A differentiated approach to the link between positive emotion, motivation, and eudaimonic well-being

Abstract

Many studies have highlighted the role that positive emotions play in promoting eudaimonic well-being, yet often fail to differentiate between discrete positive emotions (e.g. gratitude, compassion, pride, and contentment). As such, potential functional differences among positive emotions in contributing to eudaimonic well-being may have been overlooked. The present study (N = 273) differentiated communion from agency motivation as well as other-focused from self-focused eudaimonic well-being. In line with a hypothesized model, pride contributed positively to self-focused eudaimonic well-being indirectly via agency motivation, and contentment was directly linked positively to self-focused eudaimonic well-being. Compassion contributed positively to other-focused eudaimonic well-being indirectly via communion motivation and gratitude was directly linked positively to other-focused eudaimonic well-being. While several other links were observed, hypothesized links were generally stronger. These findings highlight the potential utility of adopting approaches that differentiate among positive emotions in applied and theoretical work in the field of positive psychology.

Keywords:

• positive emotion
• eudaimonic well-being
• agency and communion motivation
• gratitude
• compassion
• pride
• contentment

Notes

1. Within these factor analytic studies, autonomy – a sixth component of eudaimonic well-being – did not show a consistent pattern. For example, some studies report autonomy as its own separate factor (Abbott et al., 2006; Burns & Machin, 2009, 2012), whereas others have found that it loads onto the self-focused factor (Gallaghe r et al., 2009) or the other-focused factor (Kafka & Kozma, 2002). Given this inconsistency, autonomy was not modeled in the current study.

2. Participants also completed a number of other measures not related to the primary aim of the present study, which was to test the proposed model. Details on these measures and resulting data can be requested from the corresponding author.