Definition
Aspiration (level) theory in quality of life research focuses on the consequences of a divergence between aspired goals or wants in terms of outcomes and the current state for an individual’s well-being. The theory incorporates the fact that human beings are unable and unwilling to make absolute judgments. Rather, they constantly draw comparisons with their environment, with the past, or with their expectations of the future, thereby developing aspirations. Outcomes are then evaluated by their deviation from these aspirations.
Description
Historical Background
The introduction of the term of “aspiration levels” into psychology or, more generally, into social sciences literature is credited to Dembo (1931) (see, e.g., Lewin, Dembo, Festinger & Sears, 1944). It was not until 1944 that Lewin et al. developed the first comprehensive conceptual...
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Stutzer, A., Henne, T. (2014). Aspiration Theory. In: Michalos, A.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_115
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_115
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