Chapter 14: A Meaningful Life

Question 1

meaningful life

Answer 1

involves five specific contributions:
- social purpose along with autonomy
- competence
- relatedness
- beneficence

Question 2

cooperation

Answer 2

humans exhibit a unique capacity for cooperation, setting us apart from other animals. cooperation and contribution to other groups is crucial in the brain

Question 3

happiness

Answer 3

often associated with activities that bring pleasure, historical skepticism challenges the notion that pleasure is the sole or most important contributor to happiness

Question 4

3 components of happiness

Answer 4

• pleasure
• engagement in activities
• a sense of meaningfulness
  suggests that engaging in meaningful activities, socially and otherwise, has a more substantial influence on well-being than the pursuit of mere pleasure

Question 5

satisfaction

Answer 5

can be related to competence and identity, as well as coherence of self with emotions and actions

Question 5

relatedness

Answer 5

sharing joy and affection with others can lead to supportive relationships

Question 6

well-being

Answer 6

Lyumbomirsky et al. proposed 3 factors influencing well-being or happpiness
- genetic set point
- circumstantial elements
- intentional activity

Question 7

genetic set point

Answer 7

determines temperament and personality, accounting for approximately 50% of well-being variation

Question 8

circumstantial elements

Answer 8

such as gender, cultural background, social class, marital status, and political context, contributing about 10% of happiness variability

Question 9

intentional activity

Answer 9

compromising the practices and thought patterns organizing one’s life, including family, friendships, work, and leisure. intentional activities contribute to about 40% of well-being variability

Question 10

psychoanalytic therapy

Answer 10

addresses dysfunctional emotion schemes formed by past relationships. it helps clients become more aware of these patterns, allowing them to make healthier choices in relationships. based on Freudian concepts of unconsciousness

Question 11

Carl Rogers

Answer 11

considered the father in counselling therapy, developed the principles of counselling, formalizing a client-centred approach

Question 12

person-centered therapy

Answer 12

emphasizes that individuals themselves must instigate changes in response to experienced incongruences. unlike psychoanalysis, there is no interpretation offered by the therapist. based on humanistic and existential principles

Question 13

cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Answer 13

developed by Tim Beck and operates on the idea that changing thoughts can influence emotions. CBT focuses on helping individuals recognize and avoid errors in evaluating incidents that lead to problematic emotions

Question 14

dialectical-behavioral therapy (DBT)

Answer 14

targets suicidal and self-injurious behavior in patients with borderline personality disorder

Question 15

emotion-focused therapy

Answer 15

aims to change one emotion using another. therapy allows the exploration of emotions, revealing insights and facilitating change

Question 16

emotion-focused therapy and goals

Answer 16

emotion-focused therapy works to uncover unconscious implications of goals signaled by emotions, building a consciously comprehended model of the self’s goal structure

Question 17

meditation practices

Answer 17

focuses on the body, feelings, mind, and mental objects. these practices aim to cultivate loving kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity—known as the 4 immeasurable pillars of happiness

Question 18

Jon Kabat-Zinn

Answer 18

introduced mindfulness meditation to the West, developing the secular mindfulness-based stress reduction program