Positive Psych Midterm
Limits and Criticism of our current definition Grit
"Now, there's something very odd about this list. There's nothing in it about honesty or courage; nothing about integrity, kindliness, responsibility for others. The list is innocent of ethics, any notion of moral development, any mention of the behaviors by which character has traditionally been marked. Levin, Randolph, and Duckworth would seem to be preparing children for personal success only -doing well at school, getting into college, getting a job, especially a corporate job where such docility as is suggested by these approved traits (gratitude?) would be much appreciated by managers. Putting it politically, the "character" inculcated in students by Levin, Randolph, and Duckworth is perfectly suited to producing corporate drones in a capitalist economy. Putting it morally and existentially, the list is timid and empty. The creativity and wildness that were once our grace to imagine as part of human existence would be extinguished by strict adherence to these instrumentalist guidelines."
What is Character?
"________" refers to the aspects of personality that are morally valued •Good _____ is at the core of "positive youth development" (PYD) •It takes "good" ________ to "do well" -Without good ________, individuals may not desire to do the "right thing"
Daily reconstruction method (DSM)
-Diary: asking someone to think back go through and describe your day reconstruct it, broke down into distinct episodes -Rate episodes using a variety of adjectives on scale from 0-6 Short-term daily diary of distinct episodes •Appropriate for large scale data collections of SWB indicators •More cost-effective than ESM, but also requires a lot of participants' time •Provides unique and novel information about what people do and how they feel in their everyday lives
What were 4 positive emotions from broaden and build reading
-Joy sparks the urge to play, -Interest sparks the urge to explore, -Contentment sparks the urge to savour and integrate, -and Love sparks a recurring cycle of each of these urges within safe, close relationships.
Explain experience sample method ESM
-Pager study in the moment what is the experience of what your doing in that moment, random page person and ask them •More suitable (than global measures) for assessing the affective component -frequent positive affect and infrequent negative affect •Aggregate of momentary affective experiences encountered throughout daily life •Comes from Csikszentmihalyi's work on 'flow' •Costly & requires a great deal of participants' time and co-operation
Whats is PERMA?
-pleasure (positive emotion) -engagement -relationship -meaning -achievement
How much of Happiness is circumstance
10%
Values in Action: Character Strengths
24 character strengths organized Under 6 core virtues -Wisdom and Knowledge -Courage -Humanity -Justice -Temperance -Transcendence
How much of Happiness is thoughts and behavior
40%
How much of Happiness is genetic
50%
How can VIA be used to help students
A crucial task of any counseling effort is there fore to identify a student's resources and encouragetheir use. Such a balanced emphasis should build rapport and bolster student confidence, which inturn should facilitate the success of counseling.
In its infancy psychology had a better understanding between study of psychopathology and human strengths. When did that balance shift towards looking st deficits?
After WWII
Other factors of happiness
Age -Elderly people are as happy as younger people Gender -No significant difference of happiness levels between men and women has been found Education -high levels of SWB were found in those with higher educational status -People scoring high on wellbeing were found to have a higher educational status than those who scored lower on the scales
Work and Happiness
An individual's job perception can influence wellbeing One third of employee's perceive work as a 'calling orientation' -Job orientation: job = money, not important to overall life. -Career orientation: building a career and progressing forward. -Calling orientation: workers are immersed healthily in what they do (could relate this to the good and meaningful life, incorporating "flow" which makes us happier)
Set point model
Assumes we each have a fixed 'average' level of happiness around which our day-to-day and moment-to-moment happiness varies
Relationships and Happiness
Being around others enhances individual wellbeing. Spending time in social settings enhances levels of wellbeing among both introverted or extroverted, (Frohet al., 2007). Happier people are more likely to get married, while reporting a happy marriage as they stay together.
Barbara Fredrickson Theory
Broaden and Build "I developed an alternative model for positive emotions that better captures their unique effects. I call this the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions because positive emotions appear to broaden peoples' momentary thought-action repertoires and build their enduring personal resource" These various thought-action tendencies—to play, to explore, or to savour and integrate—each represents ways that positive emotions broaden habitual modes of thinking or acting Specifically, broadened mindsets carry indirect and long-term adaptive benefits because broadening builds enduring personal resources. In short, the broaden-and-build theory describes the form of positive emotions in terms of broadened thought-action repertoires, and describes their function in terms of building enduring personal resources. In doing so, the theory provides a new perspective on the evolved adaptive significance of positive emotion These findings provide initial empirical footing for the hypothesis, drawn from the broaden-and-build theory, that distinct types of positive emotion serve to broaden peoples' momentary thought-action repertoires, whereas distinct types of negative emotions serve to narrow these same repertoires The broaden-and-build theory underscores the ways in which positive emotions are essential elements of optimal functioning, and therefore an essential topic within the science of well-being. The theory, together with the research reviewed here, suggests that positive emotions: -(i) broaden people's attention and thinking; -(ii) undo lingering negative emotional arousal; -(iii) fuel psychological resilience; -(iv) build consequential personal resources; -(v) trigger upward spirals towards greater well-being in the future; -and (vi) seed human flourishing. The theory also carries an important prescriptive message When positive emotions are in short supply, people get stuck. They lose their degrees of behavioural freedom and become painfully predictable. But when positive emotions are in ample supply, people take off. -They become generative, creative, resilient, ripe with possibility and beautifully complex. -The broaden-and-build theory conveys how positive emotions move people forward and lift them to the higher ground of optimal well-being.
Explain broaden and build theory to a five year old
Broaden and build experience some positive emotions -that broaden our horizons so we will be more open to things and -building our self efficacy that they can use later
Justice
Civic strengths that underly your community life -Fairness -Leadership -Teamwork
Wisdom and Knowledge
Cognitive strengths that entail the acquisition and use of knowledge -Creativity -Curiosity -Open-mindedness -Love of learning -Perspective
Cultural Considerations
Cultural differences in SWB have been explored and found there are profound differences in what makes people happy Cultural differences in importance of personality congruence -the extent to which a persons behaviors are consistent across situations and with persons inner feelings -emphasized in western psychology, not universally important, less related to SWB for collectivist cultures Collectivists -the extent to which a persons life accords with the wishes of important others is more important than the emotion that person feels at predicting their life satisfaction Diener and Suh
Income and Happiness
Does money make us happy? YES...well a little bit. Individuals who live in countries with high GDP, such as the USA, on average score higher on wellbeing measures than those living in countries with low GDP, such as Togo (Deaton, 2008) -In order to maintain balanced levels of wellbeing, individuals must take home approximately $5000 per month, anything more will do little to enhance happiness. -An extra $10,000 per annum will only bump up your happiness levels by approximately 2 per cent (Christakis & Fowler, 2009).
Courage
Emotional strengths that involve exercise of will to accomplish goals in the face of opposition either external or internal -Honesty and authenticity -Bravery -Perseverance -Zest
The Relational Life (PERMA)
Everyone needs someone. -We enhance our wellbeing and share it with others by building strong relationships with the people around us- family, friends, coworkers and neighbors.
The Accomplished Life (PERMA)
Everyone needs to win sometimes. To achieve wellbeing and happiness, we must be able to look back on our lives with a sense of accomplishment. -"I did it, and I did it well."
DR.Martin Seligman
Father of Positive Psychology •President of APA in 1996 •Current professor at UPennand director of the Penn Positive Psychology Center •Prolific author in positive psychology, resilience, learned helplessness, depression, optimism and pessimism •Has over 250 publications and 20 books •However, he was not always strengths-based -Daughter Niki gardening told him to stop being grumping she stopped complaining
Developing Grit
Flexible thinking patterns •Meeting Challenges with enthusiasm and creativity •Broaden and Build Theory anyone? Finding purpose •Develop goals that match your interests and passions •Small and large goals; celebrating successes (Hope Theory) Finding other gritty people •Creates a culture of passion and perseverance Use of Language •Replacing absolute qualities like "good" and "smart" with "creative" and "flexible" Building time for reflection •Broaden and Build Theory again •Non-judgmental awareness (like Mindfulness) •Reflect on accomplishment and goals
Angela Duckworth
Former New York City math teacher •Began to ask why students with similar IQs performed differently •Interested in research around facilitators of academic and professional success •Developed "grit" to explain why some people are able to persevere through difficult tasks
Eudomania
Good and meaningful life fall into the umbrella of ________. -Research shows that high levels of positive affect are long term with a __________ route to happiness, versus, short-term with a hedonic route to happiness (Heffernon & Boniwell, 2011)
Angela Duckworth Theory
Grit
Carol Dweck Theory
Growth mindset Vs Fixed Mindset of intelligence
Explain level of happiness related to marriage and child bearing
Highest when you get married and goes down when you have child, continues to go down through childhood and adolescence, until children move out and then it goes back up
Subjective Well-being
How people evaluate their own lives in terms of cognitive (life-satisfaction) and affective explanations (Boniwell, 2008)
Humanity
Interpersonal strengths that entail "tending and befriending others" -Kindness -Love -Social intelligence
Daily Method Sampling in Action
Kahneman, Krueger, Schkade, Schwarz, and Stone (2004) proposed a type of short-term daily diary called the day reconstruction method (DRM) as an alternative to ESM. -Using a diary format, participants using DRM are required to generate a detailed account of an entire day, broken down into distinct episodes. Instructions are: -"Think of the episodes of your day. An episode can begin or end when you move to a different location, change activities, or change the people you are with" (Kahnemanet al., 2004, p. 1777). -E.g. "trip to grocery store," "lunch with a friend", as well as a brief description of where the participant was during the episode, what he or she was doing, and with whom. Then, the episode is rated usinga variety of adjectives (e.g., happy, competent, interested, tense, tired) on scales ranging from 0 (not at all) to 6 (very strongly). What episodes generate happiness?: -Findings coming out of this paradigm include a study of 909 working women that revealed that time spent in intimate relations, socializing, relaxing, prayingor meditating, and eating were among the most enjoyable, where as commuting, working, and childcare were among the least enjoyable (Kahnemanet al., 2004; Krueger et al., 2009). Mounting evidence suggests that real-time measures (ESM & DSM), contribute unique and novel information about what people do and how they feel in their everyday lives. -As work on happiness becomes integrated with national indicators of the quality of life (Diener,Kesebir, & Lucas, 2008), -as positive psychological science becomes increasingly popularized, and - perhaps most important - as technology becomes increasingly accessible, these types ofmeasures will arguably become much more common. Ref: Kurtz, J. L., & Lyubomirsky, S. (in press)
Positive emotions broaden thought/action
Lab studies Participants showed clips that evoke emotions of joy and contentment and a group of fear and anger; and a control group was shown non-emotional or neutral emotions -Asked to imagine being in a situation where similar feelings arise and then list up to twenty things they would like to do right now -For contentment and joy, participants were able to identify more things they would do right then to experience these emotions •Another study found that broaden thinking was related to positive emotion when comparing the choice between examining the big picture or smaller details
Problems with diagnosing and DSM
Lacks validity diagnosis as a form of social conformity/control -thom Szas -homosexuality and ego dysotnic homsexuality in DSM -Draprotmania -Hysteria
So who even is happy?
Majority of people score in the 'somewhat satisfied set point',there fore the majority of the time we view stimuli and circumstances as positive. Myers 2000: it appears most of us are happy
SO HOW DID POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY START FROM THAT INCIDENT?
