positive psychology terminology

characteristics of flow

involved in the activity/absorbed; complete concentration sense of control loss of self consciousness distortion of the passing of time autotelic nature of the experience (do it bc you want to) challenging, requires a skill clear goals and immediate feedback

self efficacy

involves the belief in ones capacity to produce desired effects and outcomes by ones own actions

autonomous motivation

operating when we are compelled to engage in some activity for its own sake, regardless of any external reward. -internal to you, you value it. -intrinsic, increases well being

satisfaction with life

addresses a more global judgement about the "rightness' of your life.

biology

-neurotransmitters (increased dopamine=happier) -genetics (well being is heredity) -hormones (oxytocin - social bonding, trust, emo support)

positive institutions

-at the group or social level addresses issues such as development of civic virtues, creation of healthy families, and healthy work envrionments. -positive community to live in -investigates how institutions can work better to support and nurture all of the citizens they impact.

positive individual traits ART BOOTH

-at the individual level more positive behavioral patterns/traits seen in people over time. -includes the development/ability of aesthetic sensibility, tap into creative potential, and drive the pursuit of excellence. -confidence, altruism, integrety, persistence

positive subjective states ART BOOTH

-at the subjective level positive emotions such as happiness, joy, satisfaction with life, relaxation, love, intimacy, and contentment. -constructive thoughts about the future such as optimism and hope. -feelings of energy, vitality and confidence

happiness set point

-average level of happiness baseline level of well being that is determined by genetics (hereditary). return to this after temporary highs and lows.

mindfulness

-increased awareness -no multitasking -present focused -non judgemental -acceptance of what is occurring -gentleness towards self -aware of your subjective experience of an event

approach goals

-moving toward -increases well being -concrete goals with measurable progress

cognition

-perspective on time (future oriented-work on goals, present-live for the moment. -positive-negative balance (interpret a challenging event in positive ways) -meaning (positive interpretations of events can lead to a sense of meaning in life)

behavior

-self-regulation -character, virtues (how we treat others is the foundation of ethics, well-being, and morality. majority of efforts should be focused on strengths.)

social comparison process

-set a standard of what we should be like and then see how close we are to that -compare ourselves with other people.

socio-cultural

-social norms (society dictates emotional reactions) -culture (how we experience emotions is determined by this) -social setting (people regulate their moods based on their understanding of the situation)

top down theory

-theory that we bring our tendencies toward positive interpretations to situations we encounter in life. -reflects how we evaluate and interpret our experiences. -measured by looking at personality traits, attitudes, and cognitions.

bottom up theory

-theory that we create an overall assessment of our current well being by examining how satisfied we are with domains of life and then combine the various satisfactions into a totality of our current well being. -basically a summary statement of our overall satisfaction taken from different areas of our life.

hedonic treadmil

a rise in personal income usually translates into greater expectations about what one needs to be happy.

future oriented

a way to orient yourself in time -better delay gratification and work toward long-term goals than more present-oriented ones.

self determination theory

certain ingerent tendencies toward psychological growth along with a core croup of innate emotional needs are the basis for self-motivation and personality integration. -competence (mastery of experiences to deal with your environment effectively) -relatedness (mutaually supportive interpersonal relationships) -autonomy (the need to make independent decisions most important to you)

the four components of emotion

cognitions biology socio-cultural behavioral

complete mental health

combination of emotional well being, high psychological well being, and high social well being along with low mental illness

virtues

common themes of traits valued world wide -these assist us with coping and adapting in difficult circumstances. -assist us in growing

intrinsic goals

degree of fit between goals and your values. -increases motivation, commitment, pos. view of goal, and well being.

peak performance

describes those moments when we perform at a level beyond our normal level of functioning, more efficient, more creative, more productive or better than your ordinary behavior. -not an activity but a high level of fuctioning.

