主观幸福感的理论源流及其在旅游研究中的应用:一个批判性文献综述

The Evolution of Subjective Well-Being and Its Application in Tourism Research:A Critical Review

旅游领域的主观幸福感研究已经积累了一定的成果。然而,旅游学界对主观幸福感理论渊源和研究方法的理解仍存在较大分歧,导致相关研究缺乏理论贡献。本文试图理清主观幸福感的源流,比较分析各种研究方法和量表,并对旅游领域幸福感研究存在的问题进行批判性反思。本文指出,主观幸福感属于生活质量范畴,有着多种哲学基础和理论来源,如享乐主义理论、期望理论、原真快乐理论、幸福主义理论和目标清单理论等。基于不同哲学基础的主观幸福感研究已经发展出一系列研究方法和测量量表,每一种研究方法和测量量表都有其优劣势和适用条件,需加以区分。旅游研究未来应该理清主观幸福感的概念基础,坚持问题导向的研究设计,避免随意关联的因果分析,多采用混合研究方法。

The application of Subjective well-being (SWB) in tourism research has increased in the past decades, but misunderstanding, misusage, and confusion remain. This paper aims to trace the evolution and new trends of SWB and makes critical reviews on its tourism studies. SWB is both a psychological construct and a social construction, and also an important filed of quality of life (QOL) study. The scientific study of SWB began nearly 100 years ago, and has been shaped and influenced by the efforts of Ed Diener and his team. Unfortunately, one continuing problem of SWB is lack of consensus on the conception and measurement of SWB, since it has multiple origins of philosophy and theories, such as hedonistic theories, desire theories, authentic happiness theories, eudaimonistic (or “nature-fulfillment”) theories and list theories. Among these above, hedonistic is widely accepted as a main philosophical foundation and has developed a series of measurement scales, catering to various contexts and research purposes. Eudaimonistic and other theories have also developed some scales. Each scale has advantages and disadvantages, as well as applicable condition. However, some studies ignore or misunderstand the philosophical foundation and applicable condition of SWB scale, and raise some problematic conclusion, such as oversimplification of classic scale, misusage in unsuitable situation, mis-synthesis of scales with different philosophical origins, misinterchange of QOL, GL, LS and SWB, and even examination on causal relationship between SWB and various constructs that without or with less theoretical connection.