What is hedonic adaptation in simple terms?

Over time people get used to very good or bad events and their happiness returns to normal.

Do people adapt to everything?

No; after unemployment or disability, well-being can stay lower for a long time.

Hedonic Adaptation

🧠 Psychology By CampusDown Wiki Editorial Team Last updated October 27, 2026

Hedonic adaptation is the process by which emotional responses to positive or negative events, such as promotions, lottery wins or accidents, weaken over time so that happiness drifts back toward its earlier level. It is also called the hedonic treadmill.

Contents

1. The hedonic treadmill
2. Mechanisms
3. Revisions
4. FAQ
5. References

The hedonic treadmill

Brickman and Campbell (1971) proposed the hedonic treadmill. Brickman and colleagues (1978) found lottery winners were not much happier and accident victims happier than expected. The idea helps explain the Easterlin paradox.

Mechanisms

Frederick and Loewenstein (1999) described desensitisation, rising aspirations and shifting comparisons, echoing the relative income hypothesis and reference points in prospect theory.

Revisions

Diener and colleagues (2006) argued set points differ, components adapt differently and set points can change. Lucas and colleagues (2004) found incomplete recovery after unemployment, Clark and colleagues (2008) compared events, and Sheldon and Lyubomirsky (2012) linked slowing adaptation to positive psychology.

FAQ

What is hedonic adaptation in simple terms?: Over time people get used to very good or bad events and their happiness returns to normal.
Do people adapt to everything?: No; after unemployment or disability, well-being can stay lower for a long time.

Sources reviewed: 2026-10-26

References

Brickman, P., Coates, D., & Janoff-Bulman, R. (1978). Lottery winners and accident victims: Is happiness relative? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36(8), 917–927. The lottery winners classic.
Brickman, P., & Campbell, D. T. (1971). Hedonic relativism and planning the good society. In M. H. Appley (Ed.), Adaptation-level theory (pp. 287–302). Academic Press. Origin of the hedonic treadmill.
Frederick, S., & Loewenstein, G. (1999). Hedonic adaptation. In D. Kahneman, E. Diener, & N. Schwarz (Eds.), Well-being: The foundations of hedonic psychology (pp. 302–329). Russell Sage Foundation. A systematic chapter.
Diener, E., Lucas, R. E., & Scollon, C. N. (2006). Beyond the hedonic treadmill: Revising the adaptation theory of well-being. American Psychologist, 61(4), 305–314. Revising the treadmill.
Lucas, R. E., Clark, A. E., Georgellis, Y., & Diener, E. (2004). Unemployment alters the set point for life satisfaction. Psychological Science, 15(1), 8–13. Incomplete adaptation to unemployment.
Clark, A. E., Diener, E., Georgellis, Y., & Lucas, R. E. (2008). Lags and leads in life satisfaction: A test of the baseline hypothesis. The Economic Journal, 118(529), F222–F243. Adaptation by life event.
Sheldon, K. M., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2012). The challenge of staying happier: Testing the hedonic adaptation prevention model. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38(5), 670–680. Preventing hedonic adaptation.

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This article was last updated on October 27, 2026. It is based on widely recognized original works and textbooks; when citing it in a paper, please check the original sources listed in the references.