What is the term used to describe the phenomenon where individuals become temporarily happier after a life change, but then return to their baseline happiness?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

When considering how happiness changes after a life event, there are several possible labels to evaluate.
Option 1: 'Temporary happiness' — while this describes a short-lived increase, it is a general descriptor and not the established term for the phenomenon of returning to baseline after a spike.
Option 2: 'Baseline happiness' — this refers to the usual level of happiness someone tends to have, not the dynamic process of rising then returning to that level.
Option 3: 'Short-term happiness' — similarly to option 1, this emphasizes duration but does not name the adaptation process or the temporary uplift that dissipates back to the norm.
Option 4: 'Hedonic shift' — this label aligns with the idea that happiness levels shift upward following a life change but subsequently revert toward the baseline, capturing the temporary uplift and subsequent return.
Option 5: 'Happiness boost' — while a boost conveys a rise in happiness, it does not inherently describe the subsequent reversion to baseline, which is a key part of the phenomenon.
In context, the phenomenon described corresponds to a transient increase in happiness after a change that eventually fades back to the original level, which is captured by the term 'Hedonic shift' in the provided options. The other choices describe aspects of happiness changes but do not name the process of temporary uplift followed by reversion to baseline with the same precision. Additionally, in broader psychology, related concepts like hedonic adaptation explain why the elevated happiness tends to diminish over time, reinforcing why the misaligned options fail to encapsulate the full phenomenon.

Accelerated ELL Writing 2 | The How of Happiness Quiz: Chapter 2 (p. 49-68)

What is the term used to describe the phenomenon where individuals become temporarily happier after a life change, but then return to their baseline happiness?

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

Hayley was so happy when she received the acceptance letter from her chosen law school. A couple of weeks later however, she is only mildly happy about getting into law school. This change in her feelings can best be explained in terms of

Which of the following is LEAST likely to explain the ‘Hedonic Treadmill’:以下哪一项最不可能解释“享乐跑步机”：

How does variety in happiness activities help sustain happiness?

What can we learn from the example of Markus and Roland?

According to author Sonja Lyubomirsky, what is the good news about hedonic adaptation?

What did the study in chapter 2 tracking Australian citizens from 1981 to 1987 find?

According to Chapter 1 of The How of Happiness, what is the most common error people make when it comes to achieving happiness?

Research done by Sonja Lyubomirsky indicates that major life setbacks and traumatic experiences can permanently lower a person's happiness level.

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler