The Relation between Hedonic and Eudaemonic Emotion Crafting and Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Need Satisfaction

Abstract

Existing research recognizes the critical role played by emotion regulation on well-being. So far, most studies in this field have only focused on the reactive frame of emotion regulation and very little attention has been paid to the role of proactive emotion regulation. The current study aims to explore the proactive counterpart of emotion regulation: emotion crafting. Based on Self-Determination Theory, this study examines the link between emotion crafting (i.e., eudaemonic and hedonic emotions emotion crafting) and well-being (i.e., life satisfaction and eudaemonic well-being). Additionally, this study considered the role of basic psychological need satisfaction as a mediator in these relations. Participants were 178 young adults with the age range 18-35 (Mage = 24.06; SD = 3.37; 79.2% female) who filled out questionnaires concerning the study variables on a one-time point. Findings provide initial evidence that engaging in general emotion crafting behavior significantly enhances life satisfaction via basic psychological needs satisfaction. A similar full mediation effect through need satisfaction was found for eudaemonic emotion crafting and life satisfaction, whereas hedonic emotion crafting and life satisfaction were partially mediated by need satisfaction. Furthermore, the relations between general, hedonic, and eudaemonic emotion crafting, and the outcome of eudaemonic well-being were significant, positive, and partially mediated by need satisfaction. This study highlights the important role need satisfaction plays in the complex relation between emotion crafting and well-being. The findings present an important contribution to the latest field of emotion research.