5.2 POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

Question 1

why has traditional psychology been more focused on negative aspects?

Answer 1

compassion for suffering, employment for helping those with mental illness, general human interest in bad over good

Question 2

why do we need positive psychology

Answer 2

help people flourish and function well

Question 3

define positive psychology

Answer 3

studying and enhancing valued subjective experience, well-being, contentment, flow, optimism

Question 4

goals of positive psychology

Answer 4

o To properly map ‘the domain of human optimal functioning’
o To understand the factors that build strength, contexts of resilience, + role of pos exp
o Study nature of subjective well-being, link to physical health from SWB, + concept of flow

Question 5

examples of positive psychology in trad psych

Answer 5

o Rogers – the fully functioning person
o Maslow – self-actualisation
o Jahoda – concept of mental health

Question 6

what is the concept of subjective well-being

Answer 6

the good life is subjective to each individual

Question 7

what does the Hedonic treadmill theory suggest

Answer 7

humans have a tendency to return to a relatively stable level of happiness or subjective wellbeing, despite changes in their circumstances or external conditions.
o Expectations rise, adapt, next-level happiness harder to reach
o Human tendency to pursue one pleasure after another

Question 8

what can predict SWB?

Answer 8

personality + social/culture

Question 9

describe how personality may predict SWB

Answer 9

half the variance in SWB in identical twins is accounted for by genetics. personality also predicts whether people take new accomplishments for granted for not ie hedonic treadmill

Question 10

describe how social/culture may predict SWB

Answer 10

o Expectations rise, adapt, next-level happiness harder to reach
o Human tendency to pursue one pleasure after another

Question 11

what is the overall happiness formula and who made it

Answer 11

H = S + C + V (Seligman)

Question 12

describe the happiness formula

Answer 12

H = overall happiness level, S = set point of happiness, C = circumstances, V = voluntary activities

Question 13

what are 3 heightened ways of feeling satisfaction

Answer 13

mindfulness, flow, learned optimism

Question 14

mindfulness

Answer 14

intentional focusing on the present moment

Question 15

concept behind learned optimism

Answer 15

people have a talent for happiness that can be worked on

Question 16

flow

Answer 16

total involvement in an activity, state of complete absorption in a task, enjoyable even if it brings no rewards

Question 17

autotelic

Answer 17

something worth doing for its own sake even if it brings no tangible rewards

Question 18

3 elements of making flow state happen

Answer 18

 1. Nothing else matters
 2. Intense concentration, no attention for problems or anything else
 3. Lose yourself, time gets distorted

Question 19

mentalism

Answer 19

mental outlook links to happiness, mental self-discipline

Question 20

what are the 4 overarching critisims of positive psychology

Answer 20

not empirically evaluated, over-selling, research is correlational, formula for happiness is errornous

Question 21

describe problems with PP resarch

Answer 21

correlational, direction unknown, let alone causation

Question 22

criticisms of the formula for happiness

Answer 22

voluntary % overestimated, S/heritability probably underestimated

Question 23

2 main interventions based on PP

Answer 23

penn resilience program PRP + miltary resistance training program MRT

Question 24

PRP

Answer 24

o Intervention sold worldwide
o Meant ot make 10-14 yr old resistant to depression
o CBT style of challenging depressive thoughts, trains to look for positive explanations and interpretations
o Seligman claimed on basis on many studies that PRP produced increased optimism, reduced depression anxiety etc.
o BUT, meta-analysis by another author only found tiny effects
o And another author found no effects

Question 25

MRT

Answer 25

o Biggest contract for pos psych came from US military
o Soldiers suffering from PTSD and depression
o MRT closely based on PRP
o Implemented as part of comprehensive soldier fitness program
o Why would MRT be expected to work? – criticisms
 If the techniques can lessen depression etc, surely they can also prevent the onset of such conditions – not empirically backed up
 No evidence that any intervention can prevent ptsd
* Interventions can treat eg therapy, but expensive
 Army drawn to techniques which could be preventative + cheaper
 Published papers had basic errors + unsubstantiated claims
o No evidence that MRT helps soldiers