Part 4 Flashcards
Why did research on happiness begin much later than research on “negative” emotions such as fear, anger, and depression?
- Because psychologists spend most of their time trying to help people overcome/manage their anger, fear, and depression
- Because happiness is difficult to define and measure
Happiness tends to qualify more as a _____ and less as a ______
trait; state
Researchers often refer to trait happiness as what?
Subjective well-being
What is the top-down versus bottom-up theory of happiness?
Top-down: personality determines your happiness
Bottom-up: life events determine your happiness
A meta-analysis of hundreds of twin studies has estimated the heritability of subjective well-being at around .40. What does this mean?
Means that around 40% of individual differences in happiness may be explained in terms of people’s genes
It is easier to produce a long-term _____ in happiness than a long-term ______
decrease; increase
Although, in general, people in wealthier countries report higher life satisfaction, those in poor countries…
report greater purpose/meaning in life
Happiness ____ relationships and relationships ________ happiness
promote; increase
According to the broaden-and-build theory…
Positive emotions promote broadened attention so that we are more likely to notice opportunities in the environment as well as greater flexibility in the actions we might take to maximize these opportunities
What is an example of research that supports the broaden-and-build theory?
In one study, researchers found participants who had just viewed funny/contentment-inducing film chose options that biased their attention toward global features rather than details
Basic/discrete emotions theory suggests that…
emotions evolved to help solve specific kinds of problems related to adaptive fitness - they helped our ancestors increase the representation of their genes in future generations
Negative emotions are suggested to…
help us address threats to adaptive fitness
Positive emotions are suggested to…
help us respond to opportunities to enhance fitness presented by the environment
When do we experience enthusiasm?
When we look forward to a pleasurable experience
How does enthusiasm enhance adaptive fitness?
Motivates animals to have interest in actively pursuing rewards
Positive emotions…
- Broaden attention
2. Increase reliance on heuristics in processing information
Although positive emotions tend to broaden attention, enthusiasm tends to…
promote a more local attention focus
Why does contentment slow cognitive activity down?
Because contentment elicits increased activation of parasympathetic nervous system (increase of blood flow to the stomach comes at the expense of blood flow to the brain)
______ is the strongest case for a basic positive emotion?
Pride
Two forms of pride
- Authentic pride
2. Hubristic pride
Authentic pride
Earned by one’s actions
Hubristic pride
Emerges from people’s belief that they are naturally better than others
Many psychologists consider _____ an attitude instead of an emotion
love
If love is an emotion, its social function has to do with…
building and maintaining close relationships
Researchers have proposed the function of awe and amusement as…
the opportunity of learning
What is Lazarus’ core relational theme of happiness?
Progress toward a goal
What is the paradoxical effects of pursuing happiness?
Basically, if your goal is happiness you will become frustrated. Happiness is a by-product