Humanistic + Positive psych

Question 1

what is humanistic psych based on?

Answer 1

premise that to understand a person, must understand their view of reality

Question 2

humanistic psych focus?

Answer 2

phenomenology : how ppl think, feel, experience and choose and the way this is unique to the individual.

Question 3

humanistic study of mind - how it differs?

Answer 3

• acknowledges that object of study (mind) is aware that it’s being studied
• self awarness changes studying

Question 4

what is phenomenology

Answer 4

one’s conscious experience of the world

• psychologically more important than world itself.
• immediate, conscious experience.

Question 5

what are construals?

Answer 5

your particular experience based on your interpretations that are freely chosen

Question 6

what is existentialism?

Answer 6

regain contact with experience of being alive + aware after WW. tech went too far, reconnect with humanity.
- questioned meaning of life, acknowledged mortality.

Question 7

3 parts of human conscious experience?

Answer 7

1. biological experience = umwelt [sensations felt bc ur biological organism]
2. social expereince= mitwelt [think, feel as social being]
3. psychological experience = eigenwelt [how u think, feel when you try to understand yourself]

Question 8

what is thrown-ness

Answer 8

• refers to time/place/circumstances into which you happen to be born.
• no answers to why we are here, and what we should be doing

Question 9

when does angst occur?

Answer 9

• arise from contemplating questions and the anxiety/unpleasant feelings that arise from them.

Question 10

3 sensations of angst?

Answer 10

1. anguish: bc choices aren’t perfect
2. forlornness: bc choices are yours along
3. despair: bc many outcomes are beyond your control

Question 11

existentialists + bad faith

Answer 11

must face own mortality + seek purpose for your own existence

• requires existential courage to face
• if dont face, avoid = bad faith

Question 12

3 drawbacks to living in bad faith?

Answer 12

1. live cowardly life. relying on others, no better than dirt of the earth.
2. not happy. need meaning in life
3. impossible to not worry, consider fear of mortality.

Question 13

what is the authentic existence?

Answer 13

honest, insightful, morally correct

• will not relieve you from loneliness and unhappiness
• understands it must die

Question 14

optimistic humanism

• by who?
• principle?

Answer 14

by rogers + maslow

- people are basically good. seek to relate to one another + have an innate need to improve self + world

Question 15

carl rogers thoughts?

Answer 15

understood only from perspective of phenomenal field

- ppl have basic need to actualize: maintain + enhance life, goal of existence = satisfy this need.

Question 16

what is maslow’s hierarchy from bottom to top

Answer 16

basic physicological needs
safety, security, comfort
belonging, social activity
status, esteem
self-actualization

Question 17

characterize the fully funcitoning person

Answer 17

• perceive world accurately + without neurotic distortion.
• take responsibility for choices
• rogers believes they need unconditional positive regard.

Question 18

rogerian psychotherapy

• goal?
• therapists job?

Answer 18

• help client become fully functioning person

- help client perceive own thoughts without changing them. make client feel appreciated

Question 19

csikszentmihalyi: ideas?

- flow?

Answer 19

moment-to-moment exprience is what really matters in life.

• autotelic activities: best to do
• flow is the best

Question 20

what are autotelic activities?

Answer 20

activities that are enjoyable for their own sake.

Question 21

what is flow?

Answer 21

total absorbing experience of engaging in an activity that is valuable for its own sake.

Question 22

characteristic of flow?

Answer 22

• tremendous concentration, total lack of distractibility, thoughts concerning only the activity at hand.
• mood elevated, time passes quickly, lose track of time

Question 23

how to achieve flow?

Answer 23

• not for everyone.
• solitary experience
• arises when activity entails balanced ratio of skills to challenges
• secret to enhancing quality of life

Question 24

Maddi - thoughts?

Answer 24

without stress, life is boring + meaningless

- seek stress = conformist lifestyle

Question 25

3 consequences of conformist lifestyle?

Answer 25

1. vegetativeness: nothing has meaning, listless, aimless, no effort bc no point
2. nihilism: anger, disgust, cynicism
3. adventurousnesS: extreme thrills to feel something. distract from meaninglessness, conceal emptiness.

Question 26

what is hardiness?

Answer 26

lifestyle that embraces rather than avoids potential sources of stress

Question 27

what is hardiness related to in later life?

Answer 27

healthier, better psychologically adjusted, even under stress.

Question 28

two basic paths to happiness

Answer 28

hedonia

eudaimonia

Question 29

what is hedonia?

Answer 29

max pleasure, min pain.

-danger: life without depth, meaning, community.

Question 30

what is eudaimonia?

Answer 30

pursue important goals, relationships, taking responsibility for choices
- seek goals that are valuable in their own right (intrinsic > extrinsic)

Question 31

what is the aim of positive psychology

Answer 31

correct longstanding overemphasis within psych on psychopathology + malfunction

• • rebirth of humanistic psychology
• argues that satisfying, meaningful live involves happiness
• human strength > faults

Question 32

6 core virtues identified by positive psych

Answer 32

1. courage (strength to accomplish goals -NOT UNIVERSAL)
2. justice (strength that underlie healthy community life - EXPLICITLY UNIVERSAL)
3. humanity: protecting + caring for others - EXPLICITLY UNIVERSAL)
4. temperance (protect against excess - IMPLICITLY UNIVERSAL)
5. wisdom (knowledge, acquisition - IMPLICITLY UNIVERSAL)
6. transcendence (meaning of life to larger universe - IMPLICITLY UNIVERSAL)

Question 33

Unique contributions of positive psych

Answer 33

1. conscious experience is fact + mystery: know it happens, hard to describe
2. understand a person, understand their construals: discourage judgment, no way to prove one’s reality

Question 34

critiques of positive psych

Answer 34

• optimistic, maybe too optimistic

- incomplete.