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Anduli
Re is a Andaluza de Ciencias Sociales
ISSN: 1696-0270 • e-ISSN: 2340-4973
CONSUMER HAPPINESS: ORIGIN AND
DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONCEPT
FELICIDAD DEL CONSUMIDOR: ORIGEN Y
DESARROLLO DEL CONCEPTO
Ped o
Cues a-Valiño
Uni e sidad de Alcalá,
España
[email p o ec ed]
O cid: h ps://o cid.o g/
0000-0001-9521-333X
Pablo
Gu ié ez-Rod íguez
Uni e sidad de León,
España
[email p o ec ed]
O cid: h ps://o cid.o g/
0000-0001-5407-4265
Pablo
Con e as-Con e as
Uni e sidad de Alcalá,
España
pablojose.con e as@edu.
uah.es
O cid: h ps://o cid.o g/
0000-0003-3067-915X
Summa y
The pu sui o happiness is he mos gen-
e al explana ion o human beha io . O e
he yea s, a emp s ha e been made o
es ablish measu emen app oaches o
acili a e i s analysis. A i s s ep is he
need o unde s and people’s well-being
h ough he idea o “ eeling be e ”, which
has led o he measu emen o subjec i e
and no only biological heal h. This pa-
pe aims o be e unde s and he o igins
o he concep o consume happiness,
i s app oaches and he measu emen
scales. To his end, a me hodology based
on a e iew o he mos ecen li e a u e
has been applied, iden i ying he mos
ele an analyses o he concep . This
esea ch shows he g owing use o he
concep o consume happiness, and he
c ea ion o a ious scales o measu ing
happiness. Based on hese ideas, we p o-
pose he use a model ha app oxima es
he h ee cons i uen app oaches o he
holis ic concep o happiness: an enjoya-
ble, meaning ul and commi ed li e, which
can acili a e i s applicabili y in manage-
men en i onmen s.
Keywo ds: consume happiness, well-
ness, quali y o li e, measu emen scales,
meaning ul li e, engaged li e.
Resumen
La búsqueda de la elicidad es la expli-
cación más gene al del compo amien o
humano. A lo la go de los años se ha in-
en ado es ablece en oques de medición
que acili en su análisis. Un p ime paso es
la necesidad de en ende el bienes a de
las pe sonas a a és de la idea de “sen-
i se mejo ” que ha lle ado a la medición
de la salud subje i a y no sólo biológica.
Es e a ículo p e ende comp ende mejo
los o ígenes del concep o de elicidad del
consumido , sus en oques y las escalas
de medición. Pa a ello, se ha aplicado
una me odología basada en la e isión
de la li e a u a más ecien e, iden i icando
los análisis más ele an es del concep o.
Es a in es igación mues a el c ecien e
uso del concep o de elicidad del consu-
mido y la c eación de di e sas escalas
de medición de la elicidad. A pa i de es-
as ideas, se p opone la u ilización de un
modelo que ap oxima los es en oques
cons i uyen es del concep o holís ico de
elicidad: una ida ag adable, signi ica i a
y comp ome ida, que puede acili a su
aplicabilidad en en o nos de ges ión.
Palab as cla e: elicidad del consumi-
do , bienes a , calidad de ida, esca-
las de medición, ida signi ica i a, ida
comp ome ida.
Como ci a es e a ículo/ci a ion: Cues a-Valiño, Ped o; Gu ié ez-Rod íguez, Pablo; Con e as-Con e as, Pablo
(2023). Consume Happiness: O igin and De elopmen o he Concep . ANDULI 23 (2023) pp. 83-98. h p://doi.
o g/10.12795/anduli.2023.i23.05
Recibido: 10-03-2022. Acep ado: 01-10-2022. Publicado: 10.01.2023. h p://doi.o g/10.12795/anduli.2023.i23.05
Anduli • Re is a Andaluza de Ciencias Sociales Nº 23 - 2023
• 84 •
1. In oduc ion
The in e es in unde s anding he keys o happiness and well-being has exis ed
o decades. Being happy is a human aspi a ion ha has always been wi h us. In
gene al, all people a e conce ned wi h being happy. This impulse explains many o
hei decisions and ac ions.
Fi s , some o he de ini ions o happiness ha ha e been gi en can be s a ed.
