when “just thinking” feels just right: the eudaemonic ......when “just thinking” feels just...

When“justthinking”feelsjustright:TheeudaemonicbenefitsofautonomoussolitudeJamesN.Masciale,ConnectedPsychology,LLCPeterA.Caprariello,StonyBrookUniversity

Study1OutcomeMeasureso  Happinesswiththeexperience(3items,1-5scale,alpha=.89)o  Authenticityduringtheexperience(5items,1-7scale,alpha=.83)o  Motivationsforexperientialbuying(Zhang,Howell,&Caprariello,2013)

o  Autonomousmotivation(10items,1-7scale,alpha=.89)o  Controlledmotivation(6items,1-7scale,alpha=.86)

Study1:RecallingChosen(vs.Not)TimeAlonen=87undergraduates(51.7%male;ages18-34,57.5%single)-Allparticipantsaskedtorecallatimetheyspentalone.-Randomlyassignedto1of2conditions:o Choicecondition:“Thinkaboutatimeyouchosetodosomethingalone.”o Nochoicecondition:“Thinkaboutatimeyoudidsomethingalone,butnotnecessarilybychoice.”

TheChallengesoftheDisengagedMindRecentresearchbyWilson,Reinhard,Westgate,Gilbert,Ellerbeck,Hahn,Brown,&Shaked(2014)suggeststhatthemindmakesforaless-than-optimalstimulus.Withoutotherpeopleordistractions,individualsreportspendingtime“justthinking”asarelativelyaversiveexperience.Therearetwoaspectsofthisstudyworthexploringingreaterdetail:

2.DefiningWell-BeingResearchershavebegunbroadeningdefinitionsofwell-beingtoincludeeudaemonicforms,beyondpleasureandpain.Personalauthenticityisdefinedaswell-beingfromfeelingthatoneis“inalignmentwithyourtrue,genuineself”(Lenton,Bruder,Slabu,&Sedikides,2013).Whenpeoplefeelfreetoconsidertheirmostimportantandself-relevantgoals,tomakeplanswithoutexternalinput,andtothinkfreely,personalauthenticityislikelytoarise.

Hypothesis2:Choosingtobealoneshouldincreaseauthenticityrelativetobeingforcedortonothavingachoice.

1.ThePotentialRoleofMotivationAllparticipantsinWilsonetal.’s(2014)researchwereforcedtospendtimealone.Alargebodyofresearchshowsthatbehaviorsthatarevolitionallychosen–asopposedtoenactedbyforceorperceivedcontrol–havepositiveeffectsonwell-beinginavarietyofdomains(seeDeci&Ryan,2000).

Hypothesis1:Choosingtobealoneshouldbemorevaluablethanbeingforcedtobealoneortonothavingachoice.

-0.44

0.34

-0.27

0.21

-0.42

0.32

0.02

-0.02

-0.60

-0.40

-0.20

0.00

0.20

0.40

NoChoice Choice

Happiness Authenticity Autonomous Controlled

Indirecteffectofconditionthroughautonomousmotivationon:Happiness,ab=.48,95%CI=[.22,.83][partiallymediateddirecteffect]Authenticity,ab=.44,95%CI=[.19,.81][fullymediateddirecteffect]

Study2:DirectlyExtendingthe“ThinkingAlone”Paradigmn=74undergraduates(48.6%male;ages18-31,51.4%single)

-Allparticipantscametothelabalone,andweretoldthattheywouldbeseatedaloneforanunspecifiedamountoftime,between10-15minutes.-Randomlyassignedto1of3conditions,inayokeddesign:

o  Choiceconditiono  Nochoiceconditiono  Pressurecondition

Study2,cont…-Beforesittingalone,subjectsintheChoiceconditionviewed:

“Choosewhichexperienceinterestsyouthemost:A:FocusonyourbodyB:FocusonyourmindC:FocusonyourthoughtsD:Focusonyourfeelings”

Theythenselectedanoptiononhowtospendtheirtime.-Beforesittingalone,subjectsintheNoChoicecondition:Didnotviewthelistofoptions.TheyweremerelytoldtospendthetimedoingwhateverwasselectedbyaPfromthechoicecondition-Beforesittingalone,subjectsinthePressurecondition:Viewedthelistofoptions,madeachoice,butwerethendenied.Theyweretoldtospendthetimeinthesamewayasabove.

0.28

-0.1

-0.31

0.31

-0.22

-0.33

-0.09 -0.05-0.12

-0.4-0.3-0.2-0.10

0.10.20.30.4

Choice NoChoice Pressure

PositiveAffect Authenticity Interest

*Noevidenceofmediationbyintrinsicmotivationinthisstudy.

Study2OutcomeMeasureso Happiness(PANAS,6items,1-5scale,alpha=.88)o Authenticity(4items,1-7scale,alpha=.91)o IntrinsicMotivationInventory(Ryan,1982)

o Interest/Enjoyment(7items,1-7scale,alpha=.90)

ConclusionWereliablyfoundthatautonomouslymotivatedsolitudepromotes

well-being,particularlyintheformofpersonalauthenticity.