Not to correct his daughter's shortcomings but to nurture and grow her strengths -Started promoting growth and flourishing as a science
Barbara Frederickson
Observed that psychologists are primarily fixated on negative emotions •She observed that: •Negative emotions are less differentiated; similar facial expressions and reactions •Positive emotions don't arise when there are problems, thus don't need solutions •Positive emotions are not usually tied to a necessary action
We learned two things about money and happiness One was related to GDP One was related to monthly income
Optimal level of income in the US, 5,000 a month after that doesn't really make much difference -money matters a little People that live in high GDP country have higher subjective well being than people in lower GDP Look up
Seligmans 2011 5 Emlements of Well-being
PERMA Positive Emotions -pleasurable (positive emotion) Engagement -flow or absorbed in task; thought and feeling usually absent Positive Relationships -Healthy Relationships are important Meaning -Belonging to and serving something bigger than yourself Accomplishment -people pursue success, accomplishment, winning, achievement, and mastery for their own sake Wellbeing is: Pleasure Engagement Relationships Meaning Achievement
What is a calling orientation
Perception of work can impact happiness one third of people perceive their career as calling orientation your actually calling to what you want to do, meaningful, engaged in work (flow)
Grit
Perseverance + Passion Why do individuals with the same intellectual resources and talents as others accomplish more? •Perseverance and passion for long-term goals -Goals were an important part of Hope theory as well •Self-motivation •Cultivating passion •Sustaining motivation
Athenian/Greek Cultures
Plato and Aristotle wrote about virtue and human strength Aristotle's 11 moral virtues: •Courage •Moderation •Generosity •Munificence •Magnificence •Even temper •Friendliness •Truthfulness •Wit •Justice •Friendship •Humans should rise above their hedonistic desires and embody these virtues •Polis, meaning political state, or what we would refer to as communities to help organize and influence humans to be virtuous •Communities model virtuous behavior •Education should be concerned with teaching these virtues
Cultural Criticism of Positive psychology
Positive Psychology" is from U.S. -Thus individualistic frame work, Western assumptions of a "better life" -Not compatible with all cultures Notion of "self" different across cultures Emotions across cultures -Asian Americans scored higher on "pessimism" than White Americans; no difference in levels of depression VIA Character Strengths •Oversimplified the integration of other cultures' values; not really "universal" •Ignored the understanding of other cultures' values •Meanings of strengths are Western-oriented Positive Psychology needs to improve cultural sensitivity •Acknowledge cultural differences •Tailoring: psychology must adapt to these changes and not superficially integrate them To contribute to cultural sensitivity in psych you can in your personal life and career in future -Using cultural differences as strengths -Better understanding on what it means to flourish in other cultures -Not only acknowledging different culture but there an actual person standing in front you -Different culture may interpret things differently -Asking them what are your values, differences in our culture acknowledging that understanding your happiness is different from others, explore what are my beliefs what are my values and our strengths
The Positive Pleasurable Life (PERMA)
Positive emotions are an essential part of our wellbeing. -Happy people look back in the past with gladness' look into the future with hope; and they enjoy and cherish the present.
How do we encourage growth mindset in children? Why do we want too?
Praise them for their effort rather than their grades, tell them knowledge is something that can be improved is neuro-plastic -dont want them to have a fixed mindset on intelligence
Come up with a primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention program
Primary: trying to prevent it before it happens -dare Secondary: someone might have started some behavior but its not too bad yet -guacho FYI Tertiary: individual real after the fact ones -AA
explain how diagnosing a culture of youth with conduct disorder might contribute to mass incarceration
Psychologists and teachers can play a role in it, when you put that label on them conduct disorder, get expelled easier lead to youth of color go to mass incarceration -school to prison path line
Local mass measures of subjective well being
Questionnaire
Religion and Happiness
Religious people have reported having slightly higher levels of SWB than those who do not -E.g. Belief in something higher, spirituality, afterlife
Global measures of SWB strengths and weakness
S •Psychometrically sound •Valid •Reliable •Efficient •Cost effective W •Requires accurate reflection and unbiased assessment of one's happiness •Influence of immediate circumstances •Sensitive to information accessed before measurement Social comparison Stracket al., (1988) found no correlation between life satisfaction and dating satisfaction when a question about life satisfaction preceded a question about dating status (e.g., single vs. in a relationship). -However, when the question order was reversed, a significant positive correlation emerged. -When respondents' dating status was made accessible, they appeared to use it as aheuristic (or shortcut) to help judge their overall life satisfaction. Social comparisons- even relatively arbitrary ones - can push global SWB ratings in one direction or another, depending on whether the comparison is favorable or unfavorable. -For example, encountering an experimenter in a wheelchair creates a downward social comparison that leads to inflated SWB ratings (Stracket al., 1990).
Martin Seligman's theoretical concept of the Good life
Second, the _______, which consists in knowing what your signature strengths are, and then recrafting your work, love, friendship, leisure and parenting to use those strengths to have more flow in life.
Sonja Lyubomirsky sheds light on how much of our happiness is determined by our genes, and how much is within our power to control. at the science of a meaningful life What determines happiness?
Set Point 50% Genetic 10% Circumstance 40% Intentional activity Research shows that happy people -are comfortable expressing gratitude -are often the first to help others -practice optimism about the future -savour pleasures and the present moment -are often physically active -spiritual or religious -are deeply committed to lifelong goals
More Recent Cultural Contribution to Positive Psychology
Sexual and Gender diversity •DSM-V: Gender Dysphoria •Some psychologists are more inclusive with gender and sexual orientation -Sex: male, female, intersex -Gender: men, women, transgender, gender non-conforming -Heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, pansexual, asexual Neurodiversity •Autism -Conception of a unique cognitive and psychological make up, not just a disorder •Racism -ADHD vs. Conduct Disorder
What is the hedonic approach to achieving happiness? can you achieve it?
Short term immediate route to achieving to happiness through seeking out pleasure -maximizing pleasurable experiences while minimizing displeasure -beneficial for the individual not others not for lasting long term high positive affect levels happiness
Grit scale
Similarities other constructs and measure Hope, Broaden and Build, and Growth mindset Grit Short Scale (or Grit-S) is highly correlated with conscientiousness in the Big Five personality measure •Research and recent and meta-analyses have also suggested that the links to grit and success outcomes measures are actually not that strong •Similar to resilience and thriving -Resilience: returning to previous functioning after adversity -Thriving: reaching a higher level of functioning after adversity •How do you know which constructs and measures to use?
Transcendence
Strengths that build connections to the larger universe and provide meaning -Appreciation of beauty -Gratitude -Hope -Humor -Spirituality/religiousness
Temperance
Strengths that protect against excess -Forgiveness -Modesty -Prudence -Self regulation
Happiness is what plus what
Subject well-being and Positive Affect
Global measures of SWB
Subjective Happiness Scale (Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999) •Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener et al., 1985) •PANAS Questionnaire (Watson et al., 1985) •Meaning of Life Questionnaire (Steger et al., 2006) •Flow Experience Scale (Csikszentmihalyi & Csikszentmihalyi, 1988)
What Construct would Seligman say PERMA is necessary fo?
Subjective Well-Being
Major areas of Positive Psychology Constructs
Subjective wellbeing Hope and optimism Broaden and Build theory Cultural implications in wellbeing Grit Gratitude Positive Psychotherapy Post Traumatic Growth
Three routes too happiness Seligman 2002
The Pleasant life The Good life The Meaningful life
Roleplay
The Pleasantlife + Client Role-play -The purpose of this activity is to show how these theories and concepts practically are applied in the real world and in real clinical scenarios.
MS the Pleasant life
There are three very different routes to happiness. First the _______, consisting in having as many pleasures as possible and having the skills to amplify the pleasures. This is, of course, the only true kind of happiness on the Hollywood view.
MS The Meaningful life
Third, the _______, which consists of using your signature strengths in the service of something that you believe is larger than you are.
Explain Neurodiversity -explain how this differs from pathologizing clients -how could acceptance of neurodiversity help those with serious mental illness
Understanding people different genetic cognitive and psychological make up, not just disorder -biomedical model pathologies Ethan Waters explains why America's science behind mental health is problematic for the rest of the world. -we are exporting around the worth our ideas of mental health -move line of where pathological and normal is -Schizophrenics in developing countries do better because we are taking them away from the other in society -biomedical model notion of mental health, why people with schizo do better in developing countries
Positive Affect
Various positive emotions, feelings and moods that we frequently experience and easily recognise (Boniwell, 2008)
The Meaningful Life (PERMA)
We are at our best when we dedicate time to something greater than ourselves. -This might be a religious faith, community work, family, politics, a charity a professional or creative goal.
Individualism vs Collectivism
Western cultures tend to emphasize individualism •Independence •"A need for uniqueness"; non-conformity •Self as unit of analysis •Personal factors over social forces •Goals are individualistic •Individual pleasure •Self-esteem •Personal decisions about relationships •More short-term thinking •More informal socially Eastern cultures tend to emphasize collectivism •Interdependence •Desire to fit in •Group as unit of analysis •Groups rules and goals •Formal social interactions •Generosity and equity •Relationships are not assessed in terms of personal benefit •Less need for uniqueness •Harmony
The Engaged Life (PERMA)
When we focus on doing the things we truly enjoy and care about, we can begin to engage completely with the present moment and enter the state of being known as "flow."
