positive psychology midterm
Zest
great enjoyment of; excitement
Construal theory of happiness
happiness is a function of how people interpret their experiences of the world
eudemonia
happiness, well-being
bottom up theory of happiness
life's circumstances influence happiness Ex: assess marriage, friendships, job, income interventions: focus on changing environment/circumstances better neighborhoods better jobs tax breaks
Hedonic Treadmill
rise in income translates into greater expectations about what you need to be happy. • Keep setting higher goals about what you need to be happy
psychic entropy
the opposite of Flow, the inability to focus attention.
What is positive psychology?
the scientific study of human flourishing, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive
Themes of positive psychology
1. The Good Life What holds the greatest value: a well-lived and fulfilling life 2. Positive emotions are important Focus on working on positive emotions, adaptive coping strategies, rather than negative ones. 3. People can flourish and thrive Adapt and adjust, not a "pawn" Classification of mental health. 4.People need positive social relationships 5. Strengths and virtues are important: Values like courage, fidelity, and honesty 6. Compassion and empathy are important 7. Independence of positive and negative emotions 8. Negative emotions are still important 9. The science of well-being
Greeks approach to the good life
1. The contemplative life - pursue knowledge, understanding, wisdom. 2. The active life - sense of duty, social responsibility, engagement 3. The fatalistic life - accept difficulties without undue complaint. 4. Hedonism - seek pleasure - but more limited. 5. The heroic life 6. The saintly life
Capitalization
- Gain social support - Sharing of pos events - Helpful to sharer & listener
how to measure happiness
.Self-Report Measures .Multiple scales/methods developed: 99+ 1. Amount of happiness can be translated into number 2. Same no.'s = about the same amount of happiness
How to induce peak performance
1) Focus on self, object, relationship 2) Intense involvement in experience 3) Strong intention to complete task 4) Spontaneous expression of power
Who started positive psychology?
Martin Seligman
How many basic emotions are there?
4-10 basic emotions
Extraversion
A personality dimension describing someone who is sociable, gregarious, and assertive Introverts and extroverts
Basic emotions
Born with, innate fear, anger, sad, happy, Suprise, and disgust
Sternberg's Love Triangle
Built on 3 emotional components: • Passion • Intimacy/Liking • Commitment Combine/Derive • Romantic love • Companionate love • Fatuous love • Consummate love (all 3) Different across the lifespan
Ancient Hebrew approach to the good life
Concerned with relationship with personal God Divine Command theory Rules govern this relationship Happiness found by living according to these rules Rewards and punishments Reject hedonistic behavior Influential in ethical and moral beliefs Still a dominant model today
Virtues and Strengths approach
Cultivating proper virtues leads to eudemonia
self-determination theory (SDT)
Deci and Ryan's theory that optimal human functioning can occur only if the psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are satisfied.
Intrinsic models
Intrinsic: • Love as intensely personal experience • We define our own ideas of love in relation to culturally ideal standard (prototype) • Core aspects:- Intimacy- Passion- Commitment • Each combine in own ways • Primary focus: Match real to ideal
Necessary conditions for flow?
Just manageable challenges" or "golden mean" - balance between person's skill level and challenging activity
Socrates approach to the good life
Know Thyself True happiness could be achieved only through self-knowledge Must know the good, or the core, elements of a good life Distrust the sensual/perceptual/emotional
Material vs. experiential purchases
Learning new skills • Spending time with family / friends on new experiences • Fulfill personal goal(s) • Donate to charity / spend on others • "Inconspicuous consumption" • It's not so much the money but how you spend it
Introverts
Less into social, more into thoughts & feelings • are equally skillful at repairing neg. mood • report higher than average levels of happiness • may prioritize search for meaning over pursuit of happiness • may prefer more neutral states (contentment) over more 'arousing' Emos like happiness
What is social hedonism?
Live for pleasure to avoid pain for everyone affected by your actions.
mood vs emotion
Mood is general feeling/emotional state. Emotions are the actual feelings you encounter.
Motivation and goals
Motivation: "forces that propel people toward their goals" • Intertwined with Emos Goals: • Hopes and dreams for the future •Determine where we channel energy •May influence emotional state
Aristotle approach to the good life
Must tame the emotions, 'harmonize,' accept reason The Golden Mean between extremes Discussion of principles of eudemonia Flourishing and completeness, a whole, part of total context, not transient Not all that is pleasurable is good What is worth desiring/having 12 basic virtues, virtue theory Cultivating proper virtues leads to eudemonia
What is the importance of negative emotions?
Negative emotions are vital to self-understanding & personal growth14. Happiness may be necessary to the good life, but not sufficient. To increase one's quality of life, help others increase their level of happiness and life satisfaction.
