Lecture 6: Intervention and goals Flashcards
What are the essential features of positive psychology interventions?
Activities designed to create lasting improvements
- focus on positive vs. removing negatives
- more than momentary, aimed at creating lating, long-term improvements
- drawing on strengths
- supported by empirical research (advice, activities are done using research)
- must be positive in content
What is the significance of the Mauss et al. challenge?
Individual differences questionnaire measure (concern for improvement - do you worry about your happiness/try to be happy) = negatively correlated with SWB Regulation study (trying in the moment) = negatively correlated with SWB
*Note: regulation study is better measure, 1st measure it confused bcuz sad people are usually those who are trying to be happy
What cultural factor could influence SWB?
Cultures that prioritize positive emotions seem to be happier
Caveat - if you are the 1 person in a culture who does not prioritize posi emo, there is an extra happiness penalty
Name as many exercises as you can from Fordyce’s list of 14
Three good things Gratitude (letter or journal) Three funny things Signature strengths in a new way Counting the kindness you did Gift of time One door closes, another door opens (writing exercise) Best possible self (optimism or meaning) Loving kindness meditation Savoring positive experiences Active-constructive responding - reacting enthusiastically when someone shares good news with you Cultivating sacred moments (rituals/reflections to make spiritual moments) Connecting with nearby nature Goal setting and planning
Do PP interventions work? what are the caveats?
Meta-analyses find effects of SWB, PWB - also clinical populations (physical and mental)
Caveats
- effect size is small & shrinks with corrections
- publication bias (studies with null results don’t get published)
- Mixed bags of PPIs (minor advice vs. therapy = high variation of intensity)
- few long-term follow-ups
- problem of appropriate control groups
- insufficient attention to population (recruitment), difficulty with generalizability
What factors are likely to influence how well a happiness intervention with work?
Lyubomirsky & layous (2013): Positive activity model
Feature of the activity
Person-activity fit
Mediators
What are the two components of the “feature of the activity” which is required/may effect a PPI?
Feature of the activity
Across (within the activity)
- dosage, variety, social support, trigger
Between (how activities differ from one another)
- present, vs. past, vs. future
- other vs. self-oriented
- social vs. reflective
What are the PPI mediators?
Positive behaviors
Positive thought
Positive emotions
Need for satisfaction
What are the components of the “Person-activity fit” which is required/may effect a PPI?
Motivation and effort (the higher the motivation the higher the output)
Efficacy beliefs (do you believe it will work?)
Baseline affective state
Personality
Social support
Demographics
What are some approaches to improving SWB that resemble the PPI?
Positive psychotherapy
Hope therapy
Acceptance and commitment therapy - mindfulness
Training self-compassion, self-control and empathy
Positive youth development (focus on positives/strengths - ex: add sports programs, leadership training)
Resilience training (ex: comprehensive soldier fitness/coping skills)
How might publication bias and the special characteristics of people included PPI studies distort conclusions?
Publication bias
- depending on the journal, some editors might not want to public ambiguous results
- findings are too small to even be sent to the publisher
Special characteristics
- Most people who do PPI studies are ones that are already motivated to change, those who are more neurotic or cynical drop out
- This effects results as the people who were happier to begin with are usually those who are accounted for
What are the two theories of goal pursuit?
Self-determination theory
- Basic needs for autonomy, competence, relatedness (broad ideas), when these are fulfilled we experience well-being/happiness
- Importance of intrinsic (want to) motivation vs. extrinsic (have to) motivation
- Extrinsic is the weaker
Goal-setting theory
- More applicable to somewhat extrinsic pursuits, more about meeting an objective
- Goals direct attention, energize behavior, induce persistence, prompt strategic pursuit
According to the goal-setting theory, good goals are…
Concrete and specific (vs. do ur best)
Difficult - performance vs. accomplish (the harder the goal, the more work you will get done)
*Balance required to prevent burnout
What are implementation intentions? In depth?
Strategic approaches to goal pursuit
“IF” - ex: IF i find myself waiting for the elevator, THEN i will look for the stairs
- behavior is triggered by context, feeling etc
- pre-plans, removes momentary indecision
- anticipates obstacles & how to overcome
Overall: reduces need for effortful control, can even be used for intrinsic goal pursuit
What are habits and how are they helpful to well-being? What is the key to habit forming/breaking?
Repetitive behaviors, hard but not impossible to change
Can be harnessed for desirable behaviors to reduce the need for self control
“IF” and loop - ex: IF im going to bed, THEN i brush my teeth
Cues and rewards (but can undermine motivation so tread lightly)