Veenho en (2014) de ines happiness as “ he deg ee o which a pe son posi i ely
e alua es he o e all quali y o his o he own li e as a whole. In o he wo ds, how much
he o she likes he li e he o she leads”. Ano he de ini ion conside s “an indi idual’s
happiness o e a pe iod o ime as he sum o momen a y u ili ies o e ha pe iod o
ime; ha is, he ime in eg al o momen a y u ili y” (Kahneman and K uege , 2006).
In any case, hese de ini ions use di e en pe spec i es acco ding o which hese
au ho s conside happiness, which will be de e mined below.
One o he ques ions ha ha e been aised in he con ex o his e lec ion is how o
measu e such an abs ac and elusi e concep as happiness co ec ly. Well-being
has long been commonly used as a measu e o happiness. A dis inc ion is made
be ween wellness and well-being wi hin he concep o well-being. Wellness is well-
being ha desc ibes a heal hy li es yle, ee om he su e ing caused by acu e illness.
I e e s o a s a e o physical heal h, which gi es people he capaci y and ene gy o
do wha hey wan o do in li e wi hou ch onic physical su e ing. Al hough wellness
akes on a di e en meaning a each s age o li e, i elies p ima ily on ea ing habi s,
physical ac i i y and quali y sleep as ac o s ha lead o posi i e heal h ou comes.
Subsequen ly, men al heal h has been inc easingly included as a posi i e elemen
o well-being. I has gi en ise o he concep o well-being, which encompasses he
b oade holis ic dimensions o a well-li ed li e. Thus, well-being includes whe he
people a e happy wi h wha hey do e e y day, hei iendships, whe e hey li e, o
he ene gy hey ha e.
Heal h has a ange o indica o s ha quan i y he biological dimension o well-being,
such as choles e ol le els, blood p essu e and o he physical measu es. Howe e ,
hese a iables e e o physiological s a es. They do no gi e us in o ma ion abou
how people eel a any gi en momen . I is, he e o e, necessa y o iden i y quali ied
me ics o measu e people’s subjec i e s a es. In o he wo ds, how people eel a any
gi en momen o quan i y well-being.
The concep o wellness is used in heal hca e, p oduc s such as nu i ional
supplemen s, medicines and ood, among o he s. On he o he hand, senso y and
consume esea che s inc easingly end o con ibu e o he measu e o wellness.
In his way, se ices o p oduc s’ con ibu ions o his measu e can be speci ied
(Meiselman, 2016). The measu emen o subjec i e s a es con empla ed in s udies o
senso y s a es has p o ided hese esea che s wi h app op ia e aining and models
o be applied in he s udy o well-being. Fo example, he subjec i e expe ience o
su e ing om an illness allows he indi idual o unde s and he illness. I would lead
o a concep o illness as he subjec i e expe ience o a sense o po e y o ha dship.
Well-being, in his con ex , is he opposi e o illness; i is a posi i e subjec i e
expe ience. The e olu ion o concep s o well-being and i s link o happiness is
e lec ed in he wo k o E ickson (2012), which e e s o he denomina ed Well-being
Wheel, a p oposal ha “po ays a balance be ween six dimensions o li e and heal h
- physical, social, en i onmen al, emo ional, spi i ual and in ellec ual”. In his same
cu en , he unde lying ac o s o happiness a e conside ed om wo dimensions:
A ículos • Ped o Cues a Valiño, Pablo Gu ié ez Rod íguez, Pablo Con e as Con e as
• 85 •
endogenous ac o s ( ela ed o he indi idual, such as biological, cogni i e, pe sonali y
o cul u al aspec s) and exogenous ac o s (beha iou al, sociocul u al, economic,
geog aphic o aes he ic). Biological sub- ac o s ha e been signi ican p edic o s
o happiness (D a hud Malmi and Khanahmadi, 2014). Alongside hese ac o s,
imp o ed happiness can also inc ease mo ale and coun e ac bu nou (Ba uch e
al., 2013). Thus, o many people, happiness consis s o ca ying ou he p ac ices o
daily li e in such a way ha posi i e eelings con ol nega i e ones ha a e he no mal
consequences o mono ony and daily p oblems (Olsson e al., 2013).
Ha a d has been esea ching happiness since 1938 wi h conclusi e esul s.