What is hedonism
Oldest approach Sensual pleasure as the basic component; avoid harm, pain, suffering
Seligman's PERMA well-being theory
PERMA is a model of wellness, happy, and healthy living put forward by American psychologist and positive psychology theorist Martin Seligman in 2011. It stands for positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishments. The theory of PERMA includes the elements that promote and fosters happiness
Two-Factor Theory of Love
Passionate love • Intense longing, joyful fulfillment or despair of rejection Companionate love • "Quieter": affection, companionship, friendship, long-term commitment • Pleasurable experiences deepen
Positive to negative emotion ratio
Pos Emos less studied than neg ones • Erroneous assumption: balanced & analogous • Fewer positive Emos• One positive to every 3-4 negative• Pos more "diffuse" • Less tied to actions/specific activations• Neg tied to threats, inspire action! e.g., flight or fight
What are some of the characteristics of positive and negative emotions?
Positive: make you feel good and tell you when things are right. Negative: make you feel uncomfortable, but they come about to alert you of something being wrong
What attracts us?
Proximity Spending time vs. 'love at first sight '• Physical Allure Motivation to meet? Not so important? More to men? The color red • Similar attitudes and values Homogamy Opposites do not attract! • Mutual pos. evaluations We like those who show they like us!
Plato's approach to the good life
Reason vs intuition Don't trust perception Look beyond sensory experience to deeper meaning
Top-down theory of happiness
your personality determines your happiness. Ex: Personality traits, attitudes, cognitions interventions: thus focus on changing attitudes, beliefs, etc.
Definition of mindfulness.
• "Conscious awareness with an open, receptive attitude of what is happening in the present moment"
Dunn's wellness
• A state of enhanced physical and emotional well-being (WB) • Now defined as optimal physical, mental, & emotional health • Led to new research agenda, educational focus, and occupational category• Can mind influence the body? • Embodied cognition: Can body influence the mind? Is physical health merely the absence of disease?
rate of progress
• Adequate or better than expected= greater well-being • May be more important than actual achievement!
Contributions of genetics
• Affect experiences and environments sought after • Do not completely determine happiness --typical level of well-being and life satisfaction can change with time • Your goals may also affect life satisfaction
Characteristics of good goals
• Autonomous goals, realistic, freely chosen, value driven
Role of cognitive style and aspects
• Awareness • A particular type of attention in everyday life • Paying attention to one's environment in particular ways might help foster well-being
Definition of savoring
• Awareness of Pleasure and focus of attention on the sensation and delight in it
Explicit models
• Core elements or dimensions • May be unidimensional: • One experience that takes a variety of forms • Encompass many attitudes, behaviors, feelings, motivations • However, most perspectives multidimensional
What hurts relationships?
• Criticize and complain • Sense of contempt • Defensiveness • Withdrawal
Neurotransmitters
• Dopamine, endorphins (endogenous opiates) • The hormone oxytocin • Endocannabinoids • Tetrahydrocannabinols (THC) • Anandamide, the 'bliss molecule'
Vitality
• Energy available to the self, "positive feeling of aliveness and energy" (Ryan & Deci) • Activities that satisfy Self-Determination needs: • Competence • Autonomy • Relatedness • Intrinsically motivated
Buddhist-inspired mindfulness
• Intention - commitment & dedication • Attention - observe contents of your experience • Attitude - how you pay attention
Relationship minding components
• Knowing and being known •Attribution • Acceptance and respect • Reciprocity • Continuity
Gottman's main points of love.
• Little things count! • Bids for attention • Love maps • Magic ratio
· Role of pets and nature
• Lower BP, cardiovascular disease; reduce angina; increase longevity • Oxytocin increase when pet dog; for dog too! • Dog owners greater LS(but not happiness)
Happiness Set Point Theory
• Most people have an average level of happiness, a baseline or "set point" • May lean toward pos or neg • While moods and feelings may fluctuate, everyone eventually returns to their average or baseline • Seems to be set by genetics
Psychological Thriving
• PH goal: describe adaptations/challenges that lead not just to homeostasis but to better quality of life (QoL) • Involves coping, adaption, and growth • Successful adaption leads to enhanced psych and physical functioning • Some ways of dealing with challenges and stress better than others
Affective forecasting
• Predicting how you'll feel when reach goal
Psychoneuroimmunology
• Relationship between • Psych processes (esp. emo), • Functioning of the nervous system • Immune system
"Comments" on Flow, Mindfulness, Savoring, and Peak Performance
• Shared assumptions about happiness and satisfaction • Appreciating current experiences • Decreased emphasis on "internal chatter" • Achieve a sense of self-consciousness
Relationship of money to happiness
• Studies show a consistent and significant relationship between income and subjective well-being in various countries • Both between and within countries • US upper vs. lower quarter of income • Increase odds by 26%, lower by 13%
Time affluence versus time poverty
• Time affluence - perception that you have enough time for leisure • Time poverty - feeling constantly busy and pressed for time
Role of friendships/confidants internet?
• Trusted friend lowers risky and self-destructive behavior - buffer • Less likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors due to worrying/inner turmoil: . smoking, overeating, substance abuse, sedentary lifestyle • Excessive time online decrease WB (e.g., college students) • Depend on type of use, time spent, and when online
Strengths approach
• Unique pos. qualities we have that we bingo our encounters with other people and ourselves • Gallup Institute - found that top achievers in business use their strengths
· Characteristics of the family cycle
• Women's marital satisfaction increase to pre-child level • More quality time with partner . Marital satisfaction decreases Lowest point when teens Satisfaction with parental roles and other elements may increase • "Parental paradox" • Anxiety about motherhood • Increased demands of childcare • Feeling of chaos • Husband expresses 'fondness' • Couple pay attention to their relationship, keep in touch • Parenting as joint effort
What are the types of basic emotions?
.fear .anger .sad .happy .Suprise .disgust
Types of savoring?
Basking Marveling Luxuriating Thanksgiving
Measures of Dunn's wellness
Biological markers Subjective measures Functional abilities
Hope theory
Expectation (hope) you'll meet goal• Two processes: § Pathways § believing you can find ways to reach goal § Agency § believing you can become motivated enough • Hopeful people tend to feel more positive emotions • Also flexible, can find alternative pathways • Have social support • Deal with stress successfully
How Csikszentmihalyi performed his research (method)?
Experiencing sampling method (ESM), a set of techniques designed to capture people's behaviors, thoughts, and feelings as they occur. ESM became the core of flow research
What is Flow?
Holistic sensation when we act with total involvement... action follows action with no need for conscious intervention. • "In the zone"
Polyvagal theory
____ is a theory that the unmyelinated vagus (dorsal vagus complex) and newer myelinated vagus (ventral vagal complex) mediate competing adaptive responses.
Extroverts
a person who tends to be active and self-expressive, and who gains energy from interaction with others
Classification systems of positive psychology
a) Flourishing - adapt/adjust well b) Struggling - some stress c) Floundering-unsure of the future d) Languishing - dissatisfied, unfulfilled
non-attachment
allows you to see that you're more than your accomplishments or material goods.
,Virtues approach
asserts the idea that there are certain ideals, principles or standards toward which every individual should strive to reach his or her highest potential
autotelic
done for its own sake, not a means to a goal
Lykken and Tellegen's varied research
"Genes affect the mind largely indirectly, by influencingthe kinds of experiences we have and the environmentswe seek...If your happiness set point is below average, thatmeans your genetic steersman is guiding you into situationsthat detract from your well-being and is tempting you tobehave in ways that are counterproductive. If you let yourgenetic steersman have his way, you will end up where hewants to go. But it is your life, and you can choose yourown destinations instead of having them chosen for you."(Lykken, 2000)
Description of mindfulness
"Paying attention to what is occurring in one's immediate experience with care and discernment."
The broaden and build model
(Frederickson, 1998) § nonspecific action tendencies, lead to new adaptive behavior § E.g., joy leads to exploration, creativity § spark changes in cognitive activity, lead to newer thought-action tendencies § We've learned to associate certain thoughts with certain actions WELL-BEING & POSITIVE EMOTION For instance, how do you feel/think about exercise? § broaden our awareness, available options, and build on learning to create emotional &intellectual resources "Undoing hypothesis" • Pos Emos "undo" the effects of neg ones • Help body and mind regain balance, flexibility
Effect of discrimination
.More severe in children, can continue throughout life .Personal vs. group
Suggestions for savoring?
. Absorption -Allow yourself to be immersed • Take the time! . Sharpening the senses - Focus on complexities. . Memory Building - Do something to help remembering., souvenirs • Share • Self Congratulation• Allow yourself to feel good; feel pride.
· Role of music, humor, emotional expression`
. All can lower heart rate, blood pressure, and stress levels.
Different aspects of communication
. Capitalization • Self-Disclosure • Gratitude, Empathy, and Curiosity
What is the relationship between positive and negative emotions?
