The challenge of staying happier: testing the Hedonic Adaptation Prevention model

Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2012 May;38(5):670-80. doi: 10.1177/0146167212436400. Epub 2012 Feb 23.

Abstract

The happiness that comes from a particular success or change in fortune abates with time. The Hedonic Adaptation Prevention (HAP) model specifies two routes by which the well-being gains derived from a positive life change are eroded--the first involving bottom-up processes (i.e., declining positive emotions generated by the positive change) and the second involving top-down processes (i.e., increased aspirations for even more positivity). The model also specifies two moderators that can forestall these processes--continued appreciation of the original life change and continued variety in change-related experiences. The authors formally tested the predictions of the HAP model in a 3-month three-wave longitudinal study of 481 students. Temporal path analyses and moderated regression analyses provided good support for the model. Implications for the stability of well-being, the feasibility of "the pursuit of happiness," and the appeal of overconsumption are discussed.

MeSH terms

  • Achievement*
  • Adaptation, Psychological*
  • Adult
  • Female
  • Happiness*
  • Humans
  • Life Change Events*
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Models, Psychological*
  • Personal Satisfaction
  • Psychological Theory
  • Quality of Life
  • Students / psychology
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Time Factors
  • Young Adult