Acco ding o Waldinge , di ec o o he s udy, ela ionships a e he na u al sou ce
o happiness abo e ame and money. He u he poin s ou ha he e is a di ec
connec ion be ween ela ionships, happiness, and heal h. Indeed, he s udy shows
ha ou ela ionships and how happy we a e in hem ha e a powe ul in luence on ou
heal h. The posi i e consequences a e, o example, helping o delay men al decline,
main ain memo y capaci y, manage s ess, o ge be e sleep. Mo eo e , happiness
would be a su e p edic o o longe i y han gene ic p edisposi ion.
Howe e , he Wo ld Happiness Repo uses a di e en app oach o measu ing
coun ies’ happiness. This s udy measu es he happiness o coun ies based on
di e en a iables ha ha e been sligh ly modi ied: GDP pe capi a, heal hy li e
expec ancy, absence o co up ion, social suppo , eedom and gene osi y. Since i s
launch in 2012, he esul s o his s udy show ha only ou coun ies ha e anked
i s : Finland in he las h ee yea s un il 2020, No way in 2017, Denma k in 2016,
2013 and 2012 and, inally, Swi ze land in 2015. By 2020, he anking es ablishes
Finland, Denma k, Swi ze land, Iceland, No way, he Ne he lands, Sweden, New
Zealand, Aus ia and Luxembou g as he 10 happies coun ies in he wo ld.
2. App oach o he concep o happiness
Happiness is a cen al issue o any indi idual. People ha e always been in e es ed in
achie ing his s a e. This in e es has logically ca ied o e o esea che s. Fo a long
ime, scien i ic discussion o happiness seemed ese ed mainly o philosophe s,
as o he scien i ic disciplines a ely paid a en ion o i . A an ea ly s age, he b ead h
o he concep , he a ie y o ace s and pe spec i es ha can be iden i ied abou i
(Ba ow 1980; Veenho en, 1984). Philosophe s ha e adi ionally been in e es ed,
abo e all, in he abili y o o esee happiness and o ac o achie e i . To his end,
hey ela ed happiness o pe sonal cha ac e is ics and a ibu es and, la e , o issues
ex e nal o he indi idual h ough social and poli ical aspec s, such as jus ice, eedom
o echnological p og ess. A p esen , empi ical esea ch on happiness is mainly
ocused on physiology, sociology o social and pe sonali y psychology. Meanwhile,
social sciences (including economic sciences) a e ocusing on wel a e and psychology
h ough subjec i e well-being (May ing, 2004). O he scien i ic disciplines such as
sociology, biology, economics o poli ics ha e also de eloped an in e es in his opic,
including ma ke ing (Ba bosa, 2017).
The beginning o he s udy o happiness, scien i ically deba ed in ma ke ing, is
s a ed in consume esea ch as an emo ional s a e. (K oebe -Riel and Weinbe g,
2003; Mowen 1993; Schuche -Gule e al., 2001; Núñez-Ba ioped o e al., 2021;
Lo anca e al. 2019). In he beginning o consume happiness analysis, hey poin
o emo ions as essen ial componen s o consume esponses (Richins, 1997), hey
can a ec e alua ions, judgmen s and decisions (Bagozzi e al., 1999; Williams
Anduli • Re is a Andaluza de Ciencias Sociales Nº 23 - 2023
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2014). I consume s we e pe ec ly a ional beings, hei consump ion would be lowe
(Manzano-A ondo, 2017).Emo ions a e p esen ed bo h as causes and e ec s and
as media o s and mode a o s o consume beha iou and happiness is e ealed as
essen ial in such beha iou (Bagozzi, 1999). In his amewo k, consume happiness
seems ele an o ma ke e s and ma ke ing has sough o in eg a e his connec ion
in o i s s a egies (Ba bosa, 2017). Logically, ma ke ing has sough o in eg a e his
connec ion in o i s s a egies. Howe e , i is necessa y o in es iga e whe e speci ically
his in e es lies. One answe o his ques ion would be ha ma ke ing s a egies
ha con ibu e o consume happiness p omo e cus ome us and commi men and,
ul ima ely, company goodwill (Lee and Si gy 2004). The e o e, in luences o he s udy
o happiness can be ound in di e en aspec s, such as in consump ion (consume
sa is ac ion o expe ience), in he analysis o he consequences o making consume s
happie and in he way o in eg a ing happiness in o ma ke ing s a egy and ac ions
( ecen ly in social ma ke ing, sus ainabili y and communica ion) (Ra ina-Ripoll e al.,
2021).
