Beyond the Hedonic Treadmill: Revising the Adaptation Theory of Well-Being

American Psychologist, May-June 2006

10 Pages Posted: 11 Jan 2013

See all articles by Ed Diener

Ed Diener

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Richard E. Lucas

Michigan State University

Christie Scollon

Texas Christian University

Date Written: January 10, 2013

Abstract

According to the hedonic treadmill model, good and bad events temporarily affect happiness, but people quickly adapt back to hedonic neutrality. The theory, which has gained widespread acceptance in recent years, implies that individual and societal efforts to increase happiness are doomed to failure. The recent empirical work outlined here indicates that 5 important revisions to the treadmill model are needed. First, individuals’ set points are not hedonically neutral. Second, people have different set points, which are partly dependent on their temperaments. Third, a single person may have multiple happiness set points: Different components of well-being such as pleasant emotions, unpleasant emotions, and life satisfaction can move in different directions. Fourth, and perhaps most important, well-being set points can change under some conditions. Finally, individuals differ in their adaptation to events, with some individuals changing their set point and others not changing in reaction to some external event. These revisions offer hope for psychologists and policymakers who aim to decrease human misery and increase happiness.

Keywords: coping, subjective well-being, life satisfaction, adaptation, happiness

Suggested Citation

Diener, Ed and Lucas, Richard E. and Scollon, Christie, Beyond the Hedonic Treadmill: Revising the Adaptation Theory of Well-Being (January 10, 2013). American Psychologist, May-June 2006, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2199214

Ed Diener (Contact Author)

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ( email )

601 E John St
Champaign, IL Champaign 61820
United States

Richard E. Lucas

Michigan State University ( email )

Agriculture Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824-1122
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.msu.edu/user/lucasri/

Christie Scollon

Texas Christian University ( email )

Fort Worth, TX 76129
United States

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