Introduction Flashcards
What is positive psychology
What it takes to live the good life as a human being
positive psychology is the flip side of ________
abnormal psychology
Define statistical criteria
Individuals significantly above the mean in positive qualities (emotions, traits, cognitions) and/or below the mean in negative emotions, traits and cognitions
define personal satisfaction
Individuals pleased with thier emotions, traits, cognitions
Abnormal: if they find their behaviours distressing
Positive: are they satisfied by their emotions
define adaptive criteria
individuals with emotions, traits, cognitions that make it easier for them to succeed in life
abnormal: making it difficult for the individual to get along, risk to health of self or others, work or education, forming relationships = maladaptive
positive: ability to help them adapt to changing aspects of life
define sociocultural criteria
individuals with emotions, traits, cognitions that are valued by their culture or society
abnormal: consideration behaviours/emotions pathological if they unacceptable in the society in which they live
ex: homosexuality
Positive: valued, accepted by our culture
ex: sublimation
who was the first and most influential to write about the good life?
Aristotle
Living the good life = ? = ?
Living the good life = functioning well as a person = living a life of virtue
Define moral virtue
–> subordinate(diminish) carnal appetites to reason (nothing in excess)
• control your basic animal desires with reason; manage to fulfill those with ways that do not harm others
• Nothing in excess – moderation = classic virtue
define intellectual virtue
wisdom and understanding
• Knowing what’s going on
• Begins with self-knowledge, self-understanding, self-awareness
• Classic Greek idea
What are virtues in general?
character traits between excess and deficiency
• Virtues are moderations – excess vs. deficit
What’s the history of the good life in writings?
Greek ideas dominated until collapse of Roman empire
→ switch to domination of Catholic church for 1000 yrs (Christian - the good life after life)
→ @ Renaissance switch to Roman and Greek philosophers (more began to write about the good life)
What Were william Bennet’s virtues? (LISTEN TO LECTURE)
- Self discipline
- Compassion
- Responsibility
- Friendship
- Work courage
- Perseverance
- Honesty
- Loyalty
- Faith
Who developed the idea of hedonism?
Freud
what did freud say our motivation was?
to seek pleasure and avoid pain
what is mental health according to erikson?
the ability to work and to love (most important aspects of human life)
Define Love
form and sustain relationships with others, critically important to our mental health as we are social species
• The rarest human being is the isolate
Define Work
ability to make a positive contribution to society
How does Jung define Self-actualization?
blending of complexes
What is our highest motivation according to Jung?
is to realize the archetype of the self in our own personality
What is a symbol of the self?
the mandala
What did maslow believe is our highest motivation?
- Self-actualization is our highest motivation, achieved by very few
what are the current century ideas of positive psychology
Humanist ideas
- Maslow
what is The eight-fold way to self-actualization - where did it come from
help us get closer to achieving self-actualization, from Buddhism
(also Maslow)
According to Viktor Frankl what are the 3 ways we achieve meaning in life?
(1) by creating a work or doing a deed;
(2) by experiencing a something or encountering someone; and
(3) by the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering
What is learned helplessness (Seligman)?
repeatedly exposed to a negative situation over which you have no control (dogs being shocked), you develop learned helplessness where you fail to avoid negative experiences when you have control; therefore, theorized that learned optimism is also a possibility
which President of American Psychological Association focused his term on positive psychology
in 1998-1999
Before WWII, psychology had three missions
- Curing mental illness
- Helping people lead more fulfilling, productive lives
- Identifying and nurturing exceptional talent
After WWII, founding of VA (1946) and NIMH (1947) left only which mission?
The first = curing mental illness
Although positive psychology has roots in the humanistic tradition, it differs from the humanistic tradition in that positive psychology:
is more likely to adopt a scientific approach to the issues of positive psychology than is the
humanistic approach.
what philosophy argued that the purpose of life is to attain self-knowledge and strive for self-betterment.
hinduism
part of Maslow’s Eight-Fold way is lack of ego defences. This concept is closest to which
aspect of the Buddhist Eight-Fold Path?
right view
- Freud argued that a satisfactory life is one in which the individual is capable of:
Work and love