Howe e , despi e ma ke e s’ g owing adop ion o happiness, unde s anding he
ela ionship be ween happiness and i s in luence on b and pu chase and consump ion
is a guably limi ed. The same could be said abou esea ch based on he opposi e
ela ionship, i.e., how he expe ience o using o pu chasing he b and enhances
happiness (Mogilne e al., 2012). The e o e, i seems clea ha u he wo k is
needed on he impac o episodic o momen a y consume happiness on i s in luence
on consump ion o consume beha iou . All his may be especially impo an in he
ace o he g owing eme gence o key ac o s in he p e e ences o consume s and
in hei sa is ac ion a iables such as sus ainabili y o o he social conside a ions
(Muñoz-Vale a. 2020).
2.1. Absolu e e sus ela i e happiness
The i s deba e on he pu sui o happiness is whe he i should be based on
absolu e e sus ela i e e ms. The i s a iables used o measu e happiness we e
weal h, income o consump ion le el and wo poin s o iew we e pu o wa d (Hsee
e al., 2009). The i s asse s ha hese a iables in absolu e e ms a e he main
de e minan s o happiness (Veenho en, 1991). The second a gues ha wha eally
ma e s a e ela i e le els compa ed o o he s (Blanch lowe and Oswald, 2004;
Eas e lin, 1974). The ele ance o his app oach is based on he implica ions o
he answe o whe he imp o ed le els o income and consump ion lead o g ea e
happiness in absolu e e ms o only when his imp o emen is made ela i e o hose
a ound us. To answe his ques ion, wo dis inc ypes o consump ion a iables a e
es ablished: hose ha a e in insically assessable and hose ha a e in insically
non-assessable. The o me e e s o elemen s whose scale o desi abili y o human
beings is inna e and gene ally sha ed by indi iduals— o example, aspec s such as
ambien empe a u e, amoun o sleep o le el o a igue. Inhe en ly non-e aluable
a iables a e hose whose le el o desi abili y depends on in o ma ion ob ained
h ough ex e nal e e ences, such as he epu a ion o an es ablishmen o p oduc
a ibu es. The esul s show ha happiness is absolu e o inhe en ly e aluable
consump ion and ela i e o inhe en ly non-e alua i e consump ion (Hsee e al.,
2009). These indings ha e subs an ial implica ions o ma ke ing ela ed o meaning
and di e en ia ion. I aspec s such as epu a ion o b and a e conside ed in insically
non-e alua i e, jus consuming does no necessa ily gua an ee happie consume s.
The e o e, consume s o p oduc s and se ices ha a e meaning ul o hem and ha
di e en ia e hem om o he s can inc ease happiness. Thus, hey should encou age
a a ou able compa ison wi h hei e e ence en i onmen .
A ículos • Ped o Cues a Valiño, Pablo Gu ié ez Rod íguez, Pablo Con e as Con e as
• 87 •
One o he i s dis inc ions be ween models dis inguishes be ween ex e nal and
in e nal models. I he dependence o happiness is based on ma e ial aspec s and
consump ion (objec i e and ex e nal condi ions) we a e alking abou “ex e nal”
happiness. In con as , in “in e nal” happiness i is he in e nal subjec i e judgmen s
ha de e mine his s a e. In he case o consume beha iou esea ch, he a ional and
app op ia e app oach seems o come “ om he inside”, om an in e nal happiness.
I en ails concep ualizing happiness as a subjec i e phenomenon based on in e nal
s a es. The a ionale o analysing happiness h ough an in e nal model is jus i ied
because, acco ding o esea ch on social indica o s, people li ing unde a ou able
objec i e condi ions may eel unhappy (Schuche -Gule e al., 2001). Happiness has
i al emo ional and cogni i e componen s, so happiness is based on an in e ac ion
be ween ac i a ion and subjec i e in e p e a ion (K oebe -Riel and Weinbe g, 2003;
S ock e al., 1986).
