When Jack won over $300 million in a Powerball jackpot, many people thought his life would be transformed for the better. Within a few years, however, he was divorced, lost his granddaughter to a drug overdose, was robbed outside a strip club, had lawsuits brought against him for sexual harassment, and encountered numerous other well-publicized problems. Based on the idea of the hedonic treadmill, how would you interpret this?
A)Jack's life had been plagued with problems before the lottery win, and a few years after winning the millions, his life simply returned to its usual state.
B)Jack was surrounded by negative people who, as a result of his win, tried to derail his happiness.
C)Jack was only happy when his life was chaotic, so he deliberately sabotaged his own good fortune.
D)Jack was very happy prior to the lottery win, and when winning did not make him even happier, he became depressed.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The hedonic treadmill theory suggests that people quickly return to a relatively stable level of happiness despite major positive or negative events or life changes. Jack's return to his usual state of problems, despite the temporary change in circumstances due to the lottery win, aligns with this theory.

When Jack Won Over $300 Million in a Powerball Jackpot