What is positive psychology
________ is the scientific study of human flourishing, and an applied approach to optimal functioning. It has also been defined as the study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals, communities and organizations to thrive. _________ is grounded in the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within them, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play. (Positive Psychology Institute) •Intends to complement, not replace, traditional psychology •Does not deny the importance of studying how things go wrong, but stresses the importance of also studying how things can go well •Does not claim that everyone should be happy at every moment, or that people should "put on a happy face."
Broaden
_________ thought-action repertoire •Positive emotions tends to have these impacts on thought -Flexible -Creative -Integrative -Open to new information -Efficient
Medical Model Of illness
____________ treats mental disorders in the same way as a broken arm, i.e. there is thought to be a physical cause. •There is something to be fixed. •If symptoms are grouped together and classified into a 'syndrome' the true cause can eventually be discovered and appropriate physical treatment administered. •Stresses medication first line of treatment -Focuses on the problem that needs to be fixed
Good Character
_____________ is central to psychological and social well-being. •Not simply the absence of problems, but is a well-developed family of positive traits •Cultivating character strengths not only reduces the possibility of negative outcomes, but also indicators and causes of healthy positive development and thriving
What is flow? whats are the necessary conditions?
feeling in the zone, engaged in what you're doing timelessness sense of inner clarity ecstasy something that is challenging you but not too much to where you can't do it inner clarity control intrinsic motivation
IS psych culturally embedded or culture free what about positive psych?
its a direction were moving towards but right now psych is still like culture free, likes to think its culturally embedded The aspects of cultural sensitivity consist of knowledge, consideration, understanding, respect, and tailoring Ethan Waters explains why America's science behind mental health is problematic for the rest of the world. -we are exporting around the worth our ideas of mental health -move line of where pathological and normal is -Schizophrenics in developing countries do better because we are taking them away from the other in society -biomedical model notion of mental health, why people with schizo do better in developing countries "Snyder and Lopez (2007) described an ongoing debate among positive psychology professionals that has yet to be resolved. The debate surrounding culture asks the question if positive psychology is culture‐free or culturally embedded. Professionals supporting the culture‐free mentality believe that positive psychology is objective and universal. " Positive Psychology needs to improve cultural sensitivity -Acknowledge cultural differences -Tailoring: psychology must adapt to these changes and not superficially integrate the
Job orientation
just income related
career orientation
not your calling but getting closer to it
Growth Mindset (vs fixed Mindset)
the idea that we can grow our brain's capacity to learn and to solve problems Tenacity is enhanced through: •Beliefs about self •Goals •Social connectedness •Self-regulation Growth mindset -Intelligence can be developed Leads to desire to learn therefore leads to... -Challenges: Embrace challenges -Obstacles: Persist in the face of setbacks -Effort: See effort as path to mastery -Criticism: Learn from criticism -Success of others: Find lessons and inspiration in success of others As a result may reach ever higher levels of achievement All this gives them greater sense of free will Fixed Mindset -Intelligence Static Leads to desire to look smart therefore desire to.... -Challenges: Avoid challenges -Obstables: Give up Easily -Effort: See effort fruitless or pointless -Criticism: Ignore useful Negative feedback -Success of others: Feel threatened by success of others As a result may plateau early instead of reach their full potential All this confirms a deterministic view of the world
Are most people Happy
yes
Psychological and physical well-being
•Ability to experience positive emotion during bereavement is linked to ability to create long-term plans in response •Unlike the "downward spiral" metaphor for depression or other negative emotions, positive emotions create a positive cycle •Broadened thinking >>> Resilience >>> Building more positive emotional experiences
Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi
•Along with Martin Seligman, considered on of the most foundational positive psychologists •Originally interested in happiness and creativity •Became interested in psychology after being imprisoned during WWII
Characteristics of Flow
•Complete involvement in task: -focus and concentration •Sense of ecstasy: -being outside of reality •Inner clarity: -knowing what needs to be done and how well •Knowing that the activity is doable: -skills are seen as adequate •Sense of serenity: -no worries or doubts about self •Timelessness: -time seems to pass slowly or quickly •Intrinsic motivation: -producing/finding ____ becomes the reward •Control: -feeling of mastery over task
