Hedonic and eudaimonic motives to pursue well-being in three samples of youth

Motives for hedonia (pleasure, fun) and eudaimonia (living life to one’s potential) underlie the universal pursuit of well-being (Ryan & Deci, 2001). Yet, little is known about these motives in youth, despite their relevance for children and adolescents and the importance of understanding the development of well-being motives. In three samples of youth (Ns = 76, 152, and 142), we examined age differences in motives and tested hypotheses about how hedonic and eudaimonic motives would relate to several social and affective outcomes. Results showed some evidence for age differences (i.e. hedonic motives were higher in a sample of children aged 7–12 years compared to adolescents aged 14–18 years, and eudaimonic motives were positively correlated with age in 12–18 year olds). Consistent with hypotheses, hedonic motives related to both positive (fewer depressive symptoms, more frequent positive interpersonal events) and negative outcomes (e.g. less empathy and self-control), whereas eudaimonic motives were only associated with positive outcomes (e.g. greater well-being, self-control, empathy, self-worth, friendship closeness). Interactions between motives also indicated that hedonic motives may be more problematic when youth less frequently seek out eudaimonia. These studies offer novel and important information on the pursuit of well-being in youth.