Stepping Off the Hedonic Treadmill: Latent Class Analyses of Individual Differences in Response to Major Life Events

Abstract

Theorists have long maintained that people react to major life events but then return to a set-point of subjective well-being. Although evidence now indicates substantial inter-individual variability in these reactions, prior research has been limited by its use of average trajectories. In this study, we used latent growth mixture modeling to identify specific patterns of individual variation in response to three major life events (bereavement, divorce, and marriage). A four-class trajectory solution provided the best fit for bereavement and marriage, while a three-class solution provided the best fit for divorce. Relevant covariates predicted trajectory class membership. The modal response across events was a relatively flat trajectory (i.e., no change). However, some trajectories diverged sharply from the modal response. Despite the tendency to maintain pre-event levels of SWB, there are multiple and often divergent trajectories in response to bereavement, divorce, and marriage, underscoring the essential role of individual differences.