Flow
•Csikszentmihalyi argues that ____ is universal, experienced across culture •______ is being "in the zone" or "in the groove" •When skill level meets level of challenge •Happiness is not static, takes effort to cultivate •____ is essential to creating and finding happiness •Research became geared towards organizational psychology and workplace ___ Research into it "Autotelic personalities" •Those who are motivated more intrinsically •_____ also correlated to conscientiousness on Big Five personality measure •Negatively correlated with neuroticism •Actually associated with decreased activity in prefrontal cortex (PFC) •Believed to be a temporary state •Might explain timelessness, feeling of mastery
Psychological Resilience
•Mental and physical health positively impacted by positive emotional experiences •The ability to "bounce back" from challenges is enhanced -Both mental and physical challenges •________ predicted positive emotions in Fredrickson lab experiments
ESM experience Sample method
•More suitable (than global measures) for assessing the affective component -frequent positive affect and infrequent negative affect •Aggregate of momentary affective experiences encountered throughout daily life •Comes from Csikszentmihalyi's work on 'flow' •Costly & requires a great deal of participants' time and co-operation Stemmed from the work of Csikszentmihalyi's(1990) work on flow. -He was interested in when people experience flow in their everyday lives, outside of the lab, he needed an ecologically valid methodology that allowed for sampling participants throughout the course of the day - while they were at school, work, or at leisure to find out how they felt during these different episodes - as an alternative to retrospective reporting methods, such as interviews and questionnaires. -Csikszentmihalyiand colleagues gave participants pagers to carry everywhere throughout the day. The pagers were programmed to signal the participants randomly, with each signal serving as a prompt to immediately report their thoughts and feelings using a booklet of paper-and-pencil self-report forms. -Ref: Kurtz, J. L., & Lyubomirsky, S. (in press
Evolutionary Meaning?
•Negative emotions tied to action •Fear in a dangerous situation leads to action -moving away from a mountain lion •Positive emotions are not tied to actions -Are they necessary Of course; Fredrickson feels the limits in looking at psychology only in these terms of biological function is why we need to study positive emotion
Importance of joy
•Playing for children is often accompanied by joy •Develops important physical, social, and intellectual skills •Exploration and discovery -Knowledge and personal growth •Observed the importance of positive emotion and personal development in this instance -Positive emotion is not just novel
Boraden and Build Theory
•Positive emotion affords a person the opportunity to broaden and build the positivity in their lives •Broaden -Broadens our action response to emotions -Not just automatic, fearful responses •Build -Builds important physical, social, intellectual, and psychological resources
Build
•Positive emotions _____ important personal resources •Study done with college students and daily journals about finding meaning in everyday events •Higher levels of resilience found in those who made more effort to create meaning out of daily events
Positive emotions undue negative emotions
•Positive emotions can act as antidotes for negative emotions •Negative emotions result in higher levels of cardiovascular activity (ex: we feel this when we get angry or nervous) •Fredrickson lab experiments showed joy and contentment groups had lowered cardiovascular activity (think about mindfulness)
Prevention Vs Treatment
•Positive psychology seeks to shift some of the focus from treatment to prevention •Help more people if we can prevent problems before they exist (primary prevention) •Or intervene before they get worse (secondary prevention) •Treatment (tertiary prevention)
Daily Reconstruction Method
•Proposed by Kahnemanet al., (2004) •Short-term daily diary of distinct episodes •Appropriate for large scale data collections of SWB indicators •More cost-effective than ESM, but also requires a lot of participants' time •Provides unique and novel information about what people do and how they feel in their everyday lives
Problems with Diagnosis
•Stigma of mental illness •Direct-to-consumer advertising of medications -Zoloft commercial -Paxil commercial •Problem of self-diagnosis -Or does this mean we have greater access and are spreading knowledge to the public? -Increases consumer requests and doctors' compliance with requests
Relationships and Happiness: Children and Marital Satisfaction
•The relationship between children and marital satisfaction shows high levels of life satisfaction at marriage, and then drops at the birth of the first child (arrows pointing down) •The levels of life satisfaction also continue to drop throughout childhood and adolescence, then returns to high levels when the children leave the home (arrow pointing down) •Therefore, having children actually decreases levels of SWB (Heffernon& Boniwell, 2011
