Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
879260 | Current Opinion in Psychology | 2016 | 6 Pages |
•We distinguish between inherent preferences and learned preferences.•Happiness from an inherent-preference attribute is absolute and durable.•Happiness from a learned-preference attribute is relative and transient.•Preferences about resource-related attributes may be inherent or learned.•We discuss implications of our analysis for improving consumer happiness.
We distinguish between two types of preferences. One is inherent (e.g., preference for warm over cold temperature); it is formed early in evolution and largely stable. The other is learned (e.g., preference for large over small diamonds); it is acquired more recently, and variable across time and contexts. We propose that compared with inherent preferences, learned preferences 1) rely more on social comparison, resulting in a relative (rather than absolute) effect on happiness, and 2) are more prone to hedonic adaptation, resulting in a transient (rather than durable) effect on happiness. In addition, we propose that preferences about resource-related attributes (e.g., size of home) are inherent in low-value regions, and learned in high-value regions. We discuss implications of this analysis for improving consumer subjective well-being.