoms at a given time-point were more likely to report lower scores for hedonic components six months later (6-, 12-, and 24-month), whereas we found no significant paths from negative symptoms to hedonic or eudaemonic features.Although we found a longitudinal influence of positive symptoms on hedonic well-being, negative symptoms had no effect on either hedonic or eudaemonic components. While symptom reduction strategies may be helpful for hedonic well-being, the amelioration of eudaemonic features may require targeted psychosocial programmes to help individuals attain more rewarding lives.

Influence of positive and negative symptoms on hedonic and eudaemonic well-being in people with schizophrenia: A longitudinal analysis from the EuroSc study

BackgroundSubjective well-being in people with schizophrenia is likely to be impaired by positive and negative psychotic symptoms. However, these may impact differentially on hedonic (satisfaction and interest in life) and eudaemonic (optimal psychological and social functioning) components. AimsWe hypothesized that positive symptoms would influence the hedonic component, while negative symptoms would be linked to eudaemonic well-being. MethodsWe tested this using longitudinal data (N = 1208) from the EUROSC study. Measures were repeated after 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. Hedonic and eudaemonic features were identified using the Quality of Life Interview. Positive and negative symptoms were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. We used latent variable structural equation modelling to investigate the impact of positive and negative symptoms at each of the four data points on well-being components 6 months later, controlling for depressed mood. ResultsThe measurement model yielded acceptable fit. People with higher scores on positive symptoms at a given time-point were more likely to report lower scores for hedonic components six months later (6-, 12-, and 24-month), whereas we found no significant paths from negative symptoms to hedonic or eudaemonic features. ConclusionsAlthough we found a longitudinal influence of positive symptoms on hedonic well-being, negative symptoms had no effect on either hedonic or eudaemonic components. While symptom reduction strategies may be helpful for hedonic well-being, the amelioration of eudaemonic features may require targeted psychosocial programmes to help individuals attain more rewarding lives.

Brief Version of the Ryff Psychological Well-Being Scales for Children and Adolescents: Evidence of Validity.

Well-being has become a core concept in the study of positive child health, however, previous instruments for well-being evaluation have been centered mainly on the hedonic component. Therefore, the objective of this study was to adapt the Psychological Well-being Scales for assessing eudaimonic well-being in children and adolescents using a single-item per dimension approach. A total of 312 participants (52.9% girls; ages 10-18) from Spain completed the Psychological Well-Being Scales Short Form, the WHO-5 Well-Being Index, and their psychological well-being was evaluated via a semi-structured interview by a developmental psychologist who was an expert in positive psychology. Parallel analysis and exploratory factor analysis suggested a unidimensional structure that showed an excellent fit to the data. The new measure also demonstrated scalar invariance across gender and age. Moreover, the new scale significantly correlated with both WHO-5 and the expert´s ratings of psychological well-being, indicating adequate criterion validity. The Psychological Well-Being Scales Short Form is a useful, brief measuring instrument that reduces children cognitive fatigue during evaluation.

Integrative Hedonic and Homeostatic Food Intake Regulation by the Central Nervous System: Insights from Neuroimaging.

Food intake regulation in humans is a complex process controlled by the dynamic interaction of homeostatic and hedonic systems. Homeostatic regulation is controlled by appetitive signals from the gut, adipose tissue, and the vagus nerve, while conscious and unconscious reward processes orchestrate hedonic regulation. On the one hand, sight, smell, taste, and texture perception deliver potent food-related feedback to the central nervous system (CNS) and influence brain areas related to food reward. On the other hand, macronutrient composition stimulates the release of appetite signals from the gut, which are translated in the CNS into unconscious reward processes. This multi-level regulation process of food intake shapes and regulates human ingestive behavior. Identifying the interface between hormones, neurotransmitters, and brain areas is critical to advance our understanding of conditions like obesity and develop better therapeutical interventions. Neuroimaging studies allow us to take a glance into the central nervous system (CNS) while these processes take place. This review focuses on the available neuroimaging evidence to describe this interaction between the homeostatic and hedonic components in human food intake regulation.

Differential Contributions of Ventral Striatum Subregions to the Motivational and Hedonic Components of the Affective Processing of Reward.

