IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jhappi/v20y2019i3d10.1007_s10902-018-9980-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Pursuing Eudaimonic Functioning Versus Pursuing Hedonic Well-Being: The First Goal Succeeds in Its Aim, Whereas the Second Does Not

Author

Listed:
  • Kennon M. Sheldon

    (University of Missouri)

  • Mike Corcoran

    (University of Missouri)

  • Mike Prentice

    (Wake Forest University)

Abstract

We used a new methodology for assessing change motivation (Hudson and Fraley 2015, 2016) to test the hypothesis that striving to improve one’s hedonic well-being fails in its aim, whereas striving to improve one’s eudaimonic functioning succeeds. In three studies, participant goals to increase subjective well-being (SWB) were negatively correlated with concurrent SWB, whereas goals to increase relative intrinsic versus extrinsic value orientation (RIEVO) were positively correlated with concurrent RIEVO. In Study 3’s longitudinal investigation, Time 1 RIEVO change goals predicted increased RIEVO six and 12 weeks later, whereas Time 1 SWB change goals did not affect longitudinal SWB. Together, the data support the Aristotelian idea that people should pursue eudaimonia rather than happiness, not least because the latter pursuit may not be as effective.

Suggested Citation

  • Kennon M. Sheldon & Mike Corcoran & Mike Prentice, 2019. "Pursuing Eudaimonic Functioning Versus Pursuing Hedonic Well-Being: The First Goal Succeeds in Its Aim, Whereas the Second Does Not," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 919-933, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:20:y:2019:i:3:d:10.1007_s10902-018-9980-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-018-9980-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10902-018-9980-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10902-018-9980-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ed Diener, 1994. "Assessing subjective well-being: Progress and opportunities," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 31(2), pages 103-157, February.
    2. Christopher Peterson & Nansook Park & Martin Seligman, 2005. "Orientations to happiness and life satisfaction: the full life versus the empty life," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 25-41, March.
    3. Veronika Huta & Alan Waterman, 2014. "Eudaimonia and Its Distinction from Hedonia: Developing a Classification and Terminology for Understanding Conceptual and Operational Definitions," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 15(6), pages 1425-1456, December.
    4. Veronika Huta & Richard Ryan, 2010. "Pursuing Pleasure or Virtue: The Differential and Overlapping Well-Being Benefits of Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 11(6), pages 735-762, December.
    5. Michael Busseri & Stan Sadava, 2013. "Subjective Well-Being as a Dynamic and Agentic System: Evidence from a Longitudinal Study," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 1085-1112, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Zhijia Zeng & Hezhi Chen, 2020. "Distinct Associations of Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives with Well-Being: Mediating Role of Self-Control," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-9, July.
    2. Yuri Kwon & Jongan Choi & Incheol Choi, 2024. "The Unhappy Beliefs of Happiness: Investigating the Mechanisms Underlying the Links Between Negative Hedonic Beliefs and Diminished Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 25(7), pages 1-23, October.
    3. Nadine Richter & Marcel Hunecke, 2021. "The Mindful Hedonist? Relationships between Well-Being Orientations, Mindfulness and Well-Being Experiences," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(7), pages 3111-3135, October.
    4. Zins, Andreas H. & Ponocny, Ivo, 2022. "On the importance of leisure travel for psychosocial wellbeing," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    5. Marié P. Wissing & Lusilda Schutte & Christelle Liversage & Brenda Entwisle & Marianne Gericke & Corey Keyes, 2021. "Important Goals, Meanings, and Relationships in Flourishing and Languishing States: Towards Patterns of Well-being," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(2), pages 573-609, April.
    6. Diego García-Álvarez & María José Soler & Rubia Cobo-Rendón & Juan Hernández-Lalinde, 2022. "Positive Psychology Applied to Education in Practicing Teachers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Personal Resources, Well-Being, and Teacher Training," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-12, September.
    7. Rubén Trigueros & José M. Pérez-Jiménez & Alejandro García-Mas & José M. Aguilar-Parra & José M. Fernandez-Batanero & Antonio Luque de la Rosa & Ana Manzano-León & Noelia Navarro, 2021. "Adaptation and Validation of the Eudaimonic Well-Being Questionnaire to the Spanish Sport Context," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-9, March.
    8. Hezhi Chen & Zhijia Zeng, 2023. "Seeking Pleasure is Good, but Avoiding Pain is Bad: Distinguishing Hedonic Approach from Hedonic Avoidance Orientations," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(7), pages 2377-2393, October.
    9. Jacky C. K. Ng & Algae K. Y. Au & Helen S. M. Wong & Carmen K. M. Sum & Victor C. Y. Lau, 2021. "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," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 1089-1117, March.
    10. Kai Guo & Zhigang Wang & Lei Zhang & Chenya Li, 2023. "Self-Transcendence Values Influence Meaningful Sports Consumption Behavior: The Chain Mediator of Team Identification and Eudaimonic Motivation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-30, July.