Basic modes of fulfillment

efficiency creativity inner harmony relatedness self transcendence

the good life

entails the consideration of factors that lead to the greatest satisfaction, contentment, and well being. -it is what holds the greatest value in life combinations of: -connections to others -positive individual traits -life regulation qualities (self control/regulate emotions)

positive psych

focuses on communities

autonomous motivation impacts

health, work, relationships, religion. persistence, creativity, self esteem, and well being.

flourishing

high levels of well being

strengths most associated with well being

hope zest curiosity sense of humor

character

how we conduct ourselves as members of a society -traits -some may be valued more world wide than others

happiness

how you feel about your world and yourself

eudaemonic

living up to values that are consistent with your beliefs -higher for work than for pleasure

sustainable happiness model

long term happiness is a function of: 1. ones set point 2. circumstantial factors (where you live etc) 3. intentional activity (how you spend your time) -change activities=inc wellbeing -goals must fit persons interests and values

subject self report

measuring well being/asses self-perceptions of happiness by: -comaring oneself with others -respond to questions about how your life is ideal -select a scale of your happiness based on cartoon faces.

present focus

most important orientation in time live for the moment

low neuroticism

not having high levels of fear, anxiety, moodiness, envy, worries.

emotional creativity

people can use their emotions in creative ways that foster a greater sense of meaning, vitality, and connectedness in life.

five elements of the well being theory

positive emotion engagement relationships meaning accomplishments

broaden-and-build model

positive emotions broaden our awareness and the build upon resultant learning to create future emotional and intellectual resources.

undoing hypothesis

positive emotions help both the body and the mind regain a sense of balance, flexibility, and equilibrium after the impact of negative emotions.

flow and subjective well being

positive relationship of lesiure activities and subj. well being. more time in flow =greater experience at the end of the day flow=makes one feel better about oneself

hedonic

pure pleasure, pure enjoyment principle that defines happiness as based on values and virtues. -higher for pleasure than for work

quality of life therapy

rate satisfaction in 16 areas of life

time affluence

refers to a perception that one has enough time for leisure and activities that are personally meaningful.

life regulation qualities TGL

regulate day to day behavior so we can accomplish goals and enrich people and institutions along the way. sense of individuality or autonomy healthy self control presence of wisdom as a guide to behavior

six dimensional structure to measure well being

self acceptance personal growth positive relations with other people autonomy purpose in life environmental mastery

positive individual traits TGL

sense of integrity ability to play ability to be creative presence of virtues like courage and humility

self actualization

some people could achieve their maximum potential

positive connections to others "The Good Life"

the ability to love presence of altruistic concerns ability to forgive presence of spiritual connections

emotional intelligence

the ability to recognize the meanings of emotions and their relationships and to reason and problem solve on the basis of them.

devine command theory

the approach to the search for happiness.

signature strengths

the most important strengths for an individual

positive psychology ART BOOTH

the scientific study of positive human functioning and flourishing on multiple levels that include the biological, personal, relational, institutional, cultural, and global dimensions of life. -focuses on human strengths, how people can flourish and be successful

well being theory

theory that argues that positive emotion, engagement, and meaning are not sufficient to cover the dimensions of a life well lived. -five elements: PERMA -seligman

cognitive therapy

therapy helping people change negative styles of thinking as a way to change how they feel.

how to increase happiness

three good things and what caused them letter of gratitude use a via strength smile more preform acts of kindness write about your best possible self

learned optimism ART BOOTH

trying to take a different perspective can be learned and taught. can be more optimistic by paying attention to how they explain life events to themselves. -seligman -people can unlearn negative styles of thinking

strengths

unique positive qualities we each have, which we bring to our encounters both with other people and with ourselves. -top achievers use these

hope

well being is enhanced with people have well-developed goals and believe they have the capacities and resources to reach them. -have clear goals and make numerous paths to them and be personally meaningful -set goals must be specific measurable and achievable. -helps us focus on more concrete and immediate goals that lead to greater happiness.

systems theory (biopsychological model)

what motivates you -look at friends, you, family, community

controlled motivation

when we act to obtain some external reward, be it status, praise, money, or another incentive that comes from outside ourselves. -decrease well being -extrinsic, not congruent with values