Lecture 19

Question 1

Identify defense mechanisms that are used by individuals who are not fully functioning

Answer 1

Denial and distortion. These help reduce incongruities between self-concept and experience without adjusting the self-concept.

Question 2

Describe the three conditions that are necessary for therapeutic change in client-centered therapy

Answer 2

Therapist congruence – being genuine and authentic.

Unconditional positive regard – accepting the client without conditions.

Empathetic understanding – reflecting the client’s emotions to foster insight.

Question 3

Distinguish between hedonic and eudaimonic happiness

Answer 3

Hedonic: High life satisfaction, high positive affect, and low negative affect. It is about pleasure and comfort.

Eudaimonic: Derived from self-actualization, intrinsic motivation, meaning, and personal growth.

Question 4

Summarize research regarding sources of happiness

Answer 4

Set point (50%) – genetically determined baseline.

Intentional activity (40%) – behaviors we choose to engage in.

Circumstances (10%) – external factors like income, health.

Hedonic Treadmill: The tendency to return to a baseline level of happiness after changes in life circumstances due to adaptation.

Question 5

Discuss personality characteristics that are related to happiness

Answer 5

Extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness are positively related

Neuroticism is negatively related

Question 6

Define autotelic personality and flow

Answer 6

Autotelic: A personality driven by intrinsic motivation, curiosity, achievement, persistence, and independence.

Flow: A state of intense involvement, focused attention, and optimal performance, characterized by:
- Clear goals
- Sense of control
- Time distortion
- Balance between challenge and skill

Question 7

Identify virtues and character strengths

Answer 7

Traits that contribute to personal fulfillment and the good of society (e.g., Wisdom, Courage, Humanity, Justice, Temperance, Transcendence)

Character Strengths are creativity, authenticity, kindness, fairness, self-regulation, etc.

Question 8

Discuss research findings on interventions to enhance happiness

Answer 8

Sustainable increases in happiness are possible, in contrast to hedonic treadmill or set-point theory

Question 9

Explain how signature strengths may be used to increase happiness

Answer 9

Using signature strengths in a new way – applying your top 5 character strengths in novel ways daily for at least a week - can increase your happiness