Positive Psychology Exam 1
What is the definition of values?
A belief about desirable ends (Schwartz, 1992) that: - Transcends specific situations - Guides how people select and evaluate themselves and others - Is ordered by their relative importance to other values to form a system of value priorities - Can be seen as goals you Always and Generally would like to see achieved by you or others
What is the mental health continuum?
Absence of mental illness ≠ presence of mental health
What is the definition of post traumatic growth?
Achieving - or at least Perceiving - that one is functioning better in some life domains following a trauma Tons of data that people Perceive they have grown No real data that people Achieve growth
What is the self-determination theory?
Individuals have 3 basic psychological needs that must be met in order to be motivated to engage behavior. Autonomy •Volition and desire to freely choose actions -Competence •Ability to affect the environment and attain desired outcomes -Relatedness •Connection and caring among group members
What are the characteristics of flow?
Intense and focused concentration on the present moment • Merging of action and awareness • Loss of awareness of self as a social actor • A sense that one can control one's actions • Distortion of temporal experience (a sense that time has passed faster than normal) • Experience of the activity as intrinsically rewarding -Reported in similar terms across age, gender, class, cultures and different kinds of activities -Cultural similarities and differences in optimal activities
Areas of the brain involved in emotionall experiences
Left prefrontal cortex activity linked to positive
What us the origin of positive psychology?
Martin E. P. Seligman is who started positive psychology humanistic psychology was regarded as the start of positive psych because it emphasizes the study of the whole person. People's B is determined by perceptions, they are not the product of things around them or their biology, and they are internally directed and motivated to find their potential
What is the hedonic view of well-being?
Maximize pleasure, minimize pain
How do meaning and post traumatic growth relate to each other?
Meaning is seen as one key Many people ask the "WHY?" question Many of those who ask this question CANNOT answer - This is the worst outcome, psychologically speaking Growth requires reconciliation
SWLS
Measures life satisfaction
Advantages of self report measures
cost effective efficient
Disadvantages of self report measusres
easily inflluenced open to interpretation
What are the Basic emotions?
good and bad
Psychological well-being and positive relationships
high scores: has warm, satisfsying, trusting relationships with others lower scores: has few close, trusting relationships with others.
Psychological well-being and environmntal mastery
higher scores: has a sense of master and competence in managing the environment. lower scores: have difficulty managing everyday affairs, lack sense of control over external world.
Income and SWB
money does buy happiness. -those who live in countries with higher GDP on average score higher on wellbeing measures than those with lower GDP.
Is optimism always good?
no, because there is an unrealistic optimism
health and SWB
people who experience higher levels of positive emotion are protected from various illnesses including heart disease. HAPPIER PEOPLE LIVE LONGER
Religion and SWB
people who reeport themselves as being spiritual or religious tend to report slightly higher levels of wellbeing.
What did psychology use to focus on?
psychology was built around studying disease, weakness, and damage -cure mental illness -enhance the lives of the normal pop -study geniuses
relationships and SWB
spending time in scoial setting enhances our levels of well-being - Gallup-Healthways Wellbeing Index poll found that people need six to seven hours per day in social settings.
what are the 6 virtues?
the six virtues are: -courage -justice -humanity -temperance -wisdom -transcendence
Who may benefit more from gratitude interventions?
those who are low in positive affect
work/employment and SWB
those with a "calling orientation" jobs tend to report high levels of well-being.
What is the definition of resilience?
• "Flexibility in response to changing situational demands" + "Bouncing back from negative emotional experiences" • Two factors (Masten, 2001) - Significant risk or threat to well-being - Favorable or good outcome • Common across the lifespan
What is the theory of individual values?
- Are there universal aspects in the structure and contents of human values? 10 universal values, 4 dimensions • Self-enhancement: Achievement Power • Self-transcendence: Universalism Benevolence -Conservation: Conformity Tradition Security -Openness to change: Hedonism Stimulation Self-direction
What are the domains of post traumatic growth?
- Increased appreciation for life - Closer, more intimate and meaningful relationships - Increased sense of self, personal strength - New possibilities - Spiritual and existential growth
What are the components of a positive body?
- Interpersonal touch - Human sexual behavior - Physical activity - Nutrition - Physical pain
Who were the important figures of positive psychology?