The ventral striatum is implicated in the affective processing of reward, which can be divided into a motivational and a hedonic component. Here, we examined whether these two components rely on distinct neural substrates within the ventral striatum in humans (11 females and 13 males). We used a high-resolution fMRI protocol targeting the ventral striatum combined with a pavlovian-instrumental task and a hedonic reactivity task. Both tasks involved an olfactory reward, thereby allowing us to measure pavlovian-triggered motivation and sensory pleasure for the same reward within the same participants. Our findings show that different subregions of the ventral striatum are dissociable in their contributions to the motivational versus the hedonic component of the affective processing of reward. Parsing the neural mechanisms of the interplay between pavlovian incentive and hedonic processes may have important implications for understanding compulsive reward-seeking behaviors such as addiction, binge eating, or gambling.

Multifaceted actions of melanin-concentrating hormone on mammalian energy homeostasis

Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is a small cyclic peptide expressed in all mammals, mainly in the hypothalamus. MCH acts as a robust integrator of several physiological functions and has crucial roles in the regulation of sleep-wake rhythms, feeding behaviour and metabolism. MCH signalling has a very broad endocrine context and is involved in physiological functions and emotional states associated with metabolism, such as reproduction, anxiety, depression, sleep and circadian rhythms. MCH mediates its functions through two receptors (MCHR1 and MCHR2), of which only MCHR1 is common to all mammals. Owing to the wide variety of MCH downstream signalling pathways, MCHR1 agonists and antagonists have great potential as tools for the directed management of energy balance disorders and associated metabolic complications, and translational strategies using these compounds hold promise for the development of novel treatments for obesity. This Review provides an overview of the numerous roles of MCH in energy and glucose homeostasis, as well as in regulation of the mesolimbic dopaminergic circuits that encode the hedonic component of food intake.

Gut microbes participate in food preference alterations during obesity

ABSTRACT Hypothalamic regulations of food intake are altered during obesity. The dopaminergic mesocorticolimbic system, responsible for the hedonic response to food intake, is also affected. Gut microbes are other key players involved in obesity. Therefore, we investigated whether the gut microbiota plays a causal role in hedonic food intake alterations contributing to obesity. We transferred fecal material from lean or diet-induced obese mice into recipient mice and evaluated the hedonic food intake using a food preference test comparing the intake of control and palatable diets (HFHS, High-Fat High-Sucrose) in donor and recipient mice. Obese mice ate 58% less HFHS during the food preference test (p < 0.0001) than the lean donors, suggesting a dysregulation of the hedonic food intake during obesity. Strikingly, the reduction of the pleasure induced by eating during obesity was transferable through gut microbiota transplantation since obese gut microbiota recipient mice exhibited similar reduction in HFHS intake during the food preference test (40% reduction as compared to lean gut microbiota recipient mice, p < 0.01). This effect was associated with a consistent trend in modifications of dopaminergic markers expression in the striatum. We also pinpointed a highly positive correlation between HFHS intake and Parabacteroides (p < 0.0001), which could represent a potential actor involved in hedonic feeding probably through the gut-to-brain axis. We further demonstrated the key roles played by gut microbes in this paradigm since depletion of gut microbiota using broad-spectrum antibiotics also altered HFHS intake during food preference test in lean mice. In conclusion, we discovered that gut microbes regulate hedonic aspects of food intake. Our data demonstrate that gut microbiota modifications associated with obesity participate in dysregulations of the reward and hedonic components of the food intake. These data provide evidence that gut microbes could be an interesting therapeutic target to tackle hedonic disorders related to obesity.

Western diet, obesity and bariatric surgery sequentially modulated anxiety, eating patterns and brain responses to sucrose in adult Yucatan minipigs

Palatable sweet/fatty foods overconsumption is a major risk factor for obesity and eating disorders, also having an impact on neuro-behavioural hedonic and cognitive components comparable to what is described for substance abuse. We hypothesized that Yucatan minipigs would show hedonic, cognitive, and affective neuro-behavioral shifts when subjected to western diet (WD) exposure without weight gain, after the onset of obesity, and finally after weight loss induced by caloric restriction with (RYGB) or without (Sham) gastric bypass. Eating behavior, cognitive and affective abilities were assessed with a spatial discrimination task (holeboard test) and two-choice feed tests. Brain responses to oral sucrose were mapped using 18F-FDG positron emission tomography. WD exposure impaired working memory and led to an “addiction-type” neuronal pattern involving hippocampal and cortical brain areas. Obesity induced anxiety-like behavior, loss of motivation, and snacking-type eating behavior. Weight loss interventions normalized the motivational and affective states but not eating behavior patterns. Brain glucose metabolism increased in gustatory (insula) and executive control (aPFC) areas after weight loss, but RYGB showed higher responses in inhibition-related areas (dorsal striatum). These results showed that diet quality, weight loss, and the type of weight loss intervention differently impacted brain responses to sucrose in the Yucatan minipig model.

