L2 Measurement and Science

Question 1

Science

Answer 1

Biggest source of human progress, underestimated
Many influential figures in science not well known
Politics gets the attention over human progress, science

Question 2

Scientific psychology

Answer 2

Systematic observation and measurement, recording observations, representative sampling, replication, questioning skepticism, testing alternative explanations

Question 3

Growth of science of SWB

Answer 3

Started in 1984

14,000 studies in 2014

Question 4

Types of studies on SWB

Answer 4

Correlational
Qualitative
Cross-cultural
Longitudinal
Experimental
Experience-sampling

Question 5

2 Versions of Happiness

Answer 5

1. Eudaimonia

2. Hedonic well-being

Question 6

Eudaimonia

Answer 6

The good life
Virtue, balance, skills
Purpose, meaning, self-examination
Aristotle

Question 7

Hedonic well-being

Answer 7

Pleasant life

Epicureans, Bentham

Question 8

Defining SWB

Answer 8

People’s evaluations of their lives, their appraisals of how good/bad their life is

Question 9

Major Types/Categories of SWB

Answer 9

Life satisfaction
Positive affect
Low negative affect
Domain satisfaction- marriage, health, work
Optimism

Question 10

Components of SWB

Answer 10

1. positive feelings
2. low negative feelings
3. satisfaction

Question 11

Hedonist

Answer 11

High positive affect, high please, low life satisfaction

Question 12

Intense person

Answer 12

High positive affect and high negative affect

Question 13

Positive and Negative Affect

Answer 13

Separable, not opposites
2 dimensions
Spectrums, ranging from low to high on each dimension
Can have combinations 
ex. low PA, low NA
low PA, high NA
high PA, low NA
high PA, high PA

Question 14

Sanguine

Answer 14

Happy

High PA, Low NA

Question 15

Choleric

Answer 15

Intense

High PA, High NA

Question 16

Phlegmatic

Answer 16

Unemotional

Low PA, Low NA

Question 17

Melancholic

Answer 17

Unhappy

Low PA, High NA

Question 18

Measurement Scales

Answer 18

Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS)- Rating agreeableness on statements (1-7)

Question 19

SWB Scales Validity

Answer 19

Predict suicide- individual with high score has 1/25 of the chance to commit suicide vs. someone with a low score
Sensitive to change- moves with circumstances
Predicts behavior- health of counties
Correlates with other types of measures

Overall grade of a B

Question 20

Measures that validate SWB scales

Answer 20

Self reports
Experience sampling
Informant reports
Biological accounts
- left frontal activity as predictor
Objective behavior
Memory and RT
Interviews

Question 21

Examples of converging measures

Answer 21

1. Brain asymmetry- Mathieu Ricard
   - left to right, positive affect, happiest brain pattern
2. Brain regions- wine tasting
   - fMRI- nucleus accumbens lit up more when subjects were told they were drinking $40 wine vs. $5 wine
   - subjective influence on physiological measures
   - placebo effect produced real result
   - self-report and brian report converge
3. informant reports- happy friends
4. memory- good vs. bad events
   - list as many good/bad events in 2 mins
   - list size of positive events related with happiness

Question 22

SWB Measures Biases

Answer 22

Positivity bias- tendency to be positive
Social desirability- creating a good impression
Memory biases- peak/end effect

Question 23

SWB Scales Reliability

Answer 23

r = 0.94

Question 24

Variability in SWB

Answer 24

Happiness changes as a factor of time
but we look at mean levels of happiness
Too much extreme fluctuation- bipolar?

Question 25

Cultural differences in measurement/ views of happiness

Answer 25

Contentment is incomplete for positive affect- Japan

Enjoyment- more aroused- US