Positive Approach

Question 1

What is free will?

Answer 1

The acknowledgment that humans have free will over their own happiness. Meaning humans choose to be happy or not and it disregards notion of determinism

Question 2

Who is the founder of positive psychology?

Answer 2

Seligman

Question 3

What did Seligman belive?

Answer 3

People can enhance their happiness by taking part in activities that increase positive emotions. If people enhance their personal signature strengths it can help minimise the negativity

Question 4

What did Diener and Seligman(2002) find?

Answer 4

That students who spent more time with their friends that made them happy experienced less negative emotions and depression

Question 5

Comparing Positive Approach to Biological Approach

Answer 5

Biological approach states that our happiness is determined by genes and hormones, unlike positive that disregards determinism to be a case of happiness and beliefs everyone has their own free will over their happiness.

Question 6

Comparing Positive Approach to Psychodynamic Approach

Answer 6

Psychodynamic approach states that our happiness is determined by how we were brought up and past experiences, unlike positive that disregards determinism to be a case of happiness and beliefs everyone has their own free will over their happiness.

Question 7

What is authenticity of goodness and excellence?

Answer 7

The authenticity of goodness and excellence means that human goodness and excellence are as important as negative emotions and must be given the same attention; one is not more important than the other.

Question 8

What are Signature Strengths?

Answer 8

Seligman believed that everyone posses signature strengths that are as authentic as negative emotions and need to be recognised to enhance these traits to help overcome negative ones

Question 9

How does authenticity of goodness and excellence link to positive psychology?

Answer 9

By using it in positive therapy. Approaches such as biological would aim to treat depression through drug use. Positive approach would help to identify signature strengths of individual and improve them. For example, if patient is caring then they could help in a charity, overall enhancing their Signature Strengths to help overcome negative emotions associated with depression. Helps to buffer negative feelings linked to depression. It doesn’t try to fix the person but improve them as people.

Question 10

What are the lives that Seligman said to be?

Answer 10

Three desirable lives.
-Pleasant life
-Engaged life
-Meaningful life

Question 11

What is the pleasant life?

Answer 11

The life where positive emotions are sought after such as enjoying everyday pleasures like food

Question 12

What is the good life?

Answer 12

The idea of using signature strengths to engage in activities that absorb us

Question 13

What is the meaningful life?

Answer 13

The idea of achieving a sense of fulfillment by living a life of a greater purpose than ones self interest

Question 14

What is the engaged life?

Answer 14

Involves developing our virtues and strengths and using them to be fully engaged in our activities

Question 15

Applying assumptions to romantic relationships

Answer 15

For positive psychologists feelings such as love and other positive qualities are authentic, explaining why relationships are formed. Being in relationships allows for people to develop and express their SS, In turn people strive toward a happier and more controlled life through their relationships as they are able to nurture these qualities.
We are socially programmed to work hard to find relationships. In turn, they contribute to our happiness.
Romantic relationships give opportunities to share personal feelings. More chance of sharing positive events when in a relationship rather than alone.
Humans seek relationships for many reasons such as they encourage expression of authentic emotions such as kindness for both parties involved. The rewards from the relationship act as a buffer during difficult challenges in life, helping negative states such as depression

Question 16

What did Wheeler find?

Answer 16

Found students with many friends to be lonely due not talking about impersonal topics. Suggested that friends provide socialisation. However, romantic relationships benefit more as they are likely to talk about positive feelings to enhance their SS

Question 17

What did Spiers (2014) find?

Answer 17

Found that 64% people in their 30’s who didn’t have a serious relationship said that they felt unfulfilled despite of their economic status

Question 18

What is aim of Mindfulness Therapy?

Answer 18

The aim is to help you become more self-aware. feel calmer and less stressed.

Question 19

How does Mindfulness link to Positive Approach?

Answer 19

Positive human traits are as authentic as negative ones and individuals strive to achieve greater life fulfillment by developing their natural strengths. Mindfulness aims to enhance ones positive characteristics through self acceptance based methods which encourage one to develop core virtues such as optimism. Practicing mindfulness is becoming consciously aware of ones present thoughts and feelings, involving self regulation of attention. Mindfulness enhances self regulation to gain control of their thoughts to develