Positive Approach Flashcards
ASSUMPTION 1: Acknowledgement of Free Will
- positive approach believes humans are in charge of their own emotion and have FREE WILL to change them
- as humans we are SELF DIRCETIVE + ADAPTIVE, a good life can be experienced if we use our STRENGTHS + VIRTUES to enhance our lives
- SELIGMAN sees that happiness doesn’t form out of LUCK / GOOD GENES but through recognising our STRENGTHS and developing them to minimise negativity
- this assumption CONTRASTS others which have been labelled DETERMINIST (such as the BIOLOGICAL APPROACH: sees our thoughts + feelings being DETERMINED by our PHYSIOLOGICAL make-up and the PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH that proposes our CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES as a determiner to our ADULT BEHAVIOUR
- this approach is SUPPORTED by DEINER, who researched why people are happy, finding out the factors that INCREASE WELL-BEING + HAPPINESS
- research by DEINER+SELIGMAN looked at the TIES students had to FRIENDS+FAMILY, measured in terms of THE AMOUNT OF TIME INVESTED IN SUCH RELATIONSHIPS. researchers found that students who had the STRONGEST TIES to friends + family WERE HAPPIER and there was also a NEGATIVE CORRELATION between level of HAPPINESS + DEPRESSION
- highlighting how we are in CONTROL OF OUR HAPPINESS in that we can CHOOSE TO ENGAGE IN ACTIVITIES THAT ARE KNOWN TO MAKE US HAPPY AND ALLEVIATE FEELINGS OF LOW MOOD
ASSUMPTION 2: Authenticity of Goodness + Excellence
- states that feelings of HAPPINESS + GOODNESS are as natural as feelings of ANXIETY + STRESS and thus, psychologists need to give POSITIVE STATES OF MIND equal attention
- SELIGMAN saw that the belief that TRAITS such as VIRTUE and HAPPINESS are LESS AUTHENTIC THAN NEGATIVE TRAITS (ANXIETY+DEPRESSION) IS AN OBSTACLE TO PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH
- SELIGMAN argues we have INHERITED TRAITS that he calls SIGNATURE STRENGTHS: KINDNESS, GENEROSITY + HUMOUR. We need to NURTURE these traits in order to TRANSFORM our lives.
- TRADITIONALLY, psychology has focused on disorders (mental health problems) + NEGATIVE STATES OF MIND, the PRIMARY GOAL of the POSITIVE APPROACH is to CHANGE this philosophy + practice ; this involves CELEBRATING the GOOD THINGS IN LIFE INSTEAD OF MAGNIFYING THE WORST
- this assumption is INFLUENTIAL IN THERAPIES which are based on the POSITIVE APPROACH
-RATHER THAN trying to fix what is wrong, the ROLE OF A POSITIVE THERAPIST is to FACILITATE POSITIVE WELL-BEING + HELP TO ACHIEVE FULFILMENT - this approach offers a DIFFERENT WAY of ALLEVIATING MENTAL ILLNESSES ( DEPRESSION), through FOCUSING ON TRAITS THAT PRODUCE GOODNESS + EXCELLENCE (ALTURISTIC BEHAVIOUR) and helping people understand these NATURAL, VALUABLE TRAITS can be FURTHER DEVELOPED
- the positive approach sees such UNDERSTANDING acts as a BUFFER to PROTECT the individual from FUTURE MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS alongside being important in its own right
ASSUMPTION 3: Focus on ‘The Good Life’
- one of the primary focuses of positive psychology is on THE GOOD LIFE: factors that contribute to a predominantly well-lived life
- SELIGMAN distinguishes THREE DESIRABLE LIVES:
THE PLEASANT LIFE: happiness comes from PURSUING POSITIVE EMOTIONS in relation to the PAST,PRESENT + FUTURE
THE GOOD LIFE: happiness comes from PURSUING ACTIVITIES that POSITIVELY ABSORB + ENGAGE US
THE MEANINGFUL LIFE: happiness comes from a DEEP SENSE OF FULFILMENT BY LIVING FOR A PURPOSE MUCH GREATER THAN OUR OWN - the PLEASANT LIFE is a starting point, the next is the GOOD LIFE; a place of happiness, good relationships and work. HOWEVER, SELIGMAN encourages people to go further that the ‘GOOD LIFE’ and SEEK THE MEANING LIFE IN THE QUEST FOR HAPPINESS
- to ACHIEVE THE GOOD LIFE, we need to DEVELOP our STRENGTHS + VIRTUES (WISDOM + KNOWLEDGE) as they are NATURAL ROUTES TO GRATIFICATION + HELP US FACE ADVERSITY.
- SELIGMAN suggests the GOOD LIFE is a COMBINATION of THREE ELEMENTS
1. POSITIVE CONNECTIONS TO OTHERS - ENCOMPASSES OUR ABILITY TO LOVE + TRUST OTHERS
2. POSITIVE INDIVIDUAL TRAITS - SENSE OF INTEGRITY + MORALITY
3. LIFE REGUALTION QUALITIES - NEEDED TO REGULATE+CONTROL OUR BEHAVIOUR IN ORDER TO ATTAIN OUR GOALS: AUTONOMY + INDEPENDENCE
THERAPY: Mindfulness (main components)
1. GANING CONTROL OF THOUGHTS
- our mind is usually FOCUSED ON THE PAST (going over old feelings) OR THE FUTURE (worrying about upcoming events). MINDFULNESS teaches us to FOCUS ON THE PRESENT, to become AWARE of ALL INCOMING THOUGHTS + FEELINGS and to ACCEPT THEM. The PURPOSE OF GAINING CONTROL OVER OUR THOUGHTS + FEELINGS and FOCUSING ON THE PRESENT is to GAIN GREATER AWARENESS OF NEGATIVE THOUGHTS that OFTEN DOMINATE US. ALLOWING us to CONTROL + SPEND LESS TIME DEALING WITH THEM.NEGATIVE AUTOMATIC THINKING can lead to ANXIETY + DEPRESSION, MINDFULNESS PRACTICES help individuals to NOTICE when AUTOMATIC PROCESSORS are occuring, allowing INDIVIDUALS TO BE MORE ‘REFLECTIVE’ THAN ‘REACTIVE’, acknowledging the THOUGHTS but let them PASS, RATHER THAN REACTING TO THEIR FEELINGS.
- MEDITATION+MINDFUL BREATHING
- MEDITATION is central to EFFECTIVE MINDFULNESS. SITTING MEDITATION is MOST EFFECTIVE for developing MINDFULNESS SKILLS as it PHYSICALLY REMOVES individuals from their DAILY INTERACTIONS WITH LIFE, so that it is easier to FOCUS ON THE MIND. meditation is usually LEARNT through a MIXTURE of GUIDED INSTRUCTION + PERSONAL PRACTICE. GUIDED MEDITATION involves getting the client to SIT IN A COMFORTABLE POSITION , keeping the SPINE STRAIGHT and ASKING THEM to DIRECT their ATTENTION to their BREATHING. they are then encouraged to PAY ATTENTION to their BODILY SENSATIONS, THOUGHTS + EMOTIONS; PREVENTING THE INTRUSION OF UNHELPFUL NEGATIVE THOUGHTS. meditation helps people REPROCESS their INTERNAL EXPERIENCES , helping them to ACCEPT that THOUGHTS + EMOTIONS that follow are IMPERMANENT: they come and go. through this understanding, it ALLOWS
INDIVIDUALS to LEARN NOT TO REACT IN AN AUTOMATIC WAY TO THEIR THOUGHTS
- INFORMAL PRACTICES OF MINDFULNESS
- MINDFULNESS can be practised throughout our DAILY LIFE such as DRIVING, CLEANING or HAVING A SHOWER. INFORMAL MINDFUL PRACTICE is the OPPOSITE OF MULTI-TASKING, it is making the CONSCIOUS DECISION TO FOCUS on ONE SINGULAR TASK. simply involved PAYING ATTENTION to your surroundings; for eg, IF IN A SHOWER, NOTICING YOUR BODILY SENSATIONS AS THE WATER HITS YOUR SKIN. when individual’s attention starts to WANDER, they should DIVERT their attention back to these SENSATIONS. MINDFULNESS INFORMAL PRACTICES SHOULD BE INCORPORATED INTO DAILY LIFE TO GIVE US A BREAK FROM OUR NORMAL THOUGHT PROCESSES
Positive approach explaining ANXIETY + DEPRESSION
- positive approach can help to explain human behaviours such as MENTAL ILLNESSES like ANXIETY + DEPRESSION
- it is suggested that such MENTAL ILLNESSES are caused by an ABSENCE of the assumptions; by NOT ACKNOWLEDGING FREE WILL, therefore believing YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER YOUR FEELINGS + THE FUTURE.
- furthermore, the LACK OF POSITIVE EMOTIONS + by NOT ‘LIVING THE GOOD LIFE’, all CULTIVATE + NOURISH MENTAL ILLNESS
- through THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF FREE WILL, mental health professionals RECOGNISE the IMPORTANCE of POSITIVE EMOTIONS + PERSONAL STRENGTHS like HAPPINESS, OPTIMISM + LOVE.
- Additionally , researchers see that with ENCOURAGEMENT , people who are CLINICALLY DEPRESSED can still form HEALTHY R’SHIPS
- for many PSYCHOLOGISTS, there is an AURA OF SKEPTICISM when patients experience CHEERFUL ATTITUDES, with many RULING SUCH BEHVIOURS AS ‘WISHFUL THINKING’.
- however, although young , THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT POSITIVE TREAMENTS HELP PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION
- a study of 600 MILDLY DEPRESSED ADULTS found that SIMPLE THOUGHT EXERCISES can INCREASE HAPPINESS. SUBJECTS who wrote wrote down THREE GOOD THINGS that happened to them as well as the CAUSE OF THEIR GOOD FORTUNE each night for a WEEK felt HAPPIER 6 months later. SUBJECTS asked to IDENTIFY their TOP 5 CHARACTER STRENGTHS + USE THEM in NEW+DIFFERENT WAYS for a WEEK also felt HAPPIER 6 MONTHS LATER
EVALUATE mindfulness
Mindfulness can be seen as an EFFECTIVE THERAPY for its integration with OTHER THERAPIES such as COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY (CBT). This offers a NEW+ALTERNATIVE approach to therapy. For eg, MINDFULNESS-BASED CBT (MBCT) is a FOUR-STAGE THERAPEUTIC APPROACH that INCORPORATES MINDFULNESS WITH CBT. Comparatively, WHILST TRADITIONAL CBT attempts to CHANGE PEOPLE’S UNREALISTIC THOUGHTS + BELIEFS, MBCT helps to CHNAGE THE PROCESS OF THINKING, NOT JUST THE CONTENT OF OUR THOUGHTS. The combination of BOTH THERAPIES has been found to be QUITE EFFECTIVE
MINFULNESS-BASED COGNITIVE THERAPY (MBCT) has been used to help PREVENT PATIENTS who suffer RECURRENT DEPRESSION FROM RELAPSE. TEASDALE ET AL (2000) evaluated the EFFECTIVENESS OF MBCT among 145 RECURRENTLY DEPRESSED PATIENTS, who were RANDOMLY ALLOCATED to receive treatment as usual (tau) or tau PLUS EIGHT CLASSES OF MBCT.RELAPSE to MAJOR DEPRESSION was assessed OVER A 60-WEEK PERIOD, TEASDALE ET AL reported that MBCT provided THE GREATEST HELP to those who have SUFFERED THE MOST NO. OF PRVIOUS EPISODES. Although, it didn’t have an EFFECT ON THOSE WHO ONLY HAD TWO EPISODES OF DEPRESSION IN THE PAST , BUT IT DID SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE THE RISK OF RELAPSE IN THOSE WHO HAD THREE OR MORE PREVIOUS EPISODES.
In comparison to other therapies, MINDFULNESS DOESNT require a REFLECTION OF THE PAST AS A FORM of an EXPLANATION FOR PRESENT BEHAVIOUR, THUS CLIENT ANXIETY IS AVAOIDED, Furthermore, MINDFULNESS DOESNT ATTRIBUTE CURRENT ISSUES TO PAST EVENTS , this lack of DETERMINISM is EXTREMELY POSITIVE for individuals. MINDFULNESS encourages the ACCEPTANCE OF THE THINKING PROCESS rather than HELPING TO CHANGE SUCH PROCESS, this being LESS FRUSTRATING than THERAPIES SUCH AS CBT, which can result in patients FEELING GUILTY FOR THEIR THOUGHT PROCESSES.
EVALUATE Myers and Deiner’s (1995) research ‘Who is happy?’ in relation to ETHICAL ISSUES + SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS
(+) LITTLE RISK OF HARM as pps as their behaviour wasn’t being MANIPULATED. HOWEVER, for pps who are UNHAPPY, they MAY NOT WELCOME being asked about their happiness and MAY FURTHER FEEL DEPRESSED about being questioned about their well-being. THEREFORE, it is IMPERATIVE for researchers to be SENSITIVE to pps’ needs alongside DEBRIEFINH THEM WHEN APPROPRIATE . ETHICAL GUIDELINES like the BRITISH PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY’S CODE OF ETHICS advise psychologists to practise within boundaries of their COMPETENCE. Meaning psychologists shouldn’t try to help someone who starts to DISCUSS THEIR DEPRESSION DURING A DEBRIEFING SESSION. Instead it is the psychologist’s DUTY to RECOMMEND GOOD SOURCES OF PROFESSIONAL HELP.
(-) could be classed as ‘SOCIALLY SENSITIVE’ as it likely to make us think more CRITICALLY OF CERTAIN GROUPS OF PEOPLE/CULTURES. Research cited by MYERS +DEINER (1995) draws conclusions about the HAPPINESS OF PARTICULAR CULTURAL GROUPS. INGLEHART’S (1990) findings of PORTUGAL having 10% of people claiming they ARE HAPPY in comparison to 40% in the NETHERLNADS, may lead people to ASSUME that any PORTUGESE they encounter will be UNHAPPY and they are MORE LIKELY TO ENCOUNTER A HAPPY DUTCH PERSON. Furthermore, the STATISTICS of the findings must be considered as it MAY NOT BE A FAIR REPRESENTATION OF SUCH POPULATIONS.
EVALUATION of Positive Approach:
TWO STRENGTHS
(+) SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION TO THE REAL WORLD
MINDFULNESS helps to improve the lives of individuals from different settings, further supporting individuals, organisations + communities to flourish. MINDFULNESS is becoming A MORE POPULAR, ACCESSIBLE THERAPY for individuals experiencing HIGH LEVELS OF STRESS- in the WORKPLACE, SCHOOLS (preparing for exams) and especially CHILDREN IN WAR ZONES: RESILIENCE TRAINING IMPROVES EMOTIONAL+SPIRITUAL RESILIENCE, REDUCE STRESS SYMPTOMS + PTSD BY FOCUSING ON SIGNATURE STRENGTHS: HUMOUR, KINDESS + GENEROSITY
(+) FREE WILL
unlike other approaches , the POSITIVE APPROACH does not consider that behaviour is PRE-DETERMINED. ASSUMES INDIVIDUALS HAVE PERSIANL FREEDOM TO GROW + DEVELOP THEIR NATURAL SIGNATURE STRENGTHS + VIRTUES.
They see that we possess CHARACTER STREGTHS+VIRTUES which we choose to use to ENHANCE LIFE + results in GREATER FULFILMENT. ADDITIOANLLY, we have the FREE WILL to form POSITIVE CONNECTIONS WITH OTHERS, THAT HELPS US TO LEAD THE ‘GOOD LIFE’. SIMILARLY, positive psychologists RECOGNISE that we are SELF-REGULATING and NOT ‘VICTIMS’ OF OUR PAST like how the BIOLOGICAL APPROACH WOULD SUGGEST.
EVALUATE POSITIVE APPROACH:
TWO WEAKNESSES
(-) IGNORES INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCES that may affect ATTITUDES towards positivity.
The POSITIVE perspective is an ETHNOCENTRIC APPROACH based on WESTERN IDEALS thus OVERLOOKING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES. In AMERICA, PRE-OCCUPIED with the idea that POSITIVE EMOTIONS are NEEDED for THE GOOD LIFE, they further view NEGATIVE EMOTIONS AS SOMETHING TO BE AVOIDED. Most of the ideas of this approach is based on research on INDIVIDUAL’S CULTURES, YET 70% of the WORLD’S POPULATION ARE COLLECTIVIST CULTURES. Adding on, this approach IGNORES INDIVIDUAL’S WHO COPE WITH STRESS BY BEING PESSISMISTIC: ‘DEFENSIVE PESSIMISTS’.
