How eudaimonic and hedonic orientations map onto seeing beyond the ‘me, now, and tangible’

ABSTRACT

In two studies (N = 191, N = 342), we tested whether the difference between hedonic orientation (prioritizing pleasure, comfort/painlessness) and eudaimonic orientation (prioritizing authenticity, excellence, growth) mapped onto a difference between narrow focus of concern (me, now, tangible) and broad scope of concern (we, future, broad implications). We found that eudaimonic orientation related more consistently to indices of broad scope of concern including prosocial/proenvironmental behaviors/values, future time perspective, and abstract/high-level construal of events. Hedonic orientation related to indices of narrow focus of concern including certain egoistic values (power/wealth, influence), and present hedonistic/fatalistic time perspective. Eudaimonic orientation also related to certain egoistic values (influence, ambition), and present hedonistic time perspective. Thus, we found asymmetry favoring eudaimonic orientation when it came to benefitting the surrounding world. Also, while hedonic orientation was primarily linked with narrow focus of concern, eudaimonic orientation was linked with a balance of broad and narrow concerns.

KEYWORDS:

• Eudaimonia
• hedonism
• prosocial behavior
• time perspective
• level of construal

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplementary material

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Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada [430-2013-0607].