. Fleeting positive feelings accumulate over time, building up more psychological resources and reducing negativity. . Negative emotions give us a counterpoint to positive emotions and serve evolutionary purposes. . Negative emotions alert us that something needs to change and motivate us to make that change. . Positive emotions broaden our thoughts and the options we consider for our next move. . Positive emotional states like hope, joy, and gratitude have many benefits, but there are also negative effects that can come from them.
What are the different types of leisure activities?
. Fulfills needs for autonomy. . Enjoyment of family life . Relaxation . Escape from routine
Comparison of mindfulness (Langer vs. Buddhism-inspired)
. Help us create new categories of experience. . Be open to new info. See more than one point of view . Together, help us break down rigid categories, increase understanding and complexity. . Creativity . Novelty important
how did positive psychology start?
. term was first coined by Abraham Maslow in 1954 in his book "Motivation and Personality . Maslow studied mentally healthy individuals and their characteristics . Positive psychology emerged as a distinct field in 1998 when Martin Seligman chose it as the theme for his term as president of the American Psychological Association. . Seligman was influenced by cognitive behavior therapy, which offers strategies to counter negative thinking1.
Similarity to humanism and other psych approaches
.Both are more focused on developing ideas and methods than formally evaluating their efficacy. .Both view the individual as a whole, rather than simply as the sum of their parts. .Both recognize that people are complex and multifaceted, and that behavior cannot be fully understood by looking at any one aspect of an individual in isolation.
Differences between humanistic psychology and positive psychology
.Humanistic psychology focuses on a person as a whole and their tendency to grow towards self-realization, while positive psychology focuses on all circumstances that are connected with people's wellbeing and happiness. . The primary difference between the two is that positive psychology tends to focus more heavily on the overall study of psychology and the human experience, while humanistic psychology tends to be more of a therapy method.
Neuroticism
Refers to having low levels of negative affectivity. . Anxiety, anger, self-consciousness • Key: depression
How to buffer
In psychology, a buffering effect is a process in which a psychosocial resource reduces the impact of life stress on psychological well-being.
Characteristics of flow?
1) Merging of action & awareness 2) Complete concentration 3) Loss of worry, complete control 4) Loss of self-consciousness 5) Changed sense of time 6) "Autotelic" intrinsic motivation 7) Accompanies challenging activity that requires skill. 8) Activity has clear goals & provides immediate feedback
Dunn's wellness components
1. Zest for life 2. Way of living that maximizes potential. 3. Meaning and purpose 4. Social responsibility 5. Skills for adapting to challenges of changing environment
How can you avoid hurting relationships?
Instead, focus on what doing right, moments of positivity Amplify!
Emotional intelligence
Def: "ability to recognize the meanings of emotions and their relationships and to reason and problem solve on the basis of them" Characteristics: • use emotions wisely • have a deeper understanding of their emotional lives• Manage their feelings and impulses well • Accurately read others' Emos • Sensitive to emo undercurrents of social interactions Intelligence "ability to recognize the meanings of emotions and their relationships and to reason and problem solve on the basis of them." Outcomes: • Better social relationships: family, work, school, etc. • Better academic achievement • People with higher EI at work tend to contribute to pos work environment
The Epicureans
Founders of the school of Epicureanism Pleasure can be achieved by cultivating a quiet existence of simple / moderate pleasures (and away from politics!) Happiness /good life a combo of relaxation, moderate pleasures, and freedom from pain and worr
· Love 2.0, esp. biochemistry aspect
Frederickson, 'Broaden and Build Theory'3 components. • Sharing pos emo • Synchrony in behaviors & biochemistry • Invest in each other's well-being, mutual care Two preconditions: • Safety • Real-time sensory connection - 'positivity resonance'
What does research show about how to measure happiness and well being?
Happiness: Both happiness and life satisfaction seem to be stable over time, even after negative life events: 30+ years • Most report "above average" amounts of happiness! • Others' perceptions agree with self-perceptions Well being: Research shows poverty associated with lower levels of well-being
What are Leisure activities?
How we spend free time: relax, activities, fun, express passions and interests
Why does it matter if we view constructs as traits or states?
This is because most generalizations fail to differentiate between states and traits. A state is a temporary way of being (i.e., thinking, feeling, behaving, and relating) while a trait tends to be a more stable and enduring characteristic or pattern of behavior.
Basic dimensions of positive psychology
Three levels of positive psychology: 1. Subjective level Subjective states: feelings, thoughts 2. Individual level Positive traits, behaviors 3. Societal level Positive institutions., civic virtue, family
How to measure subjective well being
Top down .Subjective well-being derives from overall evaluations that reflect how we evaluate & interpret experiences, e.g., tendency to pos. interpretations. Bottom up . Rate well-being by examining satisfaction with different life domains, combine into a total.