Final answer:
True, lottery winners' overall happiness tends to return to their baseline levels after the initial euphoria fades. This aligns with the concept of the hedonic treadmill, suggesting that happiness is not significantly changed by external events like winning the lottery in the long term.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question of whether lottery winners typically find their overall happiness unchanged after the euphoria wears off is a matter of psychological and social interest. According to the work of Brickman, Coats, and Janoff-Bulman in 1978, the answer would be true. Their study found that despite initial excitement, lottery winners' overall happiness levels tended to return to their baseline levels over time, a phenomenon known as the hedonic treadmill. The findings suggest that people have a set point of happiness that is relatively stable and resistant to change by external factors such as sudden wealth.
Furthermore, research reflected in a book review by Lutter in 2007 supports the idea that winning a lottery brings no long-term change in happiness. Even as income grows or significant life events happen, people's general sense of well-being often remains consistent, as indicated in sentence fragments about income and happiness. This evidence points towards the complexity of human emotions and the limited impact that material gains have on long-term emotional well-being.