Download Hedonia, Eudaimonia, and Well-Being: An Introduction

Hedonia, Eudaimonia, and
Well-Being: An Introduction
Deci & Ryan 2008
HEDONIA & EUDAIMONIA
 Well-being, optimal psychological experience and functioning, can be
thought of as falling into two traditions, founded on different views of
human nature:
1. Hedonistic tradition – focuses on happiness, defined as the presence of
positive affect and the absence of negative affect. Happiness is derived
externally.
- Considers the human organism initially to be empty and thus
malleable, such that it gains meaning in accord with social and cultural
teachings.
2. Eudaimonic tradition – focuses on living life in a full and satisfying way.
Happiness comes from within.
- Ascribes content to human nature and works to uncover content and
to understand conditions that facilitate it versus diminish it.
CURRENT RESEARCH
 Most current research on well-being has been closely aligned with hedonistic
tradition.
 Diener (1984) focused on exploring subjective well-being, defined as
experiencing a high level of positive affect, a low level of negative affect and a
high degree of satisfaction with one’s life.
 SWB has frequently been used interchangeable with happiness and therefore
has been associated with the HEDONISTIC approach to well-being.
 HOWEVER there is another way to think about well-being – EUDAIMONIA
 This approach sees well-being to consist of more than just happiness and is
concerned with living well and actualizing one’s human potentials.
 Can be traced to Aristotle - doesn’t see well-being as an outcome or end state
rather it is a process of fulfilling one’s virtuous potentials
 This paper presents discussions and research reviews from the eudaimonic
tradition illustrating how it adds an important perspective to our
understanding of well-being.
PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING &
EUDAIMONIA
Psychological well-being:
– Part of the eudaimonic tradition
• Formulated to challenge the hedonistic view
– Derives from Aristotle’s view of the highest human
good involving virtue and the realisation of one’s
potential
– 2 approaches:
• Ryff & Singer
• Waterman, Schwartz & Conti
PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING &
EUDAIMONIA
 ASSESSMENT
– Ryff & Singer
• A global or individual difference variable
• Assesed using 6 (7?) characteristic subscales:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Self-acceptance
Personal growth
Autonomy
Relationships
Environmental mastery
Purpose in life
and Relatedness?
– Waterman, Schwartz & Conti
• More narrow assessment
• Single scale assessing extent a certain activity leaves one
feeling fulfilled & is expressive of who one truly is
PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING &
EUDAIMONIA
SPECIFICATION
– Ryff & Singer
• Specifies content that represents eudaimonic living
– 6 characteristics
– Waterman, Schwartz & Conti
• Leaves concept content free
– Whether an activity leaves one feeling fulfilled
PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING &
EUDAIMONIA
 Waterman, Schwartz & Conti
– Make distinction between hedonic & eudaimonic
happiness
• Issue of semantics
– Definition of hedonic well-being:
• Emphasis on getting material objects and the happiness
that accompanies it
• Related to Aristotle’s view of hedonia
PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING &
EUDAIMONIA
Ryff & Singer
– Shown higher PWB associated with:
• Better neuroendocrine regulation
• Lower cardiovascular risk
• Better immune functioning
AUTONOMY & EUDAIMONIA
 A concept close to eudaimonia is autonomy. Ryan and Deci
(2000) describe autonomy as volition. In other words – free
will, having the experience of choice.
 At a glance this seems desirable.
 Ryff goes as far as to describe autonomy as one of the 6
aspects of psychological wellness, alongside;
environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations,
purpose in life & self acceptance.
 Although the term ‘autonomy’ is not used in all theories of
well being, words to that effect appear in most. Eg.
Waterman et al talk frequently of the importance of ‘selfdetermination’ which they define as ‘freely choosing’.
 So autonomy seems important…
 But there is debate over semantics! Ryff
describes autonomy as; self-determination,
independence and the regulation of behaviour
from within. However, Deci & Ryan argue that
autonomy is quite different from independence.
 Cross-cultural perspective…Devine et al –
autonomy as the basic human need which they
argues] is observable in both western
individualist and eastern collectivist societies.
 So I’ve spoken about how important autonomy
seems to be in our lives and some issues that
arise, now Dalia…
• Aristotle said: eudaimonia is not only about
making the right choices but choosing to act
virtuously
• What does it mean to act virtuously?
• To some extent, what is considered
virtuous/good will inevitably vary across time
& culture, according to society’s need (Fowers
in Lopez 2009 Encyclopedia of Positive
Psychology)
• Seligman & Peterson (2004) examined dozens of inventories of
strengths and virtues from a wide variety of sources
e.g.) In Plato’s republic Socrates identified 4 virtues (courage,
justice, temperance and wisdom)
• Identified 6 virtues that held across time/culture/standpoint of
author: courage, justice, humanity, temperance, transcendence &
wisdom - compiled the Value in Action (VIA) Classification of
Strengths based upon vast inventories of moral praise
• Virtues will always be reinterpreted according to a society’s need,
however some significant commonalities can be found across virtue
catalogs
Our paper in Conclusion: although Eudaimonia research overlaps with
the hedonic perspective, differences are seen where it contributes to an
understanding of well being concerning not only the individual, but
society at large.