Kryza-Lacombe Maria, Tanzini Elise, Yali Ann Marie, O'Neill Sarah
The City College of New York, City University of New York, New York, USA.
The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, USA.
Learn Motiv. 2021 Nov;76. doi: 10.1016/j.lmot.2021.101758. Epub 2021 Aug 31.
Executive functioning and happiness are each associated with successful learning and other desirable individual and societal outcomes; however, it is unclear whether a relation exists between them. Executive regulation of happiness pursuits in daily life, operationalized as hedonic (e.g., pursuing pleasure) and eudaimonic (e.g., pursuing personal growth) motives for action, may be a way the constructs relate to each other. In this initial investigation, we aimed to explore whether objectively measured executive functioning skills relate to happiness motives. A sample of 119 college students completed six objective neuropsychological measures of executive functioning and self-reported levels of hedonic and eudaimonic motives for action in daily life. Correlation and regression analyses examined the relations among temporal discounting and two latent executive functioning factors (inhibitory control and working memory) with hedonic and eudaimonic motives, as well as their interaction. Results suggested a possible association between higher levels of eudaimonic motives and preference for higher delayed rewards, as well as poorer working memory. Further analyses suggested that endorsing high levels of eudaimonic and hedonic motives simultaneously (i.e., the "full life") was associated with poorer inhibitory control and working memory performance, whereas endorsing low levels of both simultaneously (i.e., the "empty life") was associated with a preference for more immediate monetary rewards. Findings are discussed in the context of goal conflict and risk assessment among individuals who endorse the "full life". Overall, these findings suggest that complex relations may exist between executive functioning and trait-level happiness pursuits, and have implications for possible interventions aimed at enhancing happiness-related motives and cognitive processes to facilitate learning. Given the exploratory nature of the present study, further investigations are necessary.
执行功能和幸福感都与成功学习以及其他理想的个人和社会成果相关；然而，它们之间是否存在关联尚不清楚。在日常生活中对幸福感追求的执行调节，具体表现为享乐主义（如追求愉悦）和自我实现主义（如追求个人成长）的行动动机，可能是这两个概念相互关联的一种方式。在这项初步调查中，我们旨在探讨客观测量的执行功能技能是否与幸福感动机相关。119名大学生的样本完成了六项关于执行功能的客观神经心理学测量，以及他们在日常生活中自我报告的享乐主义和自我实现主义行动动机水平。相关分析和回归分析检验了时间折扣与两个潜在执行功能因素（抑制控制和工作记忆）与享乐主义和自我实现主义动机之间以及它们的相互作用之间的关系。结果表明，较高水平的自我实现主义动机与对更高延迟奖励的偏好以及较差的工作记忆之间可能存在关联。进一步的分析表明，同时认可高水平的自我实现主义和享乐主义动机（即“充实的生活”）与较差的抑制控制和工作记忆表现相关联，而同时认可低水平的这两种动机（即“空虚的生活”）与对更即时金钱奖励的偏好相关联。研究结果在认可“充实生活”的个体的目标冲突和风险评估背景下进行了讨论。总体而言，这些发现表明执行功能与特质水平的幸福感追求之间可能存在复杂的关系，并对旨在增强与幸福感相关的动机和认知过程以促进学习的可能干预措施具有启示意义。鉴于本研究的探索性质，有必要进行进一步的调查。
