Journal Article

Adaptation and the set-point model of subjective well-being: does happiness change after major life events?

Authors

Publication date

2007

Abstract

Hedonic adaptation refers to the process by which individuals return to baseline levels of happiness following a change in life circumstances. Dominant models of subjective well-being (SWB) suggest that people can adapt to almost any life event and that happiness levels fluctuate around a biologically determined set point that rarely changes. Recent evidence from large-scale panel studies challenges aspects of this conclusion. Although inborn factors certainly matter and some adaptation does occur, events such as divorce, death of a spouse, unemployment, and disability are associated with lasting changes in SWB. These recent studies also show that there are considerable individual differences in the extent to which people adapt. Thus, happiness levels do change, and adaptation is not inevitable.

Published in

Current Directions in Psychological Science

Volume

16 (2):75-79

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9442.2008.00526.x

Subjects

Psychology, Well Being, and Life Course Analysis

Notes

not held in Res Lib - bibliographic reference only

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