What is stated about happiness changes for lottery winners and people who become paraplegic?

• A. Months
• B. Years
• C. Decades
• D. Indefinitely

Answer: (A)

People typically adapt to major life changes, so the happiness impact from both a lottery win and becoming paraplegic tends to move back toward the pre-event level over time. The common adjustment period is on the order of months, not years or indefinitely. After several months, most people report their overall happiness or life satisfaction returning close to what it was before the event, even if some outcomes (like money or disability) persist. So months best describe how long these happiness changes usually last. Longer timeframes would overstate the duration of the effect, and saying it lasts indefinitely would ignore the natural rebound most people experience.