CONTEMP DEBATE: relevance of positive psyc today Flashcards
In positive psychology, how do researchers consider the change in well-being over the past 50 years?
Although the economies of the west have advanced greatly, people in their 20s have much more stress and anxiety and low expectations of those of the previous generations. The wealth that has been created has not necessarily brought more happiness for people.
(Would taking it away make them happier…think about impact of lockdown policies and stress in affected societies and with young people as a whole?)
On the other hand young people are taking more care of their health and fitness eating healthier diets and smoking less than the generations did 50 years ago.
Therefore while they may be taken care of their physical aspects, Seligman and others are concerned that they are not taking care of the psychological aspects.
For a quality based friendship, what do positive psychologists suggest?
Quality over quantity,
Encouraging conversation beyond music, clothes and politics (typcially superficial or ego driven concerns - “I want the world to be like this, and it’s not, so I’m going on strike…”) to sharing emotions, feelings about vulnerability, depression but also personal ambitions, short term goals, and even financial dreams and coherent ways of improving our world.
According to positive psychology, how is optimism useful?
An optimistic outlook can help people through chronic illness, such as cancers, as research suggests that being optimistic can boost the immune system.
Quality-of-life is much higher in clinical patients who are able to combat illnesses with their positive attitude.
Describe the practice of mindfulness from the view of the positive approach.
Mindfulness involves being able to experience things at the moment and being aware and conscious of what is currently happening.
By shifting focus from worries about what could happen to what is actually happening, practitioners argue that this helps create a more robust and optimistic attitude to life.
This in turn can help boost the immune system and memory.
Mindfulness training according to studies increases students sense of well-being..
Evaluate the positive psychology approach.
Studies are generally self questionnaires which can be unreliable.
Interviews can engage subjective and personal views rather than scientific evidence.
Asking 50-year-olds about their life when they were in their 20s is subject to memory distortion and retelling of events and attitudes that may not of been true at the time.
Some evidence suggests that positive thinking may not always lead to greater happiness, as personal and psychological issues maybe more deeply embedded and require therapy.
Nonetheless this does not mean that positive thinking will always lead to a higher immune system and improved ability to cope with adversity and even increase longevity. Education and effort are vital components of improvement.
Reductionist: studies that try to reduce people’s immunity or sense of well-being to positive thinking may also be skewed, as well-being, et cetera relates to many issues in life rather than a few simple issues.
For example a review of law students seemed to indicate that some of the students did not respond as well to positive thinking as others, but that they lived nearer home may have been a confounding variable: in the sense that they were having to deal with law school and family and old friend issues…(Segestrom and Septhon, 2010). (Was that like doing a study on happiness in a pub…?! -ed)
