Hedonic versus Eudaimonic Conceptions of Well-Being: Evidence of Differential Associations with Self-Reported Well-Being

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Title: Hedonic versus Eudaimonic Conceptions of Well-Being: Evidence of Differential Associations with Self-Reported Well-Being
Identifier: fac_pubs/34
Date: 8/1/2011
Abstract: Conceptions of well-being are cognitive representations of the nature and experience of well-being. These conceptions can be described generally by the degree to which hedonic and eudaimonic dimensions are emphasized as important aspects of the experience of well-being. In two studies, the prediction that eudaimonic dimensions of individual conceptions of well-being are more robustly associated with self-reported well-being than hedonic dimensions was investigated. Correlational analyses indicated that both hedonic and eudaimonic dimensions were associated with well-being, with more robust associations observed between the eudaimonic dimension and each measure of well-being. In several regression analyses, only the eudaimonic dimension significantly predicted well-being, with the hedonic dimension failing to account for unique variance in well-being beyond that predicted by the eudaimonic dimension. Results thus generally suggest that conceptualizing well-being in eudaimonic terms may be relatively more important for positive psychological functioning.
Publisher: Springer
Language: eng
Type: Text
department or school name within institution: Psychological Sciences
Source: Social Indicators Research
volume: 103
issue: 1
page start: 93
page end: 108
note: This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11205-010-9698-0
Creator: Ethan A McMahan; David Estes
Subject: well-being; lay conceptions; hedonism; eudaimonia; pleasure; happiness