Lottery vs paraplegic study testing adaptation theory of happiness
Very famous study.
Lottery winners varied dramatically in their winnings. 7 won <$100k, while 7 won $1 million, 8 won between 300-700k.
Designed to test the adaptation theory of happiness. Very interesting idea. I'd like to see followups, the results seem mixed.
Key results are lottery control was from the phonebook not lottery ticket buyers. Positives listed for lottery winners tended to be longterm: financial security, easier retirement. Also listed general celebrity and more leisure time.
Present happiness was higher for lottery winners (4.00) than victims (2.96). But mundane pleasures (like recieving a compliment) were equal (3.33 vs 3.48). That makes sense to me.
More novel are the results that winners seem to get less mundane pleasure than winners (3.33 vs 3.82) and the same levelof happiness (4.0 vs 3.82).
Suggestive, but more careful controls and treatments are needed.
(1) Lottery ticket winners should be limited to people who get lifechanging funds. Or somehow where winning the lottery changes their lifetime consumption. Unclear if that was the case here based on their qualitative answers.
(2) Controls should also have bought lottery tickets