(-) SUBJECTIVE AND THUS DIFFICULT TO MEASURE
Defining happiness has proved to be DIFFICULT as individuals have DIFFERENT IDEAS OF WHAT CONSTITUTES AS HAPPINESS, two people could define happiness as opposing states of mind. THIS MAY NOT BE AN ISSUE IN ITS OWN RIGHT BUT IT IS A PROBLEM WHEN IT COEMS TO MEASURING HAPPINESS and DEVELOPING ‘SCIENTIFIC’ MEASUREMENTS FOR THIS SUBJECTIVE STATE OF MIND. Although ADVANCES in NEUROSCIENCE has allowed researchers to OBJECTIVELY MEASURE THE EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE OF HAPPINESS. ACCORDING TO META-ANALYSIS BEY WAGER ET AL (2003), POSITIVE EMOTIONS WERE FOUND TO BE MORE LIKELY TO ACTIVATE THE BASAL GANGLIA THAN NEGATIVE EMOTIONS.
METHODOLOGY and PROCEDURES of MYERS + DIENER
- the RESEARCH ARTICLE was done in the form of a LITERATURE REVIEW on the TOPIC of HAPPINESS
- the RESEARCH for this STUDY was COMPILED through INTERVIEWS, QUESTIONNAIRES, OBSERVATIONS and CORRELATIONS
One way to ASSESS HAPPINESS was to CONSIDER an individual’s sense of their OWN WELL BEING - SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING (SWB). This is done through INTERVIEWING people using the CLOSED QUESTION ‘ How satisfied are you with your life AS A WHOLE these days? - ARE YOU SATISFIED?/NOT VERY SATISFIED?/NOT AT ALL SATISFIED?’ ALTERNATIVELY, a QUESTIONNAIRE could be used where QUESTIONS related to HAPPINESS are ASKED. In BOTH CASES, QUANTITATIVE DATA is COLLECTED.
One way to KNOW what people are DOING is by ASKING them to REPORT it at SELECTED TIMES: OBSERVATION of BEHAVIOUR. Researchers use BEEPERS to REMIND PPs to SEND a MESSAGE DETAILING what they are DOING/THINKING at a CERTAIN MOMENT, this is a WAY to SAMPLE people’s behaviour
Another way to UNDERSTAND HAPPINESS is to CONSIDER FACTORS that CO-VARIED with it. SOME of which MAY CONTRIBUTE to making a person HAPPY , whereas OTHERS are a CONSEQUENCE of being HAPPY, there’s NOT A CLEAR CAUSAL R’SHIP.
FINDINGS of MYERS+DIENER
- is HAPPINESS related to AGE?
SURVEY of ALMOST 170,000 people of ALL AGES in 16 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES found NO DIFFERENCES, people of ALL AGES were EQUALLY HAPPY: the MEAN SCORE was 80% SATISFACTION with LIFE (INGLEHART,1990)
- is HAPPINESS related to RACE / CULTURE?
AFRICAN AMERICANS report NEARLY TWICE as much HAPPINESS as EUROPEAN AMERICANS- DIENER ET AL (1993)
there are NOTABLE DIFFERENCES between COUNTRIES. In PORTUGAL 10% of people reported they WERE HAPPY in COMPARISON to 40% of people in the NETHERLANDS (INGLEHART,1990)
People in INDIVIDUALISTIC CULTURES report greater SWB than in COLLECTIVIST CULTURES.
- is HAPPINESS related to MONEY?
The CORRELATION between INCOME and HAPPINESS is MODEST. DEINER AT AL(1993) found a +.12 between HAPPINESS and INCOME
TRAITS of HAPPY PEOPLE:
- HIGH self-esteem
- sense of PERSONAL CONTROL
- OPTIMISM
- EXTROVERSION
- R’SHIPS of HAPPY PEOPLE:
MARRIED people (39%) are HAPPIER than NON-MARRIED people (24%) - LEE AT AL (1991)
For most people the BENEFITS of a R’SHIP OUTWEIGH the STRAINS, people who can name SEVERAL CLOSE FRIENDS are HEALTHIER and HAPPIER.
EVALUATION of the FINDINGS: ALTERNATIVE EVIDENCE
The findings from the review are supported to some extent by the idea of a happiness set point which is partly genetic. This supports the idea that levels of happiness stay at a constant level throughout life. However, SONJA L (2013) criticised this,she found that at LEAST 40% of HAPPINESS is due to SELF CONTROL (which links with POSITIVE IDEAS of FREE WILL but NOT with the consistent level of happiness)