Does Dispositional Envy Make You Flourish More (or Less) in Life? An Examination of Its Longitudinal Impact and Mediating Mechanisms Among Adolescents and Young Adults

The association between dispositional envy and subjective well-being has been well-investigated in the literature. Nevertheless, most of these investigations have predominantly (1) focused on the hedonic component of subjective well-being, (2) employed a cross-sectional design, (3) targeted at young adults, and (4) tested the main effects instead of the mediating mechanisms. These limitations might restrict the robustness and generalizability of the observed association between dispositional envy and subjective well-being. To address these gaps, the present research focused on the eudaimonic component of subjective well-being, which highlights a purposeful, psychologically flourishing life. Conceptually, the association between dispositional envy and flourishing is paradoxical, such that both a positive and a negative association can be predicted. To examine this unexplored association, three studies were conducted to provide longitudinal evidence for this association as well as to investigate its intrapersonal and interpersonal mediating mechanisms among young adults and adolescents. Converging results indicated that dispositional malicious envy was negatively associated with flourishing, while dispositional benign envy was positively linked with it. In this research, a series of model comparisons was conducted to strengthen our understanding of dispositional envy. Specifically, we compared (1) the extent that dispositional envy was associated with eudaimonic well-being and hedonic well-being, (2) the associations among the two age groups, and (3) the importance of the intrapersonal and interpersonal mechanisms.

Preference for vigorous exercise versus sedentary sucrose drinking: an animal model of anergia induced by dopamine receptor antagonism.

Motivation has activational and directional components. Mesolimbic dopamine is critical for the regulation of behavioral activation and effort-related processes in motivated behaviors. Impairing mesolimbic dopamine function leads to fatigue and anergia, but leaves intact other aspects of reinforce seeking behaviors, such as the consummatory or hedonic component. In male Swiss mice, we characterized the impact of dopamine antagonism on the selection of concurrently presented stimuli that have different vigor requirements. We analyzed running wheel activity versus sucrose solution intake, typically used as a measure of anhedonia. Results are compared with data from nonconcurrent presentation to those stimuli. In the concurrent presentation experiment, control mice preferred to spend time running compared to sucrose intake. Dopamine antagonism shifted relative reinforcer preference, reducing time spent on the running wheel, but actually increasing time-consuming sucrose. Mice increased frequency of bouts for both reinforcers, suggesting that there was fatigue in the running wheel rather than aversion. Moreover, satiation or habituation by preexposing animals to both reinforcers did not shift preferences. In the nonconcurrent experiments, haloperidol reduced running wheel but had no impact on sucrose consumption. Dopamine antagonism did not change preference for sucrose or total volume consumed. Additional correlational analyses indicated that baseline differences in sucrose consumption were independent of baseline running or novelty exploration. Thus, dopamine antagonism seems to have anergic rather than anhedonic effects, and the concurrent presentation in this setting could be useful for assessing preferences based on effort requirements.

Predicting the intentions to use chatbots for travel and tourism

ABSTRACT As with other businesses, tourist companies are taking advantage of modern technologies. Chatbots are a recent technology that hotels, travel agencies, and airline companies are adopting. Despite this industry-wide implementation, there is no evidence about the factors that explain why consumers are willing to interact with chatbots. This work proposes a model to explain chatbot usage intention. The model and its hypotheses were tested by structural equations with the PLS technique. The study was conducted on a sample of 476 individuals who had travelled on vacation in the previous 12 months. The study reveals that the intentions behind using chatbots are directly influenced by the following factors: the chatbots’ expected performance, the habit of using chatbots, the hedonic component in using them, the predisposition to using self-service technologies, the social influences, and the fact that the chatbot behaves like a human. The inconvenience and problems related to communicating with the chatbot were found to have a negative influence. Lastly, the possibility that chatbots could replace jobs had a surprisingly positive influence, and not a negative one.

