Vacation happiness bias

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to theoretically formulate the plausibility of affective recalling through the analysis of different psychological theories and assumptions and develops the theory of vacation happiness bias on the emergence of some variations on affective recalling and forecasting intertwined with dispositional affect, affect regulation and types of situational affect.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a non-empirical method to find gaps in the literature and the existing theories and build a new theoretical model, vacation happiness bias.

Findings

The theory of vacation happiness bias accounts for how the modified focalism model that is expanded to affective recalling beyond affective forecasting works, and thus the modified model is better accounted particularly for the vacation field. In addition, the theory of vacation happiness bias explains how different types of affect and affect regulation are intertwined with one another within the modified focalism frame, thereby yielding some variation. Recalled vacation experiences are more positive than vacation experiences as of the present as a result of affect that is controlled through affect regulation merged with social desirability bias.

Originality/value

Research in tourism and psychology fields has not yet deemed affective recalling, even though affective recalling would likely be more salient in the vacation context that is different from the context of daily life.

Citation

Chang, S. (2017), "Vacation happiness bias", International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 11 No. 4, pp. 520-533. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCTHR-11-2016-0110