The Science of Deceptive Happiness: How Hedonic Adaptation Impacts Our Motivation and Performance and what to do about it | MOTIVATION IN YOUR BRAIN

Have you ever observed how quickly you get used to positive events in your life - returning to your happiness baseline? Have you noticed that?your expectations of happiness from future events are always inflated? Finally, have you seen how social comparisons accelerate this adaptation - turning every development into a new norm? All this not only impacts our wellbeing and happiness but tangibly affects our motivation. Learn how theory of hedonic adaptation can help managers better understand our interpretation of happiness and create a more fulfilling workplace that fosters sustainable satisfaction and boosts employee motivation and performance.?#psychology ?#motivation ?#Happiness ? #EmployeeMotivation ?#WorkplaceWellbeing

THEORY OF HEDONIC ADAPTATION

The theory of hedonic adaptation, first proposed by Brickman and Campbell in the 1970s, suggests that humans have a baseline level of happiness that they return to over time, even after positive or negative events. This means that the initial boost in happiness from a pay raise, award or promotion, for example, will eventually wear off as employees adapt to their new situation.

Landmark study by Brickman et al. in 1978, showed that individuals who won the lottery or became paralysed, returned to their baseline levels of happiness after a period of time despite expectation of a much bigger and longer lasting effect. This suggests that our expectations of happiness from extrinsic events are over-inflated and that we return to our baseline happiness over time.

In a more workplace-related study on "Income and Happiness”, a psychologist Richard Easterlin found that when people were asked how much income they would need to be happy, the answers differed based on their current income level. Specifically, people who earned around $30,000 per year said they would need around $50,000 to be happy, while people who earned around $100,000 per year said they would need around $250,000 to be happy. This phenomenon, known as the "Easterlin Paradox," suggests that beyond a certain point, higher income does not necessarily lead to greater happiness but rather inflates our relative needs and expectations exponentially.

ROLE OF SOCIAL COMPARISONS

This situation can be partially explained by Social Comparison which accelerate our natural tendency for hedonic adaptation. When we progress on our salary curve (or any extrinsic growth measure), we tend to compare ourselves upwards - to others who have achieved even more, which leads to a heightened desire for more, which in turn makes it difficult for individuals to experience lasting happiness.

In a perverse study by John W. Atkinson and colleagues, participants were more concerned with the relative salary they would be earning compared to their peers, rather than the absolute amount of money they would be receiving. Around ~70% of people preferred job offer with lower absolute salary ($40k) when everybody else in that company was making relatively less ($30k) over more lucrative absolute salary ($50k) when everybody else was earning relatively more ($60k). This suggests that social comparison plays a significant role in determining happiness and satisfaction levels in the workplace.

NOTE: Converse situation has also been proven. Unemployed people rated their happiness higher, when they were living in a neighborhoud of relatively high unemployment rate versus those who lived in low unemployment neighborhoud. If everybody is in bad situation, everybody feels a bit better.

AMPLIFYING HAPPINESSS

However, there are behaviours which can prolong the feeling of happiness. Positive affective savouring, such as focusing on positive experiences and reminiscing about happy memories, can help prolong the initial increase in happiness that comes with positive events. It reduced hedonic adaptation, strengthening memory structures and positive thinking patterns - making happiness more available in our minds. Having people replay positive memories in their heads for 8 minutes over 3 days had positive statistical impact on their happiness over the next 20 days, as one study has proven. Similarly, feeling and expressing gratitude has been proven to statistically elevate perceived happiness level.

NOTE: Conversely, negative affective ruminating, such as dwelling on negative experiences and past mistakes, can contribute to prolonged decreased levels of happiness.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

As managers, we can learn from the science of happiness and apply it to create a more satisfying working environment for our employees. Here are a few strategies worth exploring:

1. Prioritising Intrinsic over Extrinsic Satisfaction: Studies have shown that intrinsic motivations such as autonomy, competency, and relatedness offer longer-lasting wellbeing, happiness, and motivation over extrinsic rewards such as status increase or material gains. Encourage employees to pursue projects that align with their autonomous interests and passions and provide opportunities for growth and building relationships. Variety of projects - outside of employees' usual roles and responsibilities - refreshes employees perspective and resets hedonic adaptation.
2. Savouring Happiness Moments: Taking time to celebrate and cherish positive moments, rather than rushing to the next task or multitasking, can extend our happiness. Encourage employees to take a moment to reflect on their accomplishments and celebrate their successes regularly and intentionally.
3. Expressing Gratitude: A simple thank-you note can not only boost the motivation of the recipient but also increase the happiness of the sender. Encourage employees to express gratitude to their colleagues and recognize their contributions.
4. Resetting Adaptation: Positive social comparisons and reflection on the impermanence of things, can make us appreciate anew the benefits we enjoy. Encourage employees to take a step back and reflect on their current situation and progress made versus past. Help them to reset their perspective on what is important. Mentoring more junior team members and charity work facilitates positive social comparisons and refreshes our perspectives as well as fosters altruism and mutual gratitude.

By incorporating these strategies into our management approach, we can create a more fulfilling and positive workplace for our employees.

If you are interested in further reading on the topic you may consider "The How of Happiness" by Sonja Lyubomirsky and "Happiness: A Very Short Introduction" by Daniel M. Haybron. By understanding the theory of hedonic habituation and its impact on employee motivation and performance, managers can create a workplace that fosters sustainable levels of happiness and well-being - making all around us a little bit more happy. :)

NOTE: This post is part of a series on ‘Psychology of Motivation’ - my complimentary academic passion. I intend to present here proven scientific theories related to motivation and their implications for managerial and individual life using mentioned above literature, AI tools and open sources.

I would love to sense your interest and learn from your experience so please react and leave a comment. Based on them - I may dive deeper into selected topics and provide more interesting insights.