Lab 3 Flashcards
The satisfaction with a life scale (measure of happiness)
The Satisfaction with Life Scale: Diener et al (1985) gave 175 undergraduates 48 self-report questions about life
satisfaction and argued that the majority of the variability could be explained by scores on 5 key questions. Follow-up studies showed the task to be reliable (score average for undergrads was 23.5, but for older subjects
it was higher 25.8 out of a maximum of 35). The SWL scale correlated .51 to .68 with other measures of life
satisfaction. This may be considered a measure of “Happiness.”
To Interpret the Satisfaction with Life Scale
31 to 35 extremely satisfied with your life
26 to 30 very satisfied
21 to 25 slightly satisfied
20 neutral point
15 to 19 slightly dissatisfied
10 to 14 very dissatisfied
5 to 9 extremely dissatisfied with your life
The Social Readjustment Scale (a measure of Stress)
The Social Readjustment Scale: Holmes and Rahe asked 5000 clients to list life events they deem most stressful
(both positive and negative events require some “adaptive struggle” or social readjustment. They narrowed
down the list to 43 and gave these to 394 new people to rate the relative degree of disruption caused by the
event, using marriage as the standard with a value of 500. After calculating the average, they rescaled the
scores so that the maximum stressor event would be 100.
To Interpret the Social Readjustment Scale
300+ You have a high or very high risk of becoming ill in the near future.
150-299 You have a moderate to high chance of becoming ill in the near future.
<150 You have only a low to moderate chance of becoming ill in the near future.
3 notes about stress scale
- some feel that different cultural groups react differently to different life events. One study compared scores of Americans with those of Malaysians. Interestingly, Malaysians had different attitudes toward breaking the law and toward relationships than the Americans did, meaning that their experience of stress was different
at the same score - While it is useful to know about this idea so that you can take action with it, don’t dwell on it, and don’t let this knowledge affect your mood.
- Stress can cause severe health problems and, in extreme cases, can cause death. You should take the advice of a suitably qualified health professional if you have any concerns over stress-related illnesses, or if stress is causing you significant or persistent unhappiness.
Key point of stress scale
The Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale is a well-known tool for measuring the amount of stress you have experienced within the past year. Taking the test can help you see clearly if you are at risk of illness due to
stress.
Positive psychology
branch of psychology that focuses on studying and promoting positive aspects of human experience, such as happiness, well-being, personal strengths, and flourishing. Seligman started a new discipline called Positive Psychology in 1998.
Eight Steps Toward a More Satisfying Life by sonja lyubomirksy
- Count Your Blessings
- Practice Acts of Kindness
- Savor Life’s Joys
- Thank a Mentor
- Learn to Forgive
- Take Care of Your Body
- Invest Time and Energy in Friends and Family*
- Develop Strategies for Coping with Stress and Hardships
The Social Readjustment Scale ((Holmes and Rahe)
A 43-item list of typically experienced life change events commonly used by researchers interested in the
impact of stress on health and well-being. It was designed to predict the allostatic load (physiological cost) of
the transient social adjustment required when certain life events occur (e.g. marriage, traffic ticket or a loan). It
is well-validated and is cited in over 6000, widely varied, scientific publications.
The Satisfaction with Life Scale:
Diener et al (1985) argued that the majority of the variability could be explained by scores on 5 key questions.
* In most ways my life is close to my ideal
* The conditions of my life are excellent
* I am satisfied with my life
* So far I have got the important things I want in life
* If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing
Follow-up studies showed the task to be reliable. Considered to be a reasonable measure of “Happiness”.
Triggering the Relaxation Response
Herbert Benson, a professor at Harvard’s Medical School, discovered the ‘relaxation response’, a mechanism of
the body countering the well-known ‘fight-or-flight’ response. He found that this mechanism could be triggered through meditation. Benson found that the relaxation response reduces the body’s metabolism, heart and breathing rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and calms brain activity, increases the immune response, helps attention and decision making, and changes gene activities that are the opposite of those associated stress. These and other Mind Body strategies allow healing of heart disease, anxiety and depression, infertility and insomnia, PMS, pain of all sorts, phobias, premature aging, headaches and nausea.
IV, DV, CV
IV: Meditation and Difficulty of task
DV: Speed (reaction time in seconds) and Accuracy (how many you get correct)
CV: Same number of trials, multiple trials averaged, and random order viewing
Hypothesis
It will be easier to answer easier questions after meditation. The more creative you are, the more difficult questions you’ll be able to answer.
The Steps of Benson’s Relaxation Response
Think of a focus word. Still your mind and watch your breathing. Find quiet place and sit still and comfortably. Close your eyes. Progressively relax your muscles. Focus your attention on breathing. Assume a passive
attitude. Any other thoughts that appear are simply being taken notice of without judging or reacting to them. One simply returns to the repetition of the word, sound, prayer or observance of one’s breathing. Other thoughts are not forced away but rather being gently ignored. Practice this once or twice a day over a longer period of time. Especially suitable times are early morning and evening. Benson’s meditation approach is not
very different from most traditional meditation techniques, it is a universal formula extracted from traditional meditation techniques.
Experimental question
What is the effect of Meditation and Difficulty of Question on your ability to correctly come up with a
Connecting Word controlling for number of items, random error and practice effects?