Disentangling utilitarian and hedonic consumption behavior in online shopping: An expectation disconfirmation perspective

Increasingly, researchers have come to acknowledge that consumption activities entail both utilitarian and hedonic components. Whereas utilitarian consumption accentuates the achievement of predetermined outcomes typical of cognitive consumer behavior, its hedonic counterpart relates to affective consumer behavior in dealing with the emotive and multisensory aspects of the shopping experience. Consequently, while utilitarian consumption activities appeal to the rationality of customers in inducing their intellectual buy-in of the shopping experience, customers’ corresponding emotional buy-in can only be attained through the presence of hedonic consumption activities. The same can be said for online shopping. Because the online shopping environment is characterized by the existence of an IT-enabled web interface that acts as the focal point of contact between customers and vendors, its design should embed utilitarian and hedonic elements to create a holistic shopping experience. Building on Expectation Disconfirmation Theory (EDT), this study advances a research model that not only delineates between customers’ utilitarian and hedonic expectations for online shopping but also highlights how these expectations can be best served through functional and esthetic performance, respectively. Furthermore, we introduce online shopping experience (i.e., transactional frequency) as a moderator affecting not only how customers form utilitarian and hedonic expectations but also how they evaluate the functional and esthetic performances of e-commerce sites. The model is then empirically validated via an online survey questionnaire administered on a sample of 303 respondents. Theoretical contributions and pragmatic implications to be gleaned from our research model and its subsequent empirical validation are discussed.

What Drives Work Addicts to Action? The Extended Model of Work Craving

The theory of work craving highlights three pathological components of work addiction: the behavioral wanting component (an obsessive-compulsive desire for work), the hedonic liking components (the reduction of negative emotions and compensation for low self-worth), and the cognitive learning component (neurotic perfectionism). In this article, I link the theory of work craving with the theory of motivation and the incentive-sensitization theory of addiction and discuss three major issues: (a) obsessive-compulsive symptoms are not sufficient to diagnose workaholism; (b) two hedonic components of work craving, namely, activity-related and purpose-related incentives, should be considered; and (c) incentive-sensitization is an additional mechanism that may be prepotent for addictive working.

Stressing the importance of choice: Validity of a preclinical free-choice high-caloric diet paradigm to model behavioural, physiological and molecular adaptations during human diet-induced obesity and metabolic dysfunction.

Humans have engineered a dietary environment that has driven the global prevalence of obesity and several other chronic metabolic diseases to pandemic levels. To prevent or treat obesity and associated comorbidities, it is crucial that we understand how our dietary environment, especially in combination with a sedentary lifestyle and/or daily‐life stress, can dysregulate energy balance and promote the development of an obese state. Substantial mechanistic insight into the maladaptive adaptations underlying caloric overconsumption and excessive weight gain has been gained by analysing brains from rodents that were eating prefabricated nutritionally‐complete pellets of high‐fat diet (HFD). Although long‐term consumption of HFDs induces chronic metabolic diseases, including obesity, they do not model several important characteristics of the modern‐day human diet. For example, prefabricated HFDs ignore the (effects of) caloric consumption from a fluid source, do not appear to model the complex interplay in humans between stress and preference for palatable foods, and, importantly, lack any aspect of choice. Therefore, our laboratory uses an obesogenic free‐choice high‐fat high‐sucrose (fc‐HFHS) diet paradigm that provides rodents with the opportunity to choose from several diet components, varying in palatability, fluidity, texture, form and nutritive content. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding how the fc‐HFHS diet disrupts peripheral metabolic processes and produces adaptations in brain circuitries that govern homeostatic and hedonic components of energy balance. Current insight suggests that the fc‐HFHS diet has good construct and face validity to model human diet‐induced chronic metabolic diseases, including obesity, because it combines the effects of food palatability and energy density with the stimulating effects of variety and choice. We also highlight how behavioural, physiological and molecular adaptations might differ from those induced by prefabricated HFDs that lack an element of choice. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of using the fc‐HFHS diet for preclinical studies are discussed.