    11. Attila Lengyel & Sándor Kovács & Anetta Müller & Lóránt Dávid & Szilvia Szőke & Éva Bácsné Bába, 2019. "Sustainability and Subjective Well-Being: How Students Weigh Dimensions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-18, November.
    12. Hezhi Chen & Zhijia Zeng, 2021. "When Do Hedonic and Eudaimonic Orientations Lead to Happiness? Moderating Effects of Orientation Priority," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-12, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hezhi Chen & Zhijia Zeng, 2023. "Seeking Pleasure is Good, but Avoiding Pain is Bad: Distinguishing Hedonic Approach from Hedonic Avoidance Orientations," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(7), pages 2377-2393, October.
    2. Ying Yang & Peipei Li & Xinyuan Fu & Yu Kou, 2017. "Orientations to Happiness and Subjective Well-Being in Chinese Adolescents: The Roles of Prosocial Behavior and Internet Addictive Behavior," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 18(6), pages 1747-1762, December.
    3. Hagit Sabato & Sapir Bar-Ilan, 2023. "Pleasure or Meaning: Subjective Well-Being Orientations and the Willingness to Help Close Versus Distant Others," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(6), pages 2013-2037, August.
    4. Luke Henderson & Tess Knight & Ben Richardson, 2014. "The Hedonic and Eudaimonic Validity of the Orientations to Happiness Scale," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 115(3), pages 1087-1099, February.
    5. Andrea LeFebvre & Veronika Huta, 2021. "Age and Gender Differences in Eudaimonic, Hedonic, and Extrinsic Motivations," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(5), pages 2299-2321, June.
    6. Kai Guo & Zhigang Wang & Lei Zhang & Chenya Li, 2023. "Self-Transcendence Values Influence Meaningful Sports Consumption Behavior: The Chain Mediator of Team Identification and Eudaimonic Motivation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-30, July.
    7. Jinseok P. Kim & Eunkook M. Suh, 2024. "Childhood Socioeconomic Status Shapes Beliefs About Hedonic Versus Eudaimonic Happiness: A Life History Approach," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 25(5), pages 1-21, June.
    8. Julia Krasko & Sabrina Intelisano & Maike Luhmann, 2022. "When Happiness is Both Joy and Purpose: The Complexity of the Pursuit of Happiness and Well-Being is Related to Actual Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(7), pages 3233-3261, October.
    9. Jo-Tzu Chu & Malcolm Koo, 2023. "Life Satisfaction and Self-Esteem in Older Adults Engaging in Formal Volunteering: A Cross-Sectional Study in Taiwan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-11, March.
    10. José M. Peiró & Malgorzata W. Kozusznik & Aida Soriano, 2019. "From Happiness Orientations to Work Performance: The Mediating Role of Hedonic and Eudaimonic Experiences," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-17, December.
    11. Laura Giuntoli & Federica Condini & Francesco Ceccarini & Veronika Huta & Giulio Vidotto, 2021. "The Different Roles of Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives for Activities in Predicting Functioning and Well-Being Experiences," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 1657-1671, April.
    12. Pninit Russo-Netzer, 2019. "Prioritizing Meaning as a Pathway to Meaning in Life and Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(6), pages 1863-1891, August.
    13. Itumeleng P. Khumalo & Angelina Wilson-Fadiji & Symen A. Brouwers, 2020. "Well-Being Orientations and Time Perspective Across Cultural Tightness–Looseness Latent Classes in Africa," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(5), pages 1681-1703, June.
    14. Sabrina Intelisano & Julia Krasko & Maike Luhmann, 2020. "Integrating Philosophical and Psychological Accounts of Happiness and Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 161-200, January.
    15. Maria Kryza-Lacombe & Elise Tanzini & Sarah O’Neill, 2019. "Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives: Associations with Academic Achievement and Negative Emotional States Among Urban College Students," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(5), pages 1323-1341, June.
    16. Gaston-Breton, Charlotte & Sørensen, Elin Brandi & Thomsen, Thyra Uth, 2020. "“I want to break free!” How experiences of freedom foster consumer happiness," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 22-32.
    17. Nadine Richter & Marcel Hunecke, 2021. "The Mindful Hedonist? Relationships between Well-Being Orientations, Mindfulness and Well-Being Experiences," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(7), pages 3111-3135, October.
    18. Ofer I. Atad & Pninit Russo-Netzer, 2022. "The Effect of Gratitude on Well-being: Should We Prioritize Positivity or Meaning?," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 1245-1265, March.
    19. Gaston-Breton, Charlotte & Lemoine, Jérémy E. & Voyer, Benjamin G. & Kastanakis, Minas N., 2021. "Pleasure, meaning or spirituality: Cross-cultural differences in orientations to happiness across 12 countries," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 1-12.
    20. Zhijia Zeng & Hezhi Chen, 2020. "Distinct Associations of Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives with Well-Being: Mediating Role of Self-Control," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-9, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:20:y:2019:i:3:d:10.1007_s10902-018-9980-4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.