- greeks --> the highest good for all humanity is eudaimonia - Jeremy Bentham/John Stuart Mill (utilitarianism) --> subjective well-being and the pleasurable life -William James --> emotions come after we have physically acted out. He intertwined physiology, psychology, and philosophy (mind, body, and brain) -Humanistic psychology -Abraham Maslow --> coined the term "positive psychology." He focused on a hierarchy of needs, human potentiality instead of just deficiencies, and theories on motivation, needs, self-actualization and peak experience
What makes up the positive psychology movement?
- pp has its own academic, peer-reviewed journal -has many classes in schools -conferences, and research gatherings -partners with London Partnership for PP in Practice which provides access to leaders and opportunities for collaboration of research and consultancy
What are the characteristics of curiosity?
-Approach-oriented (vs. Anxiety)-Approach-Avoidance conflict -A pursuit for its own sake rather than tangible rewards -Motivates to learn new things and develop expertise -People will create new ways of doing boring tasks, increasing effectiveness
What are the outcomes of flow?
-Commitment & achievement in school -Self-esteem -Work satisfaction -Teacher's flow & student's flow -Lower delinquency in the aftermath of adverse events -Reduction of depression/anxiety symptoms
Experience Sampling Method (ESM
-Participants provide reports at random moments of everyday life. -Advantages: avoids problems with memory, provides novel info. about context, considers overall pattern. -Disadvantages: Costly, large time commitment and effort, intrusive, significant but rare events may be misssed.
What is psychological well-being?
-Self-Acceptance: Positive attitude toward the self; acknowledges and accepts good and bad qualities; feels positive about past life. -Personal Growth:Sees self as growing and expanding; is open to new experiences; has sense of realizing his or her potential; sees improvement in self and behavior over time -Purpose in Life:as goals in life and a sense of directedness; feels there is meaning to present and past life; feels sense of energy about doing this in daily life -Positive Relationships:as warm, satisfying, trusting relationships with others; is concerned about the welfare of others; capable of strong empathy, affection, and intimacy; understands give and take of human relationships. -Environmental Mastery:Has a sense of mastery and competence in managing the environment; makes effective use of surrounding opportunities; able to choose or create situations that work with personal needs and values. -Autonomy:Feels independent and able to determine own path in life, can resist social pressures to think and act in certain ways; regulates behavior from within; evaluates self by personal standards.
What are the benefits of gratitude?
-Uniquely contributes to subjective well-being above and beyond positive affect -Positively correlated with empathy, forgiveness, & willingness to help others -Negatively correlated with depression & stress
What is positive affect?
-dopaminergic system (controls drive/seeking) and opiate/oxytocin system (induces soothing/contentment) -mediated by three underlying factors of activated positive affect, relaxed positive affect, and safe/content positive affect -essential for success and wellbeing -come from our brains or our perceived rate of progress towards important goals -negatively correlates with depression, anxiety, stress, self-criticism, and insecure attachment
Age, gender, and education and SWB
-elderly people are just as happy as younger people -no significant difference between nhappiness levels of men and women -people who score higher on wellbeing tend to have higher education.
Day reconstruction method (DRM)
-generate detailed account of entire day, broken down into distinct episodes (0= not at all, 6= very strongly). -advantages: less expensive than ESM, better for rare events -disadvantages: huge time commitment, temptation for turning in backdated entries
Psychological well-being and personal growth
-high scores: see self as growing and expanding -lower scores: sees persoonal stagnation
Psychological well being and self acceptance
-higher scores had a positive attitude toward the self. -lower scores feel dissatisfied with self
Psychological well-being and autonomy
-higher scores: feels independent and able to determine own path -lower scores: is concerned about the expectations and evaluations of others.
Psychologicall well-being and purpose in life
-higher scores: has goals in life and a sense of directedness -lower scores: lack a sense of meaning in life.
Scales of Psychological well-being (PWB)
-theoretically grounded measure of eudaimonic well-being - 6 dimensions -level 3 measure, multidimensional and bidirectionall - no specific score or cut-points for defining high or low well-being -no current offical norms available -based on distributional data
What is dispositional optimism?
A personality trait relating to generalized outcome expectancies•Self-regulatory model
What is the definition of gratitude?
A positive emotion resulting from the recognition that one has obtained a positive outcome due to an external agent
What is the definition of curiosity?
A positive motivational-emotional state associated with exploration -it has subjective experience, physiological changes, characteristic facial expressions, and a set of cognitive interpretations linked to it
What causes interest?
Appraisal approach (Silvia, 2008): -Novelty-complexity -Comprehensibility
how can one increase well-being through positive activities?
