Exam 1 review Flashcards
Covers all topics mentioned in the in-class review
When the movement of positive psych first began, who was one of the most influential people who started it?
Martin Seligman
What did Martin Seligman do for the field of positive psychology?
He was elected president of the APA and shifted the focus of psychology towards positive psychology and what makes the good life
Define the dynamic model
Positive and negative emotions are independent of each other, unless the person is under extreme stress
Define hedonism
Seeking pleasure
In order from best to worst, what are the four states of mental health?
Flourishing > struggling > languishing > floundering
Define flourishing
High wellbeing, low mental illness (best state)
Define floundering
Low wellbeing, high mental illness (worst state)
Define languishing
Low wellbeing, low mental illness
Define struggling
High well being, high mental illness
What are the 4 major Greek theories?
Hedonism, contemplative, the active life, fatalism
Define fatalism
Stoicism; that we are at the fate of the universe and we must accept what happens.
Name one of Aristotle’s 12 main virtues
Eudemonia
Define divine command theory
Follow the will of the creator to live the good life
Who came up with the hierarchy of needs?
Abraham Maslow
The hierarchy of needs is a part of ____ psychology
humanistic
What did Maslow contribute to psychology?
The idea of the hierarchy of needs
What are four of the things on the hierarchy of needs?
Basic needs, social needs, psychological needs, self-actualization
True or false: one of the purposes of life is to remove all problems and just be happy.
False, you need those negative emotions for growth and it’s impossible to be happy all the time.
What is the ideal ratio of good to bad emotions?
3:1 (three good emotions for every one bad emotion)
Our basic primitive emotional reaction to a situation is called what?
Core affect
True or false: we are always conscious of our core affect
False, you may not even be aware of it
What is the executive control center of the brain?
The left prefrontal cortex
Define dopamine
The pleasure hormone, directly connected to addiction.
What is the hormone for social bonding?
Oxytocin
About ___% of our life in terms of our personality traits, mood, and overall well being is genetic.
50%
Define set point
An average level of happiness based on what we inherit and which genes are activated
True or false: set points are unchangeable
False
People who achieve a lot in life almost always have what in common?
Figuring out what they’re good at and capitalizing on that.
Do most people around the world identify themselves as being below average level of happiness, average level of happiness, or above average level of happiness?
Above average level of happiness
Define extrinsic motivation
External rewards we pursue that may not even be congruent to our personal values
Define intrinsic motivation
When we pursue rewards because they are congruent to our personal values
Define affective forecasting
When you predict your happiness level for the future once you reach a certain goal or obtain a certain reward.
Is it easy or difficult to predict how happy you’ll be?
Difficult
What is the broaden and build model?
That our positive emotions end up helping us build more positive behaviors to adapt to whatever situation we’re in.
Define emotional intelligence
People who really understand themselves and others, including their emotions, are emotionally intelligent.
What can emotional intelligence help with?
High emotional intelligence leads to someone being good with interacting with other people
Define self-determination theory
Competence, autonomy, relatedness are the three aspects that help people feel the most self-driven and determined to achieve their goals
What are the three aspects that help people feel the most self-driven and determined to achieve their goals?
Competence, autonomy, relatedness
True or false: There are more cross-cultural negative emotions than positive ones
True; one evolutionary theory as to why is because in order to survive we need to be able to identify potential threats, and our feelings are our warning signals.
Describe bottom-up well being
Well-being due to external factors
Describe top-down well being
Well-being due to internal factors
True or false: Our traits affect us our entire lives
True
Are happiness and money always correlated?
No; happiness and money are not correlated once you reach a livable amount of money to meet your basic needs(80-90K max)
Explain the hedonic treadmill
You set a goal, you reach that goal, you aren’t happy, you set a goal, you reach that goal, you aren’t happy, etc, etc.
What’s the best way to spend money to increase happiness?
On experiences, especially experiences with friends and family
Define time affluence
Having enough time to do the things you enjoy
Time affluence is correlated with what?
Well-being
How does watching TV affect happiness?
Watching TV can be a good leisure activity, but if you spend too much time watching it can decrease happiness
Being in the ‘zone’ and experiencing flow activates what part of the brain?
The right hemisphere
What part of the brain is responsible for creativity?
The right hemisphere
Flow has mostly been studied by what research method?
Experience sampling
Define mindfulness
Being aware of the present moment with full acceptance and no judgement
What is the goal of mindfulness meditation?
There are no specific goals besides mindfulness
What is the self-absorption paradox?
When you become self-absorbed (perhaps trying to make yourself feel happier) and you make yourself feel worse and more anxious.
Define savoring
Being aware of different pleasures
What are the four types of savoring?
Basking, marveling, luxuriating, thanks-giving
One of the main components of flow is what?
Being highly absorbed in the activity at hand
Marriage tends to make people
a) happier
b) sadder
c) no affect
Happier
What are the 6 types of love?
Eros, mania, storge, pragma, agape, ludus
Define eros
Passionate love
Define mania
Obsessive love, stressful
Define storge
Companionate love
Define pragma
Pragmatic love; based on a partner meeting a certain set of conditions
Define agape
Selfless love
Define ludus
Playful love
What’s the number one predictor of a good marriage?
Communication
Define capitalization
Sharing the good stuff/ experiences with others
If a partner in a healthy relationship doesn’t get what they need from the other, they will most likely blame what?
Assuming things
The chemical that bonds us to our pets is _____
oxytocin
Define forest bathing
Soaking up nature around you
Erik Erikson identified a few things that really help people with peak aging. Name the top two.
Insightfulness and playfulness.
Focusing on the positive includes what kinds of things?
Being a part of a faith-based community, being surrounded by friends/ having a social support system, volunteering (altruism), having a sense of meaning in your life
How does having a job you enjoy affect your longevity?
Having a job you enjoy can be more beneficial for longevity than not working at all
What’s one of the reasons why women typically live longer than men?
Most women place more importance on emotional health and relationships/ having more social support
