optimism

Question 1

what are the 4 parts of optimism?

Answer 1

-learned
-dispositional
-situational
-hope

Question 2

what is learned helplessness?

Answer 2

it is always ones fault=> one is less worthy

Question 3

what is the explanatory style?

Answer 3

a way of interpreting setbacks in life

Question 4

advantages and disadvantages of explanatory style

Answer 4

+ circumstantial
+temporary
+specific

-personal
-permenant
-pervasive

Question 5

what did seligman argue?

Answer 5

if we change our beleifs about adversities, we can change the consequences => learned optimism

Question 6

main assumption-

Answer 6

it is an experience of an adverse situation that determines ones level of optimism
- close to a psychoanalytical view of human psychology
- hard to disprove

Question 7

can we learn optimisim?

Answer 7

malouff and schutte (2017)
- yes but the effect is small when measured within one day of the end of intervention and half the size when measured later
- the effect is larger when individuals were motivated (they paid them)

Question 8

dispositional optimism

Answer 8

• charles carver & Michael scheier : individuals have general predisposition to be optimistic (or pessimistic) in their mood or temperament
• optimism as a personality trait or genetic disposition
  -disposition that leads individuals to expect (un)favourable outcomes influences how idividuals deal with stressful situations
  -the life orientation test

Question 9

situational optimism

Answer 9

• expansion of dispositional optimism
  -individuals generate positive/negative expectations about specific situations
  -measurements - contextualized expectations

Question 10

hope

Answer 10

-charles synder: individuals expectation that goals can be achieved
-goal achievement via agency and pathways

agency= determination and motivation
pathways= plans and strategies

• low vs high hope individuals differ in the number and specificity of their goals (the abiliy to define goals), flexibiity in generating pathways , and the ability to motivate themselves

hope scale:
- “i energetically pursue my goals” (agency)
- “there are lots of ways around any problem” (pathways)

Question 11

state- for some psychologists, “positive thinking” equals to denial/repression of negative thoughts

Question 12

state- “positive thinking” is not a term frequently used in psychological research

Question 13

what are primary appraisals?

Answer 13

-initial assessment of threats or losses and challenges
- depend on complexity, values, commitments and goals, novelty of the situation, social support, intensity, perceived controll

Question 14

what are coping strategies?

Answer 14

• proble, focused: directed at the stress, change the environment or yourself
• emotion focused: directed at decreasing emotional distress (avoid, distance, blame yourself) => relief stress

Question 15

advantages and disadvantages of optimism and well being

Answer 15

advantages
-confidence
- persistence
- problem focused coping
- positive aspects of stressful situations
- challenge appraisals

disadvantages
- doubt
- hesitancy
- denial/avoidance coping
- negative feelings and aspects of stress
- threat/ loss appraisals

Question 16

what is self esteem?

Answer 16

how much a person likes, accepts and respects themselves overall as a person

Question 17

what are optimism and high self esteem associated with?

Answer 17

better health and well being

Question 18

state- optimism and self esteem are highly correlated

Question 19

what is the common factor that helps people deal with stressful situations?

Answer 19

• perhaps resilience is the common factor that helps individuals effectively deal with stressful situations

Question 20

advantages of optimism

Answer 20

• lower academic burnout and higher academic success (Vizoso et al., 2019)
• better quality of life (Kreis et al., 2015)
• better psychological well being Augusto- landa et al., 2011
• buffering against the harmful effects of body dissatisfaction (brannan and petrie, 2011)
• lower stress following surgery (liu et al., 2021)