1 Introduction
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The relationship between motives for activities and positive experiences. Because previous research (Henderson et al. 2013; Huta and Ryan 2010) showed that a hedonic orientation is more associated than a eudaimonic orientation with positive affect, we expected hedonic orientation to show a stronger relationship with measures of positive experiences over eudaimonic orientation.
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The relationship between motives for activities and negative experiences. With reference to the study by Henderson et al. (2013), it should be expected that depression, anxiety, and stress would be more strongly and negatively associated with hedonic orientation than with eudaimonic orientation. In particular, given that depression is characterized by anhedonia, it could be considered the opposite pole of hedonic orientation. As a consequence, seeking pleasure and depression should show the strongest negative association compared to the other dimensions of orientations and negative experiences.
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The relationship between motives for activities and functioning. We expect a prevalence of adaptive coping strategies associated to eudaimonic orientation over the hedonic orientation. For example, because a eudaimonic motive for action would be to use the best in oneself and pursue excellence or a personal ideal, we expect a positive relationship with approach coping styles (i.e., active coping, planning, and suppression of competing activities). Also, we expect a positive relationship between eudaimonic orientation and positive reinterpretation and growth because they are central aspects of Eudaimonia (Ryff 2014).Seeking pleasure and avoiding pain are the essential characteristics of the “hedonic-type” person. Although this represents a simplistic representation of a real attitude of an individual, we predict that a predominance for hedonic orientation may be principally associated to maladaptive coping strategies. Because of the propensity to avoid pain, individuals with a hedonic orientation may use avoidant coping (e.g., denial, behavioral, and mental disengagement, and substance use) when they face difficulties in life. Nevertheless, we expect that hedonic orientation may also be associated with more adaptive coping strategies, such as humor.
2 Method
2.1 Participants
2.2 Procedure
2.3 Measures
2.4 Data Analysis
3 Results
3.1 Preliminary Analyses
M | SD | Min | Max | Sk | Ku | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eudaimonic orientation | |||||||
2 | Seeking to develop a skill, learn, or gain insight into something? (Cercando di sviluppare un'abilità, di imparare, o di capire meglio qualcosa?) | 5.87 | 1.03 | 2 | 7 | − 0.78 | 0.18 |
3 | Seeking to do what you believe in? (Cercando di fare ciò in cui credi?) | 5.94 | 1.06 | 1 | 7 | − 1.13 | 1.74 |
5 | Seeking to pursue excellence or a personal ideal? (Cercando di perseguire l'eccellenza o un ideale personale?) | 5.49 | 1.31 | 1 | 7 | − 0.86 | 0.44 |
8 | Seeking to use the best in yourself? (Cercando di dare il meglio di te?) | 5.94 | 1.05 | 2 | 7 | − 0.97 | 0.68 |
10 | Seeking to contribute to others or the surrounding world? (Cercando di dare un contributo alle altre persone o al mondo circostante?) | 5.48 | 1.26 | 1 | 7 | − 0.94 | 0.74 |
Pleasure orientation | |||||||
4 | Seeking pleasure? (Cercando piacere?) | 5.10 | 1.26 | 1 | 7 | − 0.66 | 0.38 |
6 | Seeking enjoyment? (Cercando di goderti quello che fai?) | 5.24 | 1.41 | 1 | 7 | − 0.86 | 0.41 |
9 | Seeking fun? (Cercando di divertirti?) | 4.89 | 1.40 | 1 | 7 | − 0.60 | − 0.11 |
Relaxation orientation | |||||||
