Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 16, 2026
07:47
Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task
Published on: January 9, 2016
16.1K
Hedonic nondurability revisited: A case for two types.
Raegan J Tennant1, Christopher K Hsee1
1Department of Behavioral Science, Booth School of Business, University of Chicago.
Journal of Experimental Psychology. General
|December 19, 2017
Summary
The hedonic impact of life changes can last longer than previously thought, especially for losses. This study introduces a new way to understand how different preference types affect hedonic durability.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Hedonic durability, the lasting impact of life changes, has been considered negligible in prior research.
- Previous studies suggest adaptation significantly reduces the long-term hedonic effects of gains and losses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differential rates of hedonic durability for both losses and gains.
- To propose and test a distinction between comparison-independent and comparison-dependent preference types as an explanation for varying hedonic durability.
Main Methods:
- Conducted three experiments demonstrating hedonic durability for losses across variables and within ranges.
- Extended the investigation to examine hedonic durability for gains.
- Proposed a theoretical framework distinguishing between absolute (comparison-independent) and relative (comparison-dependent) preference types.
Main Results:
- Observed patterns of both hedonic nondurability and hedonic durability, challenging previous assumptions.
- Demonstrated differential rates of hedonic durability for losses and gains.
- Found that comparison-independent preferences are hedonically more durable than comparison-dependent preferences.
Conclusions:
- Hedonic durability is not always negligible and varies significantly based on the nature of the change and individual preference types.
- The distinction between absolute and relative preferences offers a novel explanation for adaptation.
- Findings have implications for understanding the hedonic treadmill, affective forecasting, and the economy.
More Related Videos
09:07Experimental Research Examining How People Can Cope with Uncertainty Through Soft Haptic Sensations
Published on: September 16, 2015
9.5K
08:24The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
Published on: August 25, 2023
1.2K
Related Concept Videos
01:38Cognitive Dissonance
37.5K
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
37.5K
01:25The Anchoring-and-Adjustment Heuristic
7.8K
In order to make good decisions, we use our knowledge and our reasoning. Often, this knowledge and reasoning is sound and solid. However, sometimes, we are swayed by biases or by others manipulating a situation. For example, let’s say you and three friends wanted to rent a house and had a combined target budget of $1,600. The realtor shows you only very run-down houses for $1,600 and then shows you a very nice house for $2,000. Might you ask each person to pay more in rent to get the...
7.8K
01:27Horney's Sociocultural Approach
1.1K
Karen Horney's psychoanalytic theories emphasize the potential for self-realization and the importance of addressing social and cultural, rather than biological, factors in personality development. She challenged traditional Freudian views, particularly Freud's concept of "penis envy," which she argued stemmed from cultural influences rather than inherent biological differences. Horney believed that any sense of inferiority in women was a result of societal conditioning, such as...
1.1K
01:12Hindsight Biases
4.3K
Hindsight bias leads you to believe that the event you just experienced was predictable, even though it really wasn’t. In other words, you knew all along that things would turn out the way they did. Can you relate this to the phrase "Hindsight is 20/20" now?
4.3K
02:16Stereotype Content Model
15.5K
The Stereotype Content Model (SCM) was first proposed by Susan Fiske and her colleagues (Fiske, Cuddy, Glick & Xu, 2002; see also Fiske, 2012 and Fiske, 2017). The SCM specifies that when someone encounters a new group, they will stereotype them based on two metrics: warmth—or that group’s perceived intent, and how likely they are to provide help or inflict harm—and competence—or their ability to carry out that objective. Depending on the warmth-competence...
15.5K
01:17Bonanno's Theory of Grieving
1.1K
Grieving is a complex psychological and emotional process that varies significantly among individuals. George Bonanno's research on bereavement identified four distinct patterns of grieving, offering a nuanced understanding of how people cope with significant loss, such as the death of a spouse, over extended periods. These patterns — resilience, recovery, chronic dysfunction, and delayed grief — highlight the diversity in emotional responses and adaptive mechanisms.
Resilience
Resilience
1.1K