Midterm Study Guide

Which of the following statements best represents a goal?

"A cognitive representation of a desired endpoint for behavior, emotions, or thoughts" Live in your head Translates desires into change, thus key mechanism of agency Dissipates when accomplished (Video: Dog makes goal)

Which of the following statements is true about the concept of flourishing, as developed by Keyes?

-Up until the 1990's mental health was viewed as the absence of mental disorders ie; schizophrenia. -There was no discussion of what it meant to actually have good mental health (ie flourishing). -Only 15% of the United States is actually flourishing which means not having a mental disorder and doing well. -Flourishing individuals function much better than others and have less physical impairments.

Which statements is most true about what has the biggest impact on people's sense of well-being?

1) Innate Genetically derived "set range" Remains relatively stable through the life span and returns to its original point soon after the majority of significant life events. (Videos: Lottery winners vs. paraplegics ) 2) Perception Personal reactions Intentional and effortful practices a person can choose to engage in Emphasizes "subjective" well-being 3) Circumstances E.g., getting married, joining a church, not bothering about making more money, staying healthy, getting educated, moving to a sunnier climate. Emphasizes "objective" well-being

What is the relationship between Duckworth's concept of grit and Ericcson's 10,000 hour rule?

10,000 hours of practice is required for mastery E.g., four hours a day for a decade Has to be focused on improvement, not just repeating. Deliberate practice... pushing into discomfort for growth Pushes against notion that some are "born" great Basically that one can work hard to become great and no one is born that way.

Which of the following is a key difference between happiness and meaning, as discussed by Baumeister et al.?

A large survey revealed multiple differing predictors of happiness (controlling for meaning) and meaningfulness (controlling for happiness). Satisfying one's needs and wants increased happiness but was largely irrelevant to meaningfulness. Happiness was largely present oriented, whereas meaningfulness involves integrating past, present, and future. For example, thinking about future and past was associated with high meaningfulness but low happiness. Happiness was linked to being a taker rather than a giver, whereas meaningfulness went with being a giver rather than a taker. Higher levels of worry, stress, and anxiety were linked to higher meaningfulness but lower happiness. Concerns with personal identity and expressing the self contributed to meaning but not happiness. We offer brief composite sketches of the unhappy but meaningful life and of the happy but meaningless life.

Veenhoven writes of positive mood as an "affective signal." What's the larger significance of this?

According to Veenhoven (2006), a positive mood serves as an "affective signal" that an individual's needs are being met. Conversely, if needs are being neglected, a negative mood indicates that something is wrong and must be addressed As a product of evolution, this affective signaling mechanism is alleged to be a universal human trait

What is the cantril ladder?

A scale to measure satisfaction - scale of 0 to 10

Which of the following statements best summarizes the areas of life impacted by gratitude (as described in class)?

All areas of life are really affected by gratitude. But it brings about an inner peace and also improves ones relationships, and even makes people healthier.

Which of the following statements would Justin Fox be most likely to agree with, regarding the measurement of GDP and well-being in countries?

Although Kennedy's critique got little attention at the time, it has since become famous, and deservedly so, because it gives succinct voice to almost all the major criticisms of GDP. The three main strands have been these: (1) GDP is, even on its own terms, a faulty measure; (2) it takes no account of sustainability or durability; and (3) progress and development can be better gauged with other metrics.

As per Adam Grant's research, who is most successful in organizations, and why?

Givers, in help seaking environments more people can act like givers and then people can build eachother up.

Which of the following statements is true about the conceptual relationship between attributions and mindsets, as discussed in class?

Attributions = Our explanations for why something happens The attributions that we make affect how we react to situations Self-attributions for success and failure Attributions that we make for our own successes and failures have a big impact on future success Carol Dweck developed this idea as "mindsets"

Which of the following does *not* reflect a growth mindset?

Basically a fixed mindset

Which of the following statements is most true about the relationship between income inequality and well-being?

Basically that national income inequality does not affect happiness.

Daisy is afraid that she might fail her final in chemistry. Which of the following reasons for this possible failure fits best with a fixed mindset?

Basically with a fixed mindset one believes that they cannot improve and that it just is, while those with growth mindset basically believe they can work hard to improve.

Carol Dweck makes the case that saying "not yet" can help us develop a growth mindset. Why is this?

Because you are not limiting yourself in the now and actually saying I can improve myself.

Which of the following is *not* associated with increased self-control?

Being someone who is like a workaholic

Which of the following methods would *not* be a good way to increase your state-level of self-control in the moment?

By forcing you to do something crazy right away.

Which type of subjective well-being is measured by the Cantril ladder?

Cantril ladder: 0 to 10 scale, with the worst possible life as a 0 and the best possible life as a 10. (Satisfaction)

What is eudemonia?

Change or growth

Which of the following was *not* part of Emmon's experimental study of gratitude, as discussed in class?

Classic study-Emmons and McCullough Weekly journal for ten weeks Gratitude condition: Write 5 things grateful for in past week Hassle condition: Write 5 daily hassles Control: Write 5 things that happened Measured various emotional and physical outcomesFindings. Weekly gratitude vs. hassle 25% happier Fewer health complaints, e.g., headaches, chest pain, skin irritation, stuffy nose, etc... 1.5 hours more exercise per week (Neutral group in between) Positive effects still seen 6 months after study endedFollow-up studies-grateful states Weekly gratitude has more benefits Stronger effect on positive emotions (vs. negative) Helps people sleep better Helps people with severe neuromuscular diseases feel happier, more optimistic Feel closer to others Rated more helpful by friends

Your friend down the hall is doing great in all their classes, and you feel worse because of it. Which aspect of well-being should be most affected?

Cognitive well-being People can compare their life to others, to an earlier point in their life, or to cultural standards (Veenhoven 2006).

Which of the following is one of main benefits for making habits out of the activities that are most important to us?

Cognitively efficient Habits stored in basal ganglia, older part of brain, stores and acts on patterns (Planful behavior in new prefrontal cortex) Habits require much less mental activity than planful behavior Thus frees up mental energy for creative, strategic thinking

In what ways do compassion and empathy differ?

Compassion is more in that it brings the suffering upon yourself also

What is objective well-being?

Conditions of life. Things that are "matter of fact." Like your health, income, or housing.

In Baumeister's classic study, what was the impact of not eating cookies?

Cookie study Focused on s.c. as induced state, not enduring trait Participants brought in hungry. Put in front of cookies (fresh baked!) and radishes Some told to eat sweets Others told to eat radishes Next, all given complex puzzle Finding. Radish eaters gave up much faster (8 vs. 19 minutes) From this, and others, several characteristics of state self-control

Suppose that you wanted to study hard for your midterm in Spanish next week. Based on the research of Gollwitzer, what's something that you could do now that will increase the likelihood of you studying next week?

Create an implementation intention on studying for Spanish. An implementation intention (II) is a self-regulatory strategy in the form of an "if-then plan" that can lead to better goal attainment, as well as help in habit and behavior modification. It is subordinate to goal intentions as it specifies the when, where and how portions of goal-directed behavior. When I wake up I will study for an hour.

Which of the following examples best illustrates the most aspects of Duckworth's concept of grit?

Duckworth has two scales 1 is consistency of interests. Staying with goal, not being distracted, staying focused 2 is perseverance. Finishing what is started, hardworker, don't give up, overcome obstacles, achieve things over long periods of time

Which of the following is something that a professor might do to get you to form the habit of participating in class?

Every time you participate you receive a piece of chocolate

Samuel asks Patrice to help him with a project at their work place. Which response, by Patrice, best illustrates the approach to giving found among the most success people, as per Adam Grant's Ted Talk?

Givers benefiet when they set boundaries and protect themselves. Also there needs to be a culture of givers

Based on the research by Stone et al., what can you expect to happen in your feelings of well-being in the coming decade?

Feelings of well-being will go up after initial decline at age 21

Which of the following critiques of Ericcson's 10,000 rule is most valid?

Gradual process, not discrete tipping point Each person has own path Maybe skill -> practice 10k probably just represents "lots and lots" Talent matters, a lot. E.g., middle school high jumper Practice matters more for some skills than others Taken alone, it (like growth mindset and grit) underplay impact of structure

What is the key difference between the concepts of gratitude and forgiveness?

Gratitude is being thankful for what you have vs "A conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness."

In their paper, what did Duckworth et al. conclude about the effect of grit on success?

Grit has a major factor on success second only to intelligence.

In light of research on habits, what are the benefits of you taking a year off after college and doing some traveling?

Habits are why travel is transformative Travel separates us from our habit cues, gives us new perspective on our live and how to change it Example: All habits changed on Caribbean vacation, then changed back after a couple weeks of being home again So, make sure to travel Study abroad Gap year Quick get-aways, e.g., Kayak deals

How does Seligman define social well-being?

Here then is well-being theory: well-being is a construct; and well-being, not happiness, is the topic of positive psychology. Well-being has five measurable elements (PERMA) that count toward it: Positive emotion (Of which happiness and life satisfaction are all aspects) Engagement Relationships Meaning and purpose Accomplishmen

What is subjective well-being?

How you self-rate your well being or how you think your life is going

Which of the following events at UConn best illustrates goal contagion?

Huskython, we all try to work hard to fundraise money.

Which of the following statements best fits the relationship between state- and trait-level self-control?

If only trait, self-control fixed, like height But, it also has state characteristics. Varies by situation The state nature of self-control shown by famous study....

According to Gollwitzer, which of the following examples best fits the distinction between goal intentions and implementation intentions?

Implementation intentions are subordinate to goal intentions and specify the when, where, and how of responses leading to goal attainment. They have the structure of "When situation x arises, 1 wii! perform response v!" and thus link anticipated opportunities with goal-directed responses. It is not a person's self that is linked to a desired end state (as wiih goal intentions); rather, the person commits himself or herself to respond to a certain situation in a specific manner. Implementation intentions serve the purpose of promoting the attainment of the goal specified in the goal intention.

Which types of goals would be the most useful if we want to increase the amount of eudemonia in our lives?

Intrinsic goals would be the best for that

Angela Duckworth, in the video viewed for class, discussed how to improve self-control among children. Her talk was premised on which assumption?

It can be taught

In which of the following ways was the article by Layous et al. most different from that of Fredrickson et al?

It is different in that the acts of generousity made children more kind and happy towards one another. While, LKM in Freddericsons work made people more happy with themselves.

Which of the following best describes the results of self-compassion?

It is not taking your edge off but basically forgiving yourself for mistakes and taking care of yourself.

Which of the following statements best fits with revenge?

It is the opposite of gratitutde

How does the concept of emotion contagion relate to altruism?

It's mechanism for emotion contagion. One person's emotions spreads to those around them How? We imitate people, in expressions, movements, and postures. This leads to feeling their emotions too Found in humans, primates, dogs

What is cognitive well being?

Life satisfaction - your evaluation of your own life Ask yourself what your ideal life is and compare it to your actual life. Satisfied = little difference or discrepancy. Dissatisfied = large difference or substantial discrepancy

According to Gollwitzer's article, when do implementation intentions work best?

Linking anticipated behavior with goals

What is affective well being?

Moods and emotions we feel in the moment

Which of the following aspects of well-being are sociologists most likely to study?

Objective well-being

What is most true about happiness inequality?

On the cantrill ladder basically wealthy european countries are far happier than african nations.

Based on the research by Layous et al, what should parents do to help their kids feel good and be well-liked at school?

Our study demonstrates that doing good for others benefits the givers, earning them not only improved well-being but also popularity. Considering the importance of happiness [27-28] and peer acceptance in youth [21-22], it is noteworthy that we succeeded in increasing both among preadolescents through a simple prosocial activity. Similar to being happy [29], being well-liked by classmates has ramifications not only for the individual, but also for the community at large. For example, well-liked preadolescents exhibit more inclusive behaviors and less externalizing behaviors (i.e., less bullying) as teens [20]. Thus, encouraging prosocial activities may have ripple effects beyond increasing the happiness and popularity of the doers (cf. [30]). Furthermore, classrooms with an even distribution of popularity (i.e., no favorite children and no marginalized children) show better average mental health than stratified classrooms [8], suggesting that entire classrooms practicing prosocial behavior may reap benefits, as the liking of all classmates soars. Teachers and interventionists can build on our work by introducing intentional prosocial activities into classrooms and recommending that such activities be performed regularly and purposefully. SO they should have them do more activities of generousity in the classroom and acts of kindness.

Which of the following is the best example of eudemonia? Feeling good because:

Positive growth and change in one's interpersonal relationships.

Which of the following statements best exemplifies gratitude?

Possibly " I am just so thankful for everything i have and everyone around me"

What are the benefits and costs of empathy?

Potential problem Can be exhausting. Depletes mental and emotional resources Can lead to anxiety, withdrawal, suffering Outcomes Can lead to helping others ie; emotional contagion group mentality

What is hedonism?

Pursuit of pleasure or positive emotions. Seeking maximum pleasure. Pleasant life. Instant gratification.

Which type of gratitude did Sara Algoe emphasize in her video talk?

Relationship gratitude.

There are various reasons why people who participate in religion might have higher self-control. Which of the following is *not* one of those reasons?

Religion and self-control Religious rituals and practices foster self-control E.g., services, meditation Religious teaching advocate it E.g., commandments not to do some things, do others Religion can posit someone watching Awareness of others increases self-control Religion emphasize long-term gain, abstract ideal

According to a survey by CAF, which of the following places has the least altruistic people?

Russia and china, places without liberal values and parts of europe.

Which of the following statements is most true about the difference between self-compassion and self-esteem?

Self compassion is taking care of yourself while self-esteem is confidence in oneself.

According to Mischel et al., what types of strategies are best for sustaining self-control?

Self regulatory strategies- ie rehersal of instructions and looking away

Which of the following behaviors does *not* illustrate self-control?

Something someone just does.

Which of the following does Ericcson most emphasize in becoming an expert?

You need to deliberately practice is the biggest, minimum of 10,000 hours and find a mentor is another.

Which of the following is most true about the relationship between doing altruistic acts and a sense of well-being? They are:

Sense of well-being Evidence for a correlation between altruism and happiness Self-reports link increased altruism and increased forms of well-being Also, MRIs of people's brains links activity in parts of brains associated with generosity to that associated with happiness

In class, we looked at statistical findings about who smiles the most and who is the saddest. What general lesson can we draw from this comparison?

Smiled and laughed a lot the day before 18-29 years old 87% 30-44 years old 83% 45-64 years old 79% 65+ years old 82% Felt sad the previous day 18-29 years old 15% 30-44 years old 17% 45-64 years old 20% 65+ years old 16% People between 45 and 64 are probably the least happy age group. The age gap is very large here in that elderly people and young people are happy while middle age people are not

Walter Mischel tested how long children would wait to eat a marshmallow. What was he measuring with this test?

State self-control - delayed gratification

Which of the following statements best summarizes the findings of Mischel et al's article?

That basically it began as a study to investigate delayed gratification. Yet, it morphed into a study to see the long term results of self control and success in life. It's basically focused on self regulatory strategies and if you could control yourself as a kid you could as an adult.

What was the main point of Hans Rosling's Ted talk?

That the developing world was not as bad as the world wants to make it seem. We have pre-conceived ideas about third world countries and they are wrong. Basically life expectancy is increasing

Which of the following best describes how we might integrate the concepts of "habits" and "self-regulation"?

That you use a habit to take care of ourselves. Also these habits make self control easier; Sleep Eat well Exercise

Fogg's model of behavior change writes that B=MAT. What does this mean?

The Fogg Behavior Model shows that three elements must converge at the same moment for a behavior to occur: Motivation, Ability, and Trigger. When a behavior does not occur, at least one of those three elements is missing.

How would the concepts of eudemonia and hedonism fit into Seligman's H=S+V+C formula?

The happiness formula~ H = S + C + V H = stands for enduring level of happiness S = is your set range (genetic tendencies on pie chart) C= is the circumstances in your life (circumstance on pie chart), and V = represents factors under your voluntary control (intentional activities on pie chart) Eudomonia is basically happiness through growth and change. Essentially living virtuously brings this about. Here I would place it with v aka voluntary. While hedonism has nothing to do with enduring happiness.

Baumeister's article on willpower describes a study of judges and parole decisions. Suppose that we applied the logic of this study's findings to dating. Assuming that deciding to accept a date is a difficult decision, when would be the best time to ask out someone you don't know well on a date?

The link to glucose provides a new perspective on self-control. For example, a recent study showed that the decisions of judges regarding parole fluctuate over the day in a manner that suggests ego depletion and glucose (Danziger et al., 2011). Sending a convict back to prison is the safe and easy decision, whereas granting parole puts the judge at risk, because if the parolee commits another crime, the judge will look bad and possibly be blamed. It therefore takes more energy to grant parole than to deny it. Judges get depleted as they make decision after decision. Hence a convict applying for parole fares reasonably well first thing in the morning, when the judge is fresh and well-fed, but as the morning wears on, the chances go down. The judges then have a break for a mid-morning snack, and another for lunch, and their rates of granting parole shoot up dramatically at these points - and then resume dropping. A convict whose case comes up just before lunch has a near zero probability of being paroled, whereas one who comes before the board right after lunch has a good (65 per cent) chance of getting out of prison. By this logic you would be best on a date after you eat and are ready to go than cranky and tired. SO you would ask them right after a meal like lunch

Which of the following statements about happiness in America is most true?

The more value people placed on happiness, the less happy they became. Evaluating our happiness has us compare to our prior self or others. High standard, can't meet It also moves us out of flow, out of the moment. Self-focus = less happiness than other-focus. John Stuart Mill: "Those only are happy who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness."

What are the origins of compassion and altruism?

The origins of both of these are the abilities to understand others and be empathetic. Compassion can also cause altruism.

Lots of people have done wrong to Clarence. According to McCullough et al, who is he most likely to forgive?

The people closest to him. People forgive those in close relationships before distant ones.

Fredrickson et al. found that loving-kindness meditation increased levels of life satisfaction and reduced depression. What was their explanation for this beneficial effect?

The practice of LKM led to shifts in people's daily experiences of a wide range of positive emotions, including love, joy, gratitude, contentment, hope, pride, interest, amusement, and awe. These increases in positive emotions were evident both within the trajectories of change in daily emotions over the span of 9 weeks and within a detailed analysis of a given morning 2 weeks after formal training ended. These shifts in positive emotions took time to appear and were not large in magnitude, but over the course of 9 weeks, they were linked to increases in a variety of personal resources, including mindful attention, self-acceptance, positive relations with others, and good physical health. Moreover, these gains in personal resources were consequential: They enabled people to become more satisfied with their lives and to experience fewer symptoms of depression. Simply put, by elevating daily experiences of positive emotions, the practice of LKM led to long-term gains that made genuine differences in people's lives. The evidence reported here reveals that one way to outpace the hedonic treadmill is to begin a practice of LKM. Participants who invested an hour or so each week practicing this form of meditation enhanced a wide range of positive emotions in a wide range of situations, especially when interacting with others. We find these data especially promising. LKM appears to be one positive emotion induction that keeps on giving, long after the identifiable "event" of meditation practic

Which of the following statements best summarizes the similarities and differences between goal-setting and a growth mindset.

They are simmilar in that you are working towards the future.

UConn students go to women's basketball games because they have so much fun and pleasurable. And look, the team just won another basketball game, and the students are in the stands jumping up and down, screaming with joy. Which two aspects of well-being does this situation best illustrate?

This demonstrates that the well being is coming from a position of circumstance. Furthermore it is being encouraged by affective wellbeing in that monet.

Fred is feeling pretty good these days; in fact, we could say that Fred has very high levels of positive well-being. What does this tell us about his levels of negative well-being?

Two models Evidence points to separate dimensions Thus, having positive affect does not mean the absence of negative affect and vice versa. So Fred may or may not have high or low negative well-being Essentially - it doesn't tell us much about his levels of negative well-being

How do men and women differ in their levels of subjective well-being?

USA "Very satisfied" with personal lives (Gallup) Men 54%, Women 59% Smiled and laughed a lot the day before Men 81%, Women 83% Felt sad the previous day Men 14%, Women 21% Typically women will be more open about how they feel

According to Dweck, in her TED talk, which of the following is *not* associated with a fixed mindset?

Up for judgment constantly, looks for others failure, feels failure

Which of the following statements best describes the different effects of gratitude and forgiveness?

Upward comparisons = less gratitude E.g., Playboy study Study found that men shown pictures of attractive women or playmates became less satisfied with relationship, less committedPartner gratitude Can also practice gratitude for partner Like booster shot that overcomes adaptation effect Research by Gordon et al Participants satisfaction with relationship increased with gratitude about other person So too did partner's reaction, even if they didn't practice the gratitude

According to Baumeister et al., which of the following has a greater impact on happiness than meaning?

We assume the simpler form of happiness (i.e. affect balance rather than life satisfaction), at least, is rooted in nature. All living creatures have biological needs, which consist of things they must obtain from their environment in order to survive and reproduce. Among creatures with brains and central nervous systems, these basic motivations impel them to pursue and enjoy those needed things, and the satisfaction of those needs generally produces positive feeling states. Conversely, negative feelings arise when those needs are thwarted. Hence, affect balance depends to some degree on whether basic needs are being satisfied. Possibly life satisfaction too could be swayed by whether, in general, one is getting the things one wants and needs. Human beings are animals, and their global happiness therefore may depend on w But also, Things like life is easy, feeling good about oneself, money, thinking about the present, and feeling connected to others and thinking others feel connected to you.

According to the article by McCullough et al., do forgiveness training programs work to increase forgiveness?

We don't know

Which types of countries tend to have the highest level of subjective well-being worldwide?

Wealthy liberal democracies.

Which of the following statements about the distribution of subjective well-being across states (in the US) is most true?

West has most subjective well being - rocky mountain region High subjective well being is also correlated with wealthy liberal states South has the least subjective well being

Suppose that you wanted to make a habit of eating vegetables with every dinner. What would be the more effective way of developing this habit?

When I want to eat dinner - I must make vegetables

Is forgiveness simply the opposite of revenge?

Yes, it is more complex than forgiveness because it does not fix the feelings.

In what ways is altruism related to a sense of well-being?

altruism makes you feel better about yourself.

Which of the following scenarios illustrates empathy but not compassion nor altruism?

empathy would just be to take the perspective and feel but not do anything

Which of the following people, described in general terms, would you expect to be happiest?

flashcard 16

Is a growth mindset a state or a trait?

it is a trait

Which of the following statements best compares mindfulness versus loving-kindness meditation?

mindfullness is being aware, while lk meditation is basically practicing self love

As written about by Emmons, what is true about intrinsic versus extrinsic goals?

that are extrinsic in that they serve other, less inherently satisfying needs. These researchers have demonstrated that the rated importance of the extrinsic goals of financial success, social recognition, and physical attractiveness were negatively related to several measures of well-being, including vitality and self actualization. While Intrinsic goals are associated with higher SWB.