1 | Seeking relaxation? (Cercando rilassamento?) | 4.38 | 1.52 | 1 | 7 | − 0.22 | − 0.60 |
7 | Seeking to take it easy? (Cercando di prendertela comoda?) | 3.56 | 1.66 | 1 | 7 | 0.24 | − 0.76 |
3.2 Confirmatory Factor Analysis
3.3 Multivariate Linear Model
Eudaimonic | Pleasure | Relaxation | R2 | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
β[95%CI] | SE | z | p | β[95%CI] | SE | z | p | β[95%CI] | SE | z | p | ||||
Positive experiences | |||||||||||||||
Flourishing | 0.30[0.21; 0.38] | 0.04 | 6.69 | *** | 0.33[0.24; 0.43] | 0.05 | 6.90 | *** | − 0.06[− 0.16; 0.03] | 0.05 | − 1.40 | 0.27 | |||
Life satisfaction | 0.15[0.06; 0.25] | 0.05 | 3.18 | ** | 0.36[0.26; 0.46] | 0.05 | 7.14 | *** | − 0.03[− 0.13; 0.06] | 0.05 | − 0.68 | 0.19 | |||
Positive affect | 0.11[0.02; 0.21] | 0.05 | 2.32 | * | 0.40[0.30; 0.50] | 0.05 | 8.02 | *** | − 0.03[− 0.12; 0.07] | 0.05 | − 0.59 | 0.20 | |||
Negative experiences | |||||||||||||||
Negative affect | 0.06[− 0.04; 0.16] | 0.05 | 1.11 | − 0.32[− 0.43; − 0.21] | 0.05 | − 5.82 | *** | 0.03[− 0.07; 0.14] | 0.05 | 0.66 | 0.08 | ||||
Depression | 0.00[− 0.09; 0.10] | 0.05 | 0.09 | − 0.39[− 0.49; − 0.28] | 0.05 | − 7.42 | *** | 0.07[− 0.03; 0.17] | 0.05 | 1.39 | 0.13 | ||||
Anxiety | 0.05[− 0.06; 0.15] | 0.05 | 0.91 | − 0.22[− 0.33; − 0.11] | 0.06 | − 3.86 | *** | 0.08[− 0.02; 0.18] | 0.05 | 1.50 | 0.03 | ||||
Stress | 0.12[0.01; 0.22] | 0.05 | 2.22 | * | − 0.32[− 0.43; -0.21] | 0.05 | − 5.87 | *** | 0.06[− 0.05; 0.16] | 0.05 | 1.06 | 0.07 | |||
Coping strategies | |||||||||||||||
Active coping | 0.35[0.26; 0.44] | 0.05 | 7.54 | *** | 0.08[− 0.03; 0.19] | 0.05 | 1.49 | − 0.07[− 0.17; 0.03] | 0.05 | − 1.37 | 0.16 | ||||
Planning | 0.33[0.23; 0.42] | 0.05 | 6.83 | *** | 0.05[− 0.06; 0.16] | 0.06 | 0.96 | − 0.09[− 0.19; 0.01] | 0.05 | − 1.84 | 0.13 | ||||
Suppression of competing activities | 0.26[0.16; 0.36] | 0.05 | 5.20 | *** | − 0.03[− 0.14; 0.09] | 0.06 | − 0.49 | 0.08[− 0.03; 0.18] | 0.05 | 1.44 | 0.06 | ||||
Restraint | 0.05[− 0.06; 0.15] | 0.05 | 0.90 | − 0.05[− 0.17; 0.07] | 0.06 | − 0.82 | 0.11[0.01; 0.22] | 0.05 | 2.09 | * | 0.01 | ||||
Use of instrumental social support | 0.20[0.09; 0.30] | 0.05 | 3.80 | *** | 0.08[− 0.03; 0.20] | 0.06 | 1.44 | 0.00[− 0.10; 0.11] | 0.05 | 0.07 | 0.06 | ||||
Use of emotional social support | 0.14[0.04; 0.24] | 0.05 | 2.68 | ** | 0.09[− 0.03; 0.20] | 0.06 | 1.50 | 0.05[− 0.05; 0.16] | 0.05 | 1.03 | 0.04 | ||||
Focus on and venting emotions | 0.07[− 0.04; 0.17] | 0.05 | 1.22 | − 0.11[− 0.22; 0.01] | 0.06 | − 1.81 | 0.07[− 0.04; 0.17] | 0.05 | 1.24 | 0.01 | |||||
Positive reinterpretation and growth | 0.28[0.19; 0.38] | 0.05 | 5.91 | *** | 0.17[0.06; 0.27] | 0.05 | 3.09 | ** | 0.04[− 0.05; 0.14] | 0.05 | 0.90 | 0.15 | |||
Behavioral disengagement | − 0.16[− 0.26; − 0.06] | 0.05 | -3.15 | ** | − 0.17[− 0.28; − 0.06] | 0.06 | − 2.99 | ** | 0.19[0.09; 0.29] | 0.05 | 3.81 | *** | 0.09 | ||
Humor | 0.03[− 0.07; 0.14] | 0.05 | 0.65 | 0.21[0.10; 0.32] | 0.06 | 3.66 | *** | 0.12[0.02; 0.22] | 0.05 | 2.27 | * | 0.08 | |||
Acceptance | 0.08[− 0.02; 0.19] | 0.05 | 1.57 | 0.03[− 0.08; 0.15] | 0.06 | 0.56 | 0.13[0.03; 0.24] | 0.05 | 2.49 | * | 0.03 | ||||
Denial | 0.03[− 0.07; 0.14] | 0.05 | 0.64 | − 0.01[− 0.12; 0.11] | 0.06 | 0.15 | 0.18[0.08; 0.28] | 0.05 | 3.40 | ** | 0.03 | ||||
Mental disengagement | 0.06[− 0.04; 0.17] | 0.05 | 1.20 | − 0.11[− 0.22; 0.01] | 0.06 | − 1.82 | 0.23[0.13; 0.33] | 0.05 | 4.42 | *** | 0.04 | ||||
Substance use | − 0.02[− 0.12; ’0.09] | 0.05 | − 0.34 | − 0.04[− 0.15; 0.08] | 0.06 | − 0.65 | 0.14[0.03; 0.24] | 0.05 | 2.61 | ** | 0.02 | ||||
Religious coping | 0.07[− 0.04; 0.17] | 0.05 | 1.27 | 0.02[− 0.09; 0.14] | 0.06 | 0.38 | 0.00[− 0.11; 0.10] | 0.05 | − 0.04 | s | 0.01 |