Do trait-assessed valenced emotion motives predict valenced affective states in the daily lives of university students?

Although emotion motives have been proposed to predict momentary valenced affect experienced in everyday life, little research has been conducted on this issue. The present study examined whether trait-level hedonic and contra-hedonic emotion motives would significantly predict daily hedonic and contra-hedonic emotion goals and subsequent daily affective states. A sample of 268 university students self-reported levels of trait emotion motives in a single-occasion survey, followed by a 14-day daily diary study which assessed momentary emotion goals and affective mood states. Linear mixed model analyses showed that trait hedonic emotion motives (trying to experience positive emotions) significantly predicted corresponding daily hedonic emotion goals and subsequent higher levels of daily positive affect, while trait contra-hedonic motives (trying to experience negative emotions) evidenced an analogous pattern resulting in higher levels of daily negative affect. These findings support a bivariate rather than a bipolar relationship between hedonic and contra-hedonic motives.