Making a Life Worth Living

TLDR

Despite extensive literature linking asymmetric prefrontal activation to approach‑withdrawal motivation and emotion, no studies have directly examined its neural correlates of well‑being. Eighty‑four right‑handed adults aged 57–60 completed self‑report measures of eudaimonic and hedonic well‑being and positive affect before resting EEG. Greater left than right superior frontal activation correlated with higher levels of both eudaimonic and hedonic well‑being, and hemisphere‑specific analyses revealed that goal‑directed approach tendencies, beyond positive affect, predicted eudaimonic but not hedonic well‑being, indicating that engaging appetitive motivation associated with higher left prefrontal activity may promote well‑being.

Abstract

Despite the vast literature that has implicated asymmetric activation of the prefrontal cortex in approach-withdrawal motivation and emotion, no published reports have directly explored the neural correlates of well-being. Eighty-four right-handed adults (ages 57–60) completed self-report measures of eudaimonic well-being, hedonic well-being, and positive affect prior to resting electroencephalography. As hypothesized, greater left than right superior frontal activation was associated with higher levels of both forms of well-being. Hemisphere-specific analyses documented the importance of goal-directed approach tendencies beyond those captured by approach-related positive affect for eudaimonic but not for hedonic well-being. Appropriately engaging sources of appetitive motivation, characteristic of higher left than right baseline levels of prefrontal activation, may encourage the experience of well-being.