Background
Eudaimonic motivation involves seeking authenticity (doing what you believe in), excellence (striving for your best), growth (learning a skill or gaining insight), and meaning (contributing to others or the world; Huta & Waterman, 2014). Hedonic motivation involves seeking pleasure, enjoyment, fun, comfort, painlessness, relaxation, and ease (Huta & Ryan, 2010; Seligman, 2002; Peterson et al., 2005).
Hypotheses/Research Questions
We hypothesize that eudaimonia and hedonia keep each other in check, where eudaimonia in the absence of hedonia and hedonia in the absence of eudaimonia leads to maladaptive outcomes and where a balance between the two leads to the most optimal outcomes. In addition to looking at wellbeing experiences (positive affect, negative affect, life satisfaction, meaning, elevation, carefreeness, and vitality), we propose a list of positive functioning variables that are likely to result from extreme eudaimonia with hedonic support (e.g., honesty, gratitude, generosity) and extreme hedonia with eudaimonic support (e.g., savouring, spontaneity, present-mindedness). We also propose a list of negative functioning variables that are likely to result from extreme eudaimonia that is not reined in by hedonia (e.g., perfectionism, exhaustion, self-criticism) and extreme hedonia that is not reined in by eudaimonia (e.g., addiction, greed, irresponsibility).
Sample Characteristics and Sample Size
North American undergraduate sample of 300 participants.
Design
We will test for an interaction between eudaimonic and hedonic motivation in predicting these outcomes and investigate if an excess of one motivation does not have to be problematic if it is reined in by the other motivation.
Results
We have data from 100 participants so far in our first week of data collection (online questionnaire).
Scientific Contribution
If our research shows that a balance between eudaimonic and hedonic motives is associated with the best outcomes, it supports the idea that both are equally important to wellbeing.