Question

Brickman et al. (1978) examined the happiness of a group of lottery winners, as well as that of a group of individuals who had been paralyzed in accidents. What did they find?

A) Lottery winners were happier than paralyzed individuals.
B) Lottery winners were equally happy as paralyzed individuals.
C) Paralyzed individuals were happier than lottery winners.
D) Both groups reported similar levels of happiness.

Answer 1

Brickman and colleagues found that lottery winners and paralyzed individuals reported similar levels of happiness, contributing to the concept of hedonic adaptation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The study conducted by Brickman et al. (1978) investigated the happiness levels of lottery winners compared to individuals who had become paralyzed due to accidents. The key finding of their research was that, contrary to what many might expect, lottery winners and paralyzed individuals reported similar levels of happiness after their respective events. This research contributes to the understanding of hedonic adaptation, which suggests that individuals tend to return to a baseline level of happiness despite major positive or negative life events.