Choose an activity that "fits"• Be motivated• Make effort• Variety matters• Timing is important• Support each other
How does one measure interest?
Curiosity & Exploration Inventory: Trait curiosity -10-item scale -Two dimensions •Stretching (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) •Embracing (2, 4, 6, 8, 10) -Good reliability & validity
What are areas of the brain involved in emotional experiences?
Dopamine: mainly projects to the LIMBIC SYSTEM, as well as the PREFRONTAL CORTEX, creating emotions of pleasure, interest, desire, "attention-worthiness" Norepinephrine: projects everywhere, effects often perceived as alarm, high arousal, "freaked out" Serotonin: projects everywhere, may create positivity bias and may be helpful in emotional regulation
What is the left prefrontal cortex associated with?
EVEN MORE PRONOUNCED LINK TO OUR TENDENCY TO SEEK TO APPROACH NEW THINGS. LEFT PREFRONTAL CORTEX ACTIVITY LINKED TO POSITIVE, OPEN ORIENTATION
What is the embodiment approach?
Embodiment & well-being (Heffron, 2015) - Impact on positive emotions - Crucial for creating and maintaining interpersonal relationships - Positive body image (Tylka, 2011) • "Appreciating, respecting, celebrating, and honoring the body" • Higher levels of self-esteem, optimism, adaptive coping in younger female samples Use interventions such as gratitude, random acts of kindness, and mindfulness
What is the Emmons & McCullough study?
Experimental studies on the effect of state gratitude on psychological and physical well-being Study 1 & 2 • Undergraduates • Randomly assigned to gratitude, hassles, & neutral events or downward social comparison condition • 9 weekly vs. 13 daily records -Study 3 • Adults with neuromuscular disease • Randomly assigned to gratitude or control condition • 21 daily records Demonstrated emotional, physical, & interpersonal benefits of self-guided gratitude intervention • Some results not replicated in all studies (e.g., positive affect, health benefits) • Daily reports more powerful than weekly reports • More research needed on long-term effects
What is the fixed mindset vs growth mindset?
Fixed mindset = viewing goals in terms of outcomes Growth mindset = viewing goals in terms of learning, mastery, improving competence
What is the definition of flourishing and languishing?
Flourishing - Presence of mental health - Reported "symptoms" of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being Languishing - Absence of mental health - Perceived state of stagnation and emptiness
What types of goals relate to well-being?
Goal progress, not necessarily goal attainment (Brunstein, 1993) But, if you want to achieve your goals - S.M.A.R.T. • SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ATTAINABLE, REALISTIC, and TIMELY - Also, Intelligence, Conscientiousness, and... - Grit
What are the pathways to resilience?
Hardiness (Kobasa, Maddi, & Kahn, 1982) - Life and life events make sense and are meaningful - I can influence my surroundings and the outcome of events - I can learn and grow from both positive and negative events Self-enhancement (Taylor & Brown, 1988) - "Positive Illusions" Effective coping strategies (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) - Problem-focused coping - Emotion-focused coping
What interests motivate people to decide to act on something?
If the "thing" has high novelty and complexity and there is a high ability to understand, the person will be interested and will act on it
What are the empirical findings on character strengths?
In almost all countries, the most commonly endorsed strengths were kindness, fairness, authenticity, gratitude, and open mindedness. Females score higher than males for the interpersonal strengths of gratitude, kindness, and love. Older adults score higher than younger adults on temperance. Serious physical illness lead to higher scores in bravery, kindness, and humor sever psychological disorder (that has resolved) is linked to increases in appreciation of beaauty and love of learning.
What are the differences between optimism and hope?
OPTIMISM IS LIKE A BELIEF SYSTEM OR MINDSET, ANTICIPATING POSITIVE OUTCOMES IN THE FUTURE HOPE IS MORE MOTIVATIONAL AND ACTION-ORIENTED, PROMPTING PEOPLE TO TRY TO FIND ACTUAL WAYS TO ACCOMPLISH OUTCOMES AND MOTIVATING THEM TO PUT EFFORT FORTH
What are the correlates of curiosity?
Openness to experience (Kashdanet al., 2009) •Growth in intelligence (Raineet al., 2002) •Physical health (Swan & Carmelli, 1996) •Emotional & psychological well-being (Park et al., 2004) •Positive social outcomes (Kashdan& Roberts, 2004)
What are the conditions that make flow more likely to happen?
Optimal balance between skill and challenge • Voluntary activities • Clear proximal goals and immediate feedback
What are the pathogenic vs salutogenic health models?
Pathogenic model - Absence of illness - "Medical model" - passive recipients of expert's prescription Salutogenic model -Presence of positive state of well-being -Focus on lifestyle - active agents of health behaviors
does frequent positive affect lead to success?
People who frequently experience positive affect...-Have more positive perceptions of self and others-Are extraverted, sociable, & well-liked-Have more and stronger relationships-Are less likely to experience conflict-Are involved in more activities -Perform better and receive higher evaluations at work-Have greater interest in helping people-Experience less pain, are more immune, and cope well with distress-Are more creative and efficient problem solvers
What is optimistic explanatory style?
People with optimistic explanatory style view negative events as not their fault (external), unlikely to happen again (unstable), and limited to just one aspect of their lives (specific) and positive events characterized by internality, Stability, and Globality
What is subjective well-being?
Positive Affect(+), Negative Affect(-), Life Satisfaction(+)-"Happiness"
what is the definition of positive psychology?
Positive Psychology is the scientific study of optimal human functioning. It aims to discover and promote the factors that allow individuals and communities to thrive. The positive psychology movement represents a new commitment on the part of research psychologists to focus attention upon the sources of psychological health, thereby going beyond prior emphases upon disease and disorder.
What is PANAS
Positive and Negative Activation Schedule comprises two mood scales, one that measures positive affect and the other which measures negative affect. Used as a psychometric scale, the PANAS can show relations between positive and negative affect with personality stats and traits.
What is the undo effect?
Positive emotions are hypothesized to undo the cardiovascular (physiological) aftereffects of negative emotions.
What is Fredrickson's Broaden and build theory
Positive emotions broaden thought and action possibilities and build physical(cardiovascular vagal tone), psychological (resilience and life satisfaction), and social (social connectedness) resources that promote flourishing•Produce indirect long-term benefits for the future
What are signature strengths?
Positive traits that a person owns, celebrates, and frequently exercises•Adults usually have 2-5 •Those not included among signature strengths are not necessarily weaknesses but rather lesser strengths •The order of top strengths should not be interpreted in a rigid way (no meaningful differences in their magnitudes)
What are the functions of values?
Tell who we are and what is most important to us • Motivate behavior and provide standard for judging and justifying behaviors • Bring people together but also can push people away • Shared values are a defining characteristic of a group
What is the definition of grit?
The amount of passion and perseverance one has to attain a long-term goal.
What are the components of Snyder's hope theory?
The belief that one can find pathways to desired goals and become motivated to use those pathways (Snyder et al., 2002) -Goals are formed and achieved through both Pathways thinking and Agency thinking
What are the four parts of the limbic system and what do they do?
The hypothalamus: hormones and the four F's The amygdala: strong emotion circuit The thalamus: sensory relay station The hippocampus: memory encoding and retrieval
What are the downsides to grit?
The impact of grit is exaggerated, especially when looking at broader populations of people Grit is nearly identical to conscientiousness, which has been known to psychologists for decades and which may not be open to change just like consciousness
What us the eudaimonic view of well-being?
USING or ELEVATING ABOVE pain and pleasure for something greater. Fulfilling one's potentials and virtues -Personal expressiveness -Social well-being -Psychological well-being -Self-determination theory
What are the criteria for a character strength?
Ubiquity •Fulfilling •Morally valued •Does not diminish others •Non-felicitous opposite •Trait-like •Measurable •Distinctiveness •Paragons •Prodigies •Selective absence •Institutions
Questions to help cultivate character strengths
What were some strengths that you weren't aware before that came out in the survey? •How would you identify your signature strengths? Do they converge or diverge with your VIA-IS results? •What are the appropriate situations you could use your signature strengths? •How can your signature strengths work together to maximize its potential? it is on a four way graph with arrows going from "focus on self" to "focus on others" and from "mind" to "heart"
What are the 24 character strengths?
Wisdom: -creativity -curiosity -judgment -love-of-learning -perspective Courage: -bravery -honesty -perseverance -zest Humanity: -kindness -love -social intelligence Justice: -fairness -leadership -teamwork Temperance: -forgivness -humility -prudence -self-regulation Transcendence: -appreciation of beauty -gratitude -hope -humore -spirituality
What is the definition of an emotion and why do we need them?
a discrete and consistent responses to internal or external events which have a particular significance for the organism Different emotions tell us DIFFERENT INFORMATION about how we are doing in relation to ourselves and our environments!
