Executive Functioning and the Pursuit of Happiness

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Positive Psychology

Background:

• Executive functioning and happiness are crucial for learning and well-being.
• The relationship between executive functioning and happiness pursuits remains unclear.
• Executive regulation of happiness motives (hedonic and eudaimonic) may link these constructs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between objective executive functioning measures and happiness motives.
• To explore how inhibitory control, working memory, and temporal discounting relate to hedonic and eudaimonic motives.

Main Methods:

• 119 college students completed six objective executive functioning tests.
• Participants self-reported hedonic and eudaimonic motives for action.
• Correlation and regression analyses were used to examine relationships.

Main Results:

• Higher eudaimonic motives linked to preference for delayed rewards and poorer working memory.
• Simultaneously endorsing high hedonic and eudaimonic motives ("full life") associated with poorer inhibitory control and working memory.
• Low endorsement of both motives ("empty life") linked to preference for immediate rewards.

Conclusions:

• Complex associations exist between executive functioning and trait-level happiness pursuits.
• Findings have implications for interventions targeting happiness motives and cognitive processes for enhanced learning.
• Further research is needed due to the exploratory nature of the study.