Executive functioning and happiness are each associated with successful learning and other desirable individual and societal outcomes; however, it is unclear whether a relation exists between them. Executive regulation of happiness pursuits in daily life, operationalized as hedonic (e.g., pursuing pleasure) and eudaimonic (e.g., pursuing personal growth) motives for action, may be a way the constructs relate to each other. In this initial investigation, we aimed to explore whether objectively measured executive functioning skills relate to happiness motives. A sample of 119 college students completed six objective neuropsychological measures of executive functioning and self-reported levels of hedonic and eudaimonic motives for action in daily life. Correlation and regression analyses examined the relations among temporal discounting and two latent executive functioning factors (inhibitory control and working memory) with hedonic and eudaimonic motives, as well as their interaction. Results suggested a possible association between higher levels of eudaimonic motives and preference for higher delayed rewards, as well as poorer working memory. Further analyses suggested that endorsing high levels of eudaimonic and hedonic motives simultaneously (i.e., the “full life”) was associated with poorer inhibitory control and working memory performance, whereas endorsing low levels of both simultaneously (i.e., the “empty life”) was associated with a preference for more immediate monetary rewards. Findings are discussed in the context of goal conflict and risk assessment among individuals who endorse the “full life”. Overall, these findings suggest that complex relations may exist between executive functioning and trait-level happiness pursuits, and have implications for possible interventions aimed at enhancing happiness-related motives and cognitive processes to facilitate learning. Given the exploratory nature of the present study, further investigations are necessary.

执行功能和幸福感都与成功的学习和其他理想的个人和社会成果相关联；但是，尚不清楚它们之间是否存在关系。日常生活中幸福追求的行政管理，作为享乐（例如，追求快乐）和幸福（例如，追求个人成长）的行动动机，可能是这些构念相互关联的一种方式。在这项初步调查中，我们旨在探索客观测量的执行功能技能是否与幸福动机有关。一个由 119 名大学生组成的样本完成了六项客观的执行功能神经心理学测量，以及自我报告的日常生活中的享乐和幸福动机水平。相关和回归分析检查了时间折扣和两个潜在执行功能因素（抑制控制和工作记忆）与享乐和幸福动机之间的关系，以及它们的相互作用。结果表明，更高水平的幸福动机与对更高延迟奖励的偏好以及更差的工作记忆之间可能存在关联。进一步的分析表明，同时支持高水平的幸福和享乐动机（即“充实的生活”）与较差的抑制控制和工作记忆表现有关，而同时支持低水平的两种动机（即“空虚的生活”）是与对更直接的金钱奖励的偏好有关。在认可“完整生活”的个人中，在目标冲突和风险评估的背景下讨论了调查结果。总体而言，这些研究结果表明，执行功能和特质水平的幸福追求之间可能存在复杂的关系，并对旨在增强幸福相关动机和认知过程以促进学习的可能干预措施产生影响。鉴于本研究的探索性，进一步的调查是必要的。