Chapter 1

What is Empiricism?

- "The premise that knowledge should be acquired through observation"

What is psychology?

- "the science that studies behavior and the physiological and mental processes that underlie it, and it is the profession that applies the accumulated knowledge of the science to practical problems"

How is happiness split up percentage wise?

- 50% of happiness is due to genes (set point) - 10% in life circumstances - 40% intentional activity (This includes the choices that we have everyday)

How valuable are self help books?

- Books are faster and easier because some people cannot afford to pay for counselors

What does your left prefrontal cortex do?

- Controls all of your emotions and/or happiness - Neurotransmitters are involved in your happiness as well

The value of self help books

- Excellent self help books do exist, but many are not effective - Message is too vague - They are dominated by psychobabble - They are not based on solid research - They don't provide explicit directions for changing behavior - They encourage a narcissistic approach to life - Ex: "only this book will help you" - Good self help books are centered around solid research

What is the difference between the experimental and control groups?

- Experimental group gets the change - Control group does not get the change

Research shows that happy people...

- Have good relationships - Savor pleasure in life - They are spiritual - Deeply committed to goals

Determining cause and effect in experiments?

- If the experimental and control groups are alike in every way except for the treatment from the independent variable

What is the "paradox of progress"

- Modern technology has provided us with an abundance of time-saving devices, yet we complain about not having enough time - The range of life choices available to people is greater than ever - Life has offered us so many choices that it makes us freeze and become overwhelmed - Modern technology provides is with economic abundance and "possession overload"

What is the greatest challenge of modern life?

- Our search for meaning - In desperation, people turn to many ineffective and/or self-destructive sources for enlightenment - One of the most prominent sources is self-help books

Empirical research shows that all of the following are important actors in happiness except...

- Personality - Culture - Health - IQ

Possible explanations to the "paradox of progress"

- The mental demands of modern life have become too complex and confusing - Our obsession with self-improvement undermines our sense of security and satisfaction with our identity - We are "crazy busy" and too overwhelmed by info overload - We spend more with technology and less time with others, which results in an intimacy deficit - We suffer from "affluenza" which undermines our physical health and emotional well-being

What are the the conclusions of scientific psychology based on?

- They are based on careful, systematic observation rather than common sense

What is the strength of the correlation indicated by?

- the size of the correlation coefficient - Correlation coefficients can range from 0 to +1.00

What to look for in a good self help book?

1. Books that are realistic, that don't promise too much change too soon 2. Books by authors with good credentials 3. Books with a theoretical or research basis 4. Books that provide detailed, explicit directions about how to alter your behavior 5. Books that focus on a particular kind of problem or behavior * A good self help book is not going to guarantee fast change

What is somewhat important?

1. Health 2. social relations 3. Religious belief 4. Leisure Activity 5. Culture

What does conscious attention do?

1. Help positive events become positive experiences 2. Extend the experience to time and space 3. Absorb the positive experience

Correlation research provides what two pieces of information?

1. How strongly related to variables are 2. The direction (positive or negative)

What isn't very important in making someone happy?

1. Money 2. Age 3.Gender 4. Parenthood 5. Intelligence 6. Physical Attractiveness

What are the three methods of finding correlations between variables?

1. Naturalistic observation ( "careful observation of behavior without intervening directly with subjects" 2. Case studies 3. Surveys

What is really important?

1. Relationship satisfaction 2. Work 3. Genetics and personality

What are conclusions of happiness?

1. Subjective feelings of happiness are more important then objective measures 2. Happiness is relative - we evaluate our happiness relative to our own experiences - we evaluate our happiness relative to what others around us have - You hear the word "should" - Ex: "I should be making better grades" 3. It is hard for people to predict what will make them happy 4. People adapt to their own circumstances

What is very key in being happy?

1. The best predictor of future happiness is past happiness 2. Happiness is an inside job

How does the brain lean toward happiness?

1. The mind and the brain are one 2. Neurons that fire together wire together ex: addiction 3. Fleeting experiences leave lasting traces on the brain 4. Most changes on our brain tissues are in the implicit memory 5. Our brain emphasizes negative experiences 6. We can use conscious attention to store positive experiences 7. Positive experiences benefit the brain

What is a correlational coefficient?

A numerical index of the degree of relationship that exists between two variables

What is behavior?

Behavior is any overt (observable) response

What are the disadvantages of using correlations?

Correlations only tell us that two variables ARE related, not HOW two variables are related

Happiness is affected by hedonic adaptation. When does this occur?

Occurs when "the mental scale that people use to judge the pleasantness/unpleasantness of their experiences shifts so that their neutral point, or baseline for comparison changes"

All of the following partially explain the paradox of progress except?

Our refusal to engage in self-improvement and self help

What is an experiment?

The experiment is "a research method in which the investigator manipulates one (independent) variable under control conditions on the dependent variable as a result" - Psychologists depend on this method more than any other

What are the advantages using correlations?

They allow us to explore variables not suitable or ethical for manipulation

What is subjective well being?

individuals personal assessments of their overall happiness or life satisfaction

The advantage of using experiments is that

precise control allows cause and effect conclusions to be drawn

The disadvantage of using experiments

some cannot to tested on people

What is Adjustment?

the psychological processes through with people manage or cope with demands and challenges of everyday life

When does a correlation exist?

when two variables are related to each other