Which concept explains how judgments are biased by a neutral baseline learned from prior experience?

• A. Adaptation-level phenomenon
• B. Feel-good, do-good phenomenon
• C. Catharsis hypothesis
• D. Stress

Answer: (A)

Adaptation-level phenomenon explains how judgments are biased by a baseline that forms from prior experience. We evaluate new stimuli by comparing them to a reference point we’ve become used to, and as that reference shifts with what we’ve experienced, our judgments shift too. For example, after spending time in a wealthier environment, a salary that once felt generous may seem only average, because our adaptation level has risen. This shows how a neutral baseline learned from experience can steer our evaluations in a biased direction. The other options describe different processes—mood-related helping, releasing aggression, or a general stress state—and don’t account for judgments being anchored to a shifting internal baseline.