3. Con ibu ions o he s udy o consume happiness
The p esen analysis is amed wi hin he posi i e psychology, which has been using
scien i ic means ha suppo he esea ch ca ied ou o some ime. Th ough he
de ini ions gi en, i seems possible o build a knowledge ha helps o imp o e he well-
being o people. Posi i e psychology a gues ha , in a wo ld whe e social conce ns a e
inc easingly insis en , he consume expe ience should be he way in which b ands
con ibu e o happiness (Schmi e al., 2015). I seems app op ia e o s a e ha he
s udy o his a iable aises new oppo uni ies o connec ion wi h cus ome s in he
ield o ma ke ing and managemen o applica ion a he p o essional le el.
In he ma ke ing li e a u e, happiness is used in e changeably wi h subjec i e well-
being (subjec i e and measu able), li e sa is ac ion and use ulness (DelleFa e e al.,
2011; Eas e lin, 2003; Mogilne e al., 2012; Nicolao, I win and Goodman, 2009).
Happiness sco es, compa ed o measu es o psychological and physiological well-
being, a e highly co ela ed (Su on and Da idson, 1997). This has led o hese
wo e ms being used in e changeably. Howe e , when he concep is used in he
consume ield, o a oid con usion, only he e m happiness is used. The as majo i y
o esea ch on happiness and consump ion p e e s his al e na i e (Bha acha jee and
Mogilne , 2014; Be ingen and Luedicke, 2009; Mogilne and Aake , 2009; Schmi ,
B akus and Za an onello, 2015).
In he ma ke ing li e a u e, ou concep ualiza ions a e p oposed o cap u ing
consume well-being, including consume sa is ac ion wi h (i) he ac ual acquisi ion
o he p oduc , (ii) he me e possession o he p oduc , (iii) i s use and enjoymen ,
and (i ) he p oduc ’s en i e li e cycle (Lee and Si gy, 2004). The same s udy
p oposes he de ini ion o subjec i e well-being based on he eelings o sa is ac ion
o dissa is ac ion expe ienced by he consume . In bo h cases, he consume ’s well-
being is shaped by he sa is ac ion he/she ob ains. In ecen decades, sa is ac ion
has been an e e -p esen concep in se ice ma ke ing li e a u e. This es ablishes a
basis o he inco po a ion o his new opic in his a ea, since he co e o happiness
is in sa is ac ion. Some au ho s sugges ha sa is ac ion has been he main posi i e
emo ion conside ed in ma ke ing because i was he i s emo ion s udied in he pos -
pu chase beha iou con ex . Howe e , o he posi i e emo ions may be mo e ele an
o pu chase ou comes, such as exci emen , un, pleasu e and, o cou se, happiness
(Bagozzi e al. 1999).

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An accep ed iew o happiness conside s he exis ence o wo componen s. The
i s is ela ed o exci emen , and he second is o eelings o calm and anquilli y
(Mogilne e al., 2012). As is logical, olde indi iduals a e mo e ocused on he
p esen , which is linked o an o ien a ion o he concep o happiness ha is close
o calmness. On he o he hand, younge indi iduals a e mo e u u e-o ien ed and
hus ocus on mo e exci ed happiness. This ela ionship o happiness o calmness
o exci emen in luences he ac i i ies ha make each indi idual happy. The e o e,
by aking his empo al iew o consume s in o accoun , s a egies o he esul ing
consume segmen s can be be e de ined. These segmen s should be he esul o
using segmen a ion c i e ia based no only on demog aphic o psychog aphic ac o s
bu also on he a o emen ioned empo al app oach. Di e en aspec s o happiness
and hei possible applica ion o scien i ic s udy ha e been iden i ied bu s ill li le is
unde s ood abou how consume s expe ience happiness (Mogilne e al., 2012)
4. Measu es o consume happiness
4.1. Genuine happiness
Despi e he iden i ica ion es ablished be ween well-being and happiness, some
au ho s (Veenho en e al., 2021; Fu and Wang, 2020) poin ou di e ences be ween
he wo concep s. To his end, i is emphasized ha well-being e e s o he quali y o
li e in gene al, conside ing issues such as ma e ial li ing condi ions, employabili y o
educa ion. On he o he hand, happiness is analyzed as a subjec i e e alua ion o
li e, ocusing on enjoying he s anda d o li ing achie ed. Au hen ic happiness would
e e o he se o subjec i e and global judgemen s ha people make when hey
expe ience mo e posi i e emo ions han nega i e ones (C opanzano and W igh ,
2001). Along he same lines, Sa içam (2015) p oposes ha happiness depends
on wo componen s ha p esen he indi idual as a whole, he a ec i e and he
cogni i e. Fi s , he a ec i e componen is de ined as he deg ee o pleasu e he
pe son expe iences. Second, he cogni i e componen is he deg ee o which he
sa is ies his o he desi es.
