Directed Motivational Currents and Language Education. Christine Muir
potential. Feelings of personal expressiveness in such situations function as a signal to individuals that they are acting in a manner consistent with goals that have an intrinsic value, the consequence of which is that such actions are reinforced (Huta & Waterman, 2013). A defining element of Waterman’s work is the positioning of self-realisation and living a life with meaning and direction together as a core defining feature, and around this central core exists what Huta and Waterman (2013) describe as three ‘near-core markers’: purpose and meaning in life; dedicated effort in the pursuit of excellence; and authenticity. The first of these overlaps with experiences of trait eudaimonia, in that it operates at a broadly more general level. The latter two, however, are particularly relevant to the current narrative exploring positive emotional loading within DMCs.
Dedicated effort in the pursuit of excellence
When viewed within a longer-term context – for example, that of DMCs – dedicated effort in the pursuit of excellence can make starkly clear the difference between the two forms of pleasure introduced above: the transient highs associated with hedonic pleasure, and the deep-seated feelings of eudaimonic well-being. Waterman et al. (2008) draw on the example of an alpine skier. The intrinsic thrill of alpine skiing is able to generate powerful feelings of hedonic pleasure, yet for some – for example, someone working to hone their skills in the hope of qualifying for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics – such time spent on the slopes generates not only hedonic pleasure but also eudaimonic well-being from the pursuit of a highly self-concordant goal and an idealised personal vision. Self-concordant goals therefore function as a mediating construct, as Sheldon and Houser-Marko (2001: 163) explain: ‘It is possible to become happier through one’s striving pursuits, if one picks the right goals and does well at them.’
Ericsson’s (2006) research into expert performance suggests that for those who strive to achieve such goals, a crucial part of developing and maintaining high-function capabilities is the devotion of time to what, when viewed in a different light, might be considered monotonous activities. Such activities are not only valued highly because they are perceived to generate long-term rewards and satisfaction, but also for the actual enjoyment and well-being generated during the process of carrying them out. The positive emotional loading of a DMC can be understood in exactly this way. On-task engagement is considered as rewarding regardless of the activity being completed, with the ultimate joy anticipated upon goal accomplishment being projected backwards onto each step in the pathway. Such a motivational basis even has the power to support individuals’ ability to recover quickly and effectively from distraction, and to override what in any other context would be highly energy-sapping factors – such as exhaustion. In a DMC, this instead leads to continually regenerating reserves of energy, creating an almost permanent channel of positive feelings (cf. Henry et al., 2015). As Tina describes of her L2 Italian DMC experience:
Everything seemed fantastic about Italy: its culture, language, and people. I felt the whole world was focusing in Italy. I heard about it more frequently on TV and in the news. I was aware that it was my own feeling, but it was all around me. (Safdari & Maftoon, 2017: 50)
Authenticity
Researched in parallel to eudaimonia, the third of Huta and Waterman’s near-core markers, authenticity, is widely accepted as being indispensable in the generation of such experiences (Huta & Waterman, 2013). Coming from the Greek authenteo, meaning ‘to have full power’, authentic functioning refers to an individual’s experience of being ‘the master of his or her own domain’ (Kernis & Goldman, 2006: 293). Viewing the concept of authenticity from a DMC perspective, the most relevant body of work is again that which conceives of it at the state level.
State authenticity is experienced when activities in the present are concordant with core values and features of the self. Authenticity is therefore conceptualised as ‘a situational emotional experience rather than a condition of being’ (Vannini, 2006: 239). As Vannini and Burgess describe,
the indicator of realness or authenticity is the degree of congruence between one’s actions and one’s core self-conceptions – consisting of fundamental values, beliefs, and identities to which one is committed and in terms of which one defines oneself. When actions are congruent with core self-conceptions, one’s self is affirmed and one experiences authenticity. (Vannini & Burgess, 2009: 104)
State authenticity is an affective quality that people are motivated to obtain (e.g. Gecas, 1994; Lenton et al., 2014; Vannini & Burgess, 2009), and success in doing so positively impacts on their experiences of satisfaction and well-being (e.g. Lenton, Slabu et al., 2013; Sheldon et al., 1997).
Vannini describes two distinctly recognisable experiential patterns of authenticity that are particularly relevant (Vannini, 2006; Vannini & Burgess, 2009). The first is highly reminiscent of the peak moments of hedonia and connectedness experienced during flow, and Vannini and Burgess describe these situations as being instinctive: where ‘the self awakens to the importance of its meaningfulness and willpower’ (Vannini & Burgess, 2009: 108). The second pattern is one characterised by authenticity becoming chronic, creating ‘sensation plateaus’ exemplified through constant feelings of satisfaction, serenity, contentment and inner peace. Such patterns can be highly enduring, lasting ‘for semesters or even years’ (Vannini & Burgess, 2009: 110).
Both types of authenticity experiences are relevant to the discussion of DMCs. Evidence of peak moments of flow throughout DMC pathways may not be unusual, although it is the second pattern that is clearly better able to explain the enduring, deep satisfaction so synonymous with the DMC experience. A recent line of research into the relationship between state authenticity and the activation of ideal selves has found strong overlaps, and this is highly instrumental in explaining the manner by which authenticity experiences within DMCs are maintained: ideal selves are likely to be not only highly accessible (that is, easily triggered and brought into awareness) but also frequently activated (in situations where the goal is directly in focus and in situations that are not overtly goal-related). In researching this interrelationship, Lenton and her colleagues drew on the principle that people may feel most authentic when ‘conforming to their own ideal selves’ (Lenton, Bruder et al., 2013: 277). They found that participant characterisations of their ‘most-me’ authentic-self experiences often included ‘low-arousal positive emotions’ (2013: 282) such as calmness and contentment, reflecting highly idealistic views of the self. Further to this, these ‘most-me situations’ tended to be characterised by high levels of satisfaction reported in relation to both current and future selves, leading the researchers to conclude that in situations where authenticity is experienced, this relates to both current and future ideal-self states. They consequently argued for a reciprocal relationship between the two constructs, where not only can the activation of an ideal self ‘make people feel “real”’, but it can also become active following on ‘from experiencing oneself as “real”’ (2013: 285).
The reciprocal relationship between experiences of authenticity and the activation of the ideal self argued for by Lenton and colleagues is of particular significance when we view it within the context of DMCs. In a DMC, activities taking an individual forwards towards the achievement of self-concordant goals generate enduring low-arousal feelings of authenticity, caused in part by the chronic accessibility of ideal selves. When this emotional dimension is permeated by feelings of authenticity and eudaimonic well-being, this may stand as a factor that actively facilitates the accessibility of the ideal self (Dörnyei et al., 2016). The sustained motivating power of a DMC current maintains its overall positive emotional loading from this symbiotic relationship:
On the basis of these considerations, it may be reasonable to assume that in a DMC the ideal self becomes a more or less permanent part of the learner’s conception of the self. Thus, the vision of the future self is so pervasive that it becomes part of who the learner is; part of ‘the real me’. (Dörnyei et al., 2016: 113)
(5) The End of DMCs
Many DMCs will end at the point of achievement of the final goal (for example, on the day of the marathon, or when a visa or new job is successfully obtained). However, it is sometimes the