Final Exam Review (Positive Psychology)

A basic assumption of positive psychology is that biology and genetic predispositions are much more influential in determining people's psychological adjustment than other factors.

False

According to your readings, positive psychologists consider their area of the field important because the rest of the psychology is focused only on the negative.

False

According to your readings, the primary goal of positive psychology is to discover how to help people in distress

False

According to your textbook, the "good life" is primarily measured by wealth.

False

Ellen Langer is the researcher most closely associated with Flow Theory.

False

Maximizers are happier with their choices than Satisficers.

False

People can only experience flow when completing tasks that are challenging for them.

False

Research consistency shows that women are happier than men.

False

Research has shown that subjective well-being is associated with time affluence among people from higher SES backgrounds but not among those from lower SES backgrounds.

False

The gratitude journaling app that we use in this course is called Grateful.

False (Delightful)

During our Mindfulness Meditation activity, we experienced all of the following EXCEPT:

Focused attention on improving negative thoughts

Which of the following is TRUE among transgender individuals?

Gender confirming surgery improved eudaimonic well-being for both trans men and women.

Which emotion has been described as "bittersweet" because it contains both positive memories and a sense of loss?

Nostalgia

What top-down predictor of subjective well-being is based in the expectation that things will turn out well in the future?

Optimism

Traditionally, people in which of the following groups tend to report the highest well-being?

White Americans

The fact of neuroticism that is most crucial for subjective well-being is ________________.

depression

All of the following terms are used to describe well-being and mental and mental illness levels in an individual EXCEPT:

drowning

Which of the following is NOT one of the four basic types of savoring?

flourishing

According to Langer's approach to mindfulness, there are 3 core qualities. Which of the following is NOT one of those qualities?

identifying the object of focus before beginning

Privette defined ____________ as behavior that transcends predictable functioning.

peak functioning

The scientific study of ordinary human strength and virtues is known as:

positive psychology

Depression, anxiety, and stress are most reduced when people feel:

safe

Buddhist-inspired mindfulness consists of 3 core elements. Which of the following is NOT one of those elements?

self-focus

Loreto scores high on well-being and high on mental illness symptoms (in this case, depression). According to the classification of mental health that we studied, he would be considered ________________.

struggling

Participants in Dr. Vega's study downloaded an app to their phones that sends a signal at random moments throughout the day. When they get the signal, they completed a questionnaire as soon as possible that asked about what they were doing when the beeper sounded and how they felt in terms of the parameters of flow. Dr. Vega was using ____________________.

the experience sampling method

Mercedes has moved several times over the past decade, each time getting a nicer and bigger home as her combined income with her parents has increased. She continues to work in an industry that pays really well even though she would prefer a work setting where she could utilize her artistic talents. She rationalizes that once she gets a bigger home in a more exclusive neighborhood she will finally become "really happy". This an example of ____________________.

the hedonic treadmill

What is the best description of positive psychology?

the scientific study of ordinary human strengths and virtues

Research has shown that happy people ______________.

watch less TV than unhappy people

The Dynamic Model of Affect (DMA) proposes that _________________.

when people are under stress, positive and negative emotions "fuse" and become dependent

Which of the following is TRUE of the Buddhist inspired style of mindfulness?

A person proficient in this style of mindfulness would be considered "happy" because they have high levels of positive emotions and fewer negative emotions.

Which positive psychology researcher was nicknamed Dr. Happiness?

Ed Diener

Which of the following is TRUE?

Elderly men tend to have higher well-being than elderly women.

What is the best predictor of whether we are satisfied with our leisure time?

Having time with others makes us more satisfied

Which of the following is TRUE?

Interventions to eliminate mental illness do not automatically enhance well-being.

Which of the following is TRUE about Flow?

It has been measured using the experience sampling method.

The importance of income is happiness is greatest for _________________.

Jamil, live in the United States and whose household income is $20,000.

In this TED talk that we watched during week 1 of class, this person (considered the father of positive psychology) discussed the differences between the "pleasant life", "engaged life", and "meaningful life".

Martin Seligman

_____________ refers to being aware of the present moment during our daily activities, including both the world outside us and our inner experiences.

Mindfulness

All of the following are consistently characteristics of the flow experience EXCEPT:

Really enjoying the experience

Which of the following is FALSE?

Reducing negative emotions causes an increase in positive emotions.

In this article "Positive Psychology Course and Its Relationship to Well-being, Depression, and Stress", the authors identified a number of Positive Psychology Exercises (PPEs). Which of the following is NOT one of the PPEs the authors tested?

Retail therapy

Which of the following is TRUE?

Spending money on experience, such as a family vacation, is more likely to correlate with happiness than spending money on material goods such as a bigger tv.

Which theory/model states that long-term happiness is a function of our genetics, our experiences, and the things we do intentionally?

Sustainable Happiness Model

Which of the following is TRUE?

The personality trait conscientiousness is generally associated with greater well-being, but can be detrimental to well-being at very high levels.

Which theory states that our well-being is primarily determined by the way we interpret our experience?

Top-down theory

Both flow and mindfulness experiences vary in intensity.

True

During flow, people experience co-activation of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the neurons

True

Happier people tend to participate in more active (rather than passive) leisure activities than less happy people

True

High school students who received higher grades and excel scholastically are also involved in more activities outside of class.

True

In general, happy people are more successful than unhappy people.

True

Positive and negative emotions are relatively independent.

True

Research indicates that students who have taken a positive psychology class report higher overall happiness than students who have taken a social psychology class.

True

Research shows that one's average level of happiness and life satisfaction are both relatively stable.

True

Self-report measures of well-being are the most widely used assessment tool in most studies of happiness and life satisfaction.

True

Social flow (e.g. term cohesion) is generally more enjoyable than individual flow.

True

The key element common to leisure, flow, mindfulness, savoring, and peak performance is _________________.

absorption

Subjective well-being is associated with time affluence ______________.

across all income levels

Which of the following characteristics is associated with greater well-being?

being taller than average

Dr. Prieto assessed the quality of marriage, the quality of friendships, job satisfaction, and satisfaction in several other areas. He then combined them into a total score. He is using the ____________.

bottom-up perspective

Dr. Lorenzo's research showed that poverty is correlated with lower levels of subjective well-being. This finding supports the ___________ of well-being.

bottom-up theory