The DOI matches its Crossref record; 12 of the 12 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Beyond the hedonic treadmill: Revising the adaptation theory of well-being.
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 policy-makers who aim to decrease human misery and increase happiness.
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“This suggests that expectations and reference points are not static, but dynamic (Diener et al., 2006).”
From Measuring Subjective Wellbeing: Recommendations on Measures for use by National Governments (2012) · cites this paper as Diener et al., 2006
In the citing paper
“Instead, set points for emotional well‐being can vary, shift over time, and differ across emotional and cognitive dimensions of well‐being.”
From "I don't grieve as much as I used to": A qualitative study on parents of children with rare and undiagnosed conditions navigating grief in the context of uncertainty. (2025) · cites this paper as Diener et al., 2006
In the citing paper
“Recent psychological theories, including revisions to the hedonic treadmill model, suggest that individuals do not always return to a fixed baseline of well‐being after major life events (Diener et al., 2006).”
From "I don't grieve as much as I used to": A qualitative study on parents of children with rare and undiagnosed conditions navigating grief in the context of uncertainty. (2025) · cites this paper as Diener et al., 2006
Citations
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Szczęśliwe życie w okresie późnej dorosłości. Znaczenie motywu indywidualnego.
Sikorska, I., Lipp, N., Stadtmuller, K., & Mostowik, J. (2019) · Psychologia Rozwojowa · doi:10.4467/20843879pr.19.001.10592
Intellectual Disability and Experiencing Happiness
Porczyńska-Ciszewska, A. (2019) · Interdyscyplinarne Konteksty Pedagogiki Specjalnej · doi:10.14746/ikps.2019.24.03
Eranpalo, T., Valanne, E., & Jorgenson, C. A. (2018) · International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research · doi:10.26803/ijlter.17.6.5
“(Diener et al., 2006.)”
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE: IMPLICATIONS FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS
Malkina-Pykh, I. G., & PYKH, Y. A. (2018) · WIT transactions on ecology and the environment · doi:10.2495/eid180281
Confidence in Subjective Evaluation of Human Well-Being in Sen’s Capabilities Perspective
Hasan, H. (2017) · Journal of Happiness Studies · doi:10.1007/s10902-017-9927-1
“Furthermore, Diener et al. (2006) argue, on the basis of experimental and longitudinal studies, that the strong form of adaptation (complete adaptation) is not supported by evidence.”
BackgroundDevelopment and evaluation of positive psychology interventions for Australian adolescents
Norrish, J. M. (2017) · Figshare · doi:10.4225/03/589299c1b2d25 · Cited by 1
The Role of Decision Making Styles in Explaining Happiness
Bubić, A., & Erceg, N. (2016) · Journal of Happiness Studies · doi:10.1007/s10902-016-9816-z · Cited by 43
“…may temporarily influence persons’ affective states and happiness levels, individuals typically return to their stabile set point range (Cummins 2013; Diener et al. 2006; Lyubomirsky et al. 2005), suggesting that life choices and actions only have a limited influence on their subjective well-being.”
BackgroundPérez, J. G. (2016) · doi:10.3990/1.9789036542258
“How can we go beyond the novelty effect? A related concept from psychology, the so-called “treadmill effect”, states that, after the occurrance of good or bad events, people quickly return back to their neutral hedonic levels [33].”
BackgroundPolicies for Happiness in the Global Village
Dima, B., & Dima, Ș. (2016) · Journal of Heterodox Economics · doi:10.1515/jheec-2016-0002
“, 2008), cognitive and emotional components (Diener et al., 1991; Diener et al., 1997; Diener et al., 2006) to life-ability (the capacity of an individual to cope with life’s problems - Veenhoven, 2009), living conditions (livability of the environment - idem), education, income, employment status, gender and marital…”
BackgroundCervi, C., Kieling, A. P., Steil, A., Dandolini, G., & de Souza, J. A. (2015) · Revista de Administração da UFSM · doi:10.5902/1983465910323
Cook, E. (2015) · doi:10.1002/9781119222743.ch2
Smoke & Thriving: an ecological study
Torre, G. L., Mipatrini, D., & Grassi, M. (2015) · Epidemiology Biostatistics and Public Health · doi:10.2427/11160
“The connection between happiness and smoke could not depend only on country’s policies, studies highlight that life choices and behaviors seem to affect the happiness individual level at less for 40%, while 50% is due to biological predisposition and 10% to life circumstances [2].”
BackgroundThe relationship between psychological wellbeing, optimism and existential anxiety in elderly men
Hatami, M., Fadayi, M., & Rezaei, Z. (2015) · doi:10.7813/2075-4124.2015/7-1/b.55
“This result is in line with the results of the research carried out by Yalom (1980), Braun &Dolmino (1978), Mascara (2006), Diener et al (2006), Vercueil (2010), Seligman et al (2005), Sharifi Pour (2007) and Houmzadeh et al (2012).”
BackgroundResult
Metadata
- Authors
- Diener, E., Lucas, R. E., & Scollon, C. N.
- Affiliations
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
- Michigan State University (US)
- Singapore Management University (SG)
- Venue
- American Psychologist
- Published
- 2006-05
- Volume
- 61
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 305-314
- ISSN
- 0003-066X (ISSN-L)
- 1935-990X
- OpenAlex
- W2052283723
- Cited by
- 1,946
- References
- 71
- Citations by year
- 2026: 82 · 2025: 98 · 2024: 99 · 2023: 129 · 2022: 123 · 2021: 99 · 2020: 155 · 2019: 85 · 2018: 95 · 2017: 96 · 2016: 89 · 2015: 126 · 2014: 107 · 2013: 102 · 2012: 124
- FWCI
- 75.31
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Psychologist (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Singapore Management University Institutional Knowledge (InK) (Singapore Management University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Optimism, Hope, and Well-being
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Keywords
- hedonic treadmill, adaptation theory, well-being, life satisfaction, emotions, temperament, individual differences, happiness policy, subjective well-being
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Happiness, Humans, Psychological Theory, Quality of Life
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