Mos s udies on consump ion and happiness ha e no adequa ely concep ualized
happiness and ha e ailed o unde s and wha eally makes people happy. In addi ion,
hey do no analyze he di e en possible pa hs o happiness. (Bha acha jee and
Mogilne , 2014; Gilo ich e al., 2015; Mogilne e al., 2012). O he au ho s also
sugges he sepa a ion o he uni a y concep o happiness. Ins ead, i is p oposed ha
happiness be conside ed an ou come o he hedonic (happiness ela ed o pleasu e)
and eudaimonic (meaning ul goals and happiness ela ed o ul ilmen ) pa hways.
Addi ionally, mo e esea ch seems o be needed on how speci ic expe iences may
in luence happiness h ough hei di e en o ien a ions (Schmi e al., 2015).
4.2. Pleasan happiness
Seligman (2002) a gues ha he e a e h ee essen ial ypes o happiness: a
pleasu able o hedonic li e, an engaged li e, and a meaning ul li e. The i s ype
e e s o he sa is ac ion and enjoymen o he senses, an epheme al expe ience.
The hedonic li e, conside ed he sum o posi i e expe iences and pas , p esen , o
u u e pleasu es (Filep and Dee y, 2010), is also iden i ied by F ede ickson (2001)
as he se o emo ions, lo e, enjoymen , in e es and sa is ac ion expe ienced by he
indi idual. The e o e, he conside s ha people enjoy a pleasan li e when hey a e
able o de elop hei s eng hs and i ues h ough ac i i ies, hey a e passiona e
A ículos • Ped o Cues a Valiño, Pablo Gu ié ez Rod íguez, Pablo Con e as Con e as
• 89 •
abou . Along he same lines, a pleasan li e is iden i ied as a s a e illed wi h hedonic
expe iences (B ickman and Campbell 1971; Kahneman, 1999). Ryan and Deci (2001)
conside ha consume happiness e lec s he sum o hedonic momen s.
The s udy o he hedonic iew o happiness, mo i a ional o psychological hedonism,
p oposes he pu sui o he good li e by indi iduals h ough pleasu e and a oidance
o pain (B ülde, 2014). The e o e, i is cu en ly use ul and easible o in es iga e
his iew based on hedonic psychology, ocusing on wha makes ou li e pleasan o
unpleasan (Kahneman e al., 1999). Typically, s udies on hedonic happiness analyze
li e sa is ac ion (Diene , 2000; Pa o and Diene , 2008) bu he idea o pleasu e is no
exclusi e o he o dina y meaning o bodily pleasu e (B ülde, 2014). The consequence
is he exis ence o a ange o exp essions whe e his hedonism is e lec ed ha a ies
om ocusing on bodily pleasu e o a wide a ie y o appe i es and sel -in e es s
(Ryan and Deci, 2001). These ypes o pleasu es comp ise many expe iences
such as sensa ions, emo ions, and moods (B ülde, 2014). Speci ically, pleasu able
sensa ions ange om he wa m sensa ion el when wea ing a coa , h ough hose
including alling in lo e, hope o chee ulness o pleasu able moods such as ha mony
o eupho ia (B ülde, 2014). Fu he mo e, he possible exp essions o pleasu e a e
expanded o imply p e e ences and pleasu es o he mind. Pleasu es o he mind a e
explained as a se o emo ions ha occu s when expec a ions dis ibu ed o e ime
a e b oken. This implies ha exci emen a ises and he sea ch o in e p e a ions
begins (Kubo y, 1999). In line wi h he concep ualiza ion o he dicho omy pleasu e
and pain, psychological hedonism conside s expe iences as a hedonic con inuum
wi h wo opposi e ancho s, e.g., good e sus bad, liking e sus disliking, o joy e sus
sadness (Vi e sø, 2011).
4.3. The eudaimonic ision o happiness (li e wi h meaning).
The de elopmen o a meaning ul li e occu s when people pa icipa e in ac i i ies ha
con ibu e o he common good o a e able o de elop ans o ma i e o memo able
expe iences. Feeling mo e connec ed o o he s enhances bo h happiness and
meaning in li e. (Duckwo h e al., 2005). In posi i e psychology, achie ing indi idual
and social goals would esul in a meaning ul li e. The e o e, his is ano he eason
people can achie e happiness (Cues a-Valiño e al., 2021). This app oach e e s o
he endency o indi iduals o in es in li e expe iences o hei choice and hen ocus
on hem. To a g ea ex en , human beings base hei ac ions and in e ac ions on
a sys em o meanings (Baumeis e , 2005). This p inciple unde pins he eudaimonic
iew o happiness such ha he key componen s a e based on pe sonal g ow h a
he indi idual le el, sel -ac ualiza ion, and commi men o socially sha ed goals and
alues (DelleFa e e al., 2011). In insic o he concep o happiness is people’s
ques o iden i y onesel and li e wi h i (o ue sel ) in o de o achie e pe sonal
exp essi eness. This eeling appea s when indi iduals eel ha hey a e doing hei
bes o achie e hei goals in line wi h hei pu pose in li e (DelleFa e e al., 2011;
Linley e al., 2009; S ege e al., 2011; Wa e man, 1993). Fu he mo e, Pe e son and
Seligman (2004) highligh he impo ance o happiness and sel hood o one’s own
alues and i ues in con ibu ing o he good li e. In summa y, he impo ance o
meaning in happiness is based on iden i ying consume alues and, on he pa o
o ganiza ions, connec ing wi h consume s wi hin he amewo k o hese i ues and
alues.
4.4. The luid ision o happiness (li e wi h engagemen )
Engaged li e would e e o eeling mo e secu e and commi ed o he ac i i y one
is engaged in. Tha is, aspec s ela ed o one’s own expe ience and no ex insic
Anduli • Re is a Andaluza de Ciencias Sociales Nº 23 - 2023
• 90 •
ewa ds. (Massimini and DelleFa e, 2000). In he same ein, engaged li ing a ises
om he ull use o pe sonal capabili ies o achie e challenges and ela es o one’s
own immedia e expe ience (Duckwo h e al., 2005; Hom Ca y, 2004). In his way,
cus ome s can eel engaged when hei shopping and consump ion expe ience
includes ac i e and passi e si ua ions (Schmi , 2012). I allows o c ea ing
expe ien ial pla o ms consis ing o mul iple cus ome ouchpoin s, such as li e e en s
and di ec in e ac ions, which would o e ac i e expe iences. On he o he hand,
he expe ience can be passi e and ecei ed h ough adi ional o digi al media o
os e engagemen wi h he b and (Schmi , 2012). Del ing deepe in o his app oach,
some au ho s explain he happiness esul ing om a pleasan , good and sa is ying
expe ience as a posi i e psychological s a e (Jang e al., 2017).
The e m low is conside ed a componen o eudaimonic well-being and i is
associa ed wi h pe sonal exp essi eness. Howe e , a deepe e lec ion on he
idea o low a gues ha i is composed o a double dimension, wi h hedonic and
eudaimonic quali ies (DelleFa e and Bassi, 2014; Wa e man, 1993). Some au ho s
also a gue ha low is a di e en ial and e en unconscious componen o happiness
ha is no de ined as emo ional (Pe e son e al., 2005). Hence, he low would di e
om hedonism because he ela ionship be ween happiness and low would di e
om hedonism and emo ion (Csikszen mihalyi, 1999). I can be jus i ied since, du ing
he expe ience o low, people’s a en ion is monopolised by he ac ion i sel , wi h
a empo a y loss o he sense o sel . The e o e, people a e no necessa ily happy
when hey expe ience a pa icula e en . A he end o he expe ience, hey e lec
on i and hus achie e g ea e chee ulness and happiness (Csikszen mihalyi, 1999).
The e o e, i is concluded ha eelings and emo ions do no coexis wi h he low s a e
bu occu a e i .
Mo eo e , he expe ience o low would be di e en om eudaimonia. The main
eason is ha , al hough he pu sui o meaning ul happiness h ough ac i i ies may
lead people o expe ience low, no all ac i i ies ha p o oke low a e meaning ul and
connec people o highe alues and i ues. Mo eo e , no all meaning ul ac i i ies
a e conside ed o low expe iences (Pe e son e al., 2005).
4.5. The h ee o ien a ions model
The e a e app oaches ollowed by nume ous esea che s who seek o unde s and
happiness by applying a mul idimensional app oach (DelleFa e 2014). Comp on e
al. (1996), in hei esea ch on men al heal h indica o s, ob ained esul s ha indica e
ha hedonic and eudaimonic dimensions coexis and ha a be e unde s anding
o well-being equi es add essing bo h dimensions. In he same ein, Kashdan,
Biswas-Diene and King (2008) emphasize how hedonics and eudaimonia ope a e
oge he and p opose o in eg a e hem. I does no seem app op ia e o es ablish
bounda ies sepa a ing he wo concep s as i would also be di icul o unde s and
such a limi a ion. Wi h his same end and based on he co ela ion and de ined
cha ac e is ics o hese wo concep s, se e al empi ical s udies ad oca e he dual
pe spec i e o analyze happiness (DelleFa e e al., 2011; Gallaghe e al. 2009; Hu a
and Ryan, 2010; Linley e al., 2009).
Seligman (2002) is one o he i s au ho s o combine bo h app oaches and decides
o deepen and expand on hem. In his way he sugges s h ee dimensions in his
Theo y o Au hen ic Happiness in psychology. The h ee dimensions o happiness
sugges ed a e pleasu e, meaning and engagemen . Subsequen ly, o he empi ical
esea ch has demons a ed he compa ibili y o including he h ee concep ualized
o ien a ions in one model (Pe e son e al., 2005). In addi ion, he esul s o mo e
A ículos • Ped o Cues a Valiño, Pablo Gu ié ez Rod íguez, Pablo Con e as Con e as
• 91 •
ecen empi ical esea ch show ha meaning and engagemen a e be e indica o s
o li e sa is ac ion han pleasu e (Fu and Wang, 2020).
Howe e , i can be obse ed how ecen esea ch on consume happiness has
igno ed he analysis o he di e en pa hs ha can lead o happiness (Bha acha jee
and Mogilne , 2014; Gilo ich e al., 2015; Mogilne e al., 2012). This si ua ion c ea es
a concep o happiness ha is ambiguous and close o he concep o pleasu e. Thus,
Seligman’s (2002) ision and he sphe e o happiness, o he h ee o ien a ions o
happiness, sub end he concep ualiza ion o happiness o he p esen app oach.
The selec ion o his app oach is jus i ied by i s b ead h and ele ance o b and
expe iences and by he analyses igno ed in he li e a u e. The conduc o his p ojec
aims o alida e he impo ance o pleasu e, meaning and engagemen in consume
esea ch (see Table 1).
Table 1. Happiness measu emen scale and i s dimensions
Fac o s Sou ces
Consume happiness
“I am sa is ied wi h my decision o pu chase his p oduc om he
b and”. Al Mandil (2016)
Theodo akis e al.
(2015)
Theodo akis e al.
(2019)
“The pu chase o his p oduc om he b and is ewa ding o me”.
“Buying his b anded p oduc con ibu es o my o e all happiness in li e”.
“Buying his b and imp o es he quali y o my li e”.
Pleasan li e
“I like he pu chase o his p oduc om he b and”.
Fu and Wang (2020)
“I am exci ed o pu chase his b anded p oduc ”.
“The pu chase o his b anded p oduc elie es my s ess”.
“The pu chase o his b anded p oduc helps me o o ge my wo ies
empo a ily”.
Engagedli e
“This ashion shopping ge s me, and his b and hooked”.
Fu and Wang (2020)
“Time passes quickly when I buy p oduc s om his b and”.
“This pu chase makes me eel ha my e o s a wo k o school a e
wo hwhile”.
Meaning ul li e
“Buying his b and’s p oduc makes me eel ha I am a lucky pe son”.
Fu and Wang (2020)
“Buying his b and makes me eel ha I bene i o he people”.
“Being able o buy his p oduc om a b and makes me eel wo h
wo king ha d”.
Sou ce: Cues a-Valiño e al. (2021)
Anduli • Re is a Andaluza de Ciencias Sociales Nº 23 - 2023
• 98 •
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