Happiness-Enhancing Activities as a Mediator Between Orientations to Happiness and Positive Emotions: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Objective
Although multiple studies have linked orientations to happiness to various well-being indicators, such as
positive emotions, the underlying mechanisms of this relationship remain less understood. Given that
orientations represent behavioral tendencies rather than concrete actions, this study aims to explore
whether engaging in happiness-enhancing activities mediates their effect on positive emotions.

Method
At baseline (T0; N = 349), participants completed an online survey assessing their happiness orientations.
Over the following three weeks, participants reported their involvement in pleasure-, engagement-, and
meaning-enhancing activities and their positive emotions (T1: N = 166; T2: N = 164; T3: N = 129).

Results
Multilevel mediation analyses showed that pleasure-enhancing activities partially mediated the pleasure
orientation–positive emotions link (beta coefficient = 0.08, p < .05), while engagement-enhancing activities
fully mediated engagement orientation (beta coefficient = 0.08, p < .05). Meaning-enhancing activities
partially mediated meaning orientation (beta coefficient = 0.07, p = .050), with a marginally significant
indirect effect.

Conclusions
Findings suggest that translating happiness orientations into concrete, activity-based behaviors is important
for sustaining positive emotions. Engagement orientation appears to rely fully on active participation in
engagement-enhancing activities, while pleasure and meaning orientations benefit from such activities but
may also be influenced by cognitive processes or other psychological mechanisms.