Achieving a balance between positive and negative aspects of pain consumption: The central role of coping strategies in counter-hedonic experiences

Contrary to the hedonic view of tourism and leisure, many tourists willingly participate in unwelcoming and even painful experiences. In this paper, we conceptualize the underlying mechanisms that contribute to the success or failure of these counter-hedonic experiences. To this end, we conducted an ethnography involving four different counter-hedonic experiences. We have found that when the experience is perceived as “balanced”, the participant derives immediate pleasure and/or perceives delayed personal benefits. This balance is achieved by (1) implementing adequate coping strategies to deal with painful stimuli, (2) regulating the co-activation of positive and negative emotions, and (3) feeling pain that is sufficiently stimulating. The positive emotions created and the resulting positive outcome prompt us to reconsider the use of the term counter-hedonic to describe these experiences. We propose the alternative term bittersweet experiences, to emphasize this crucial balance between positive and negative aspects, and between pain and personal satisfaction.