The challenge of staying happier: Testing the hedonic adaptation prevention model

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. © 2012 by the society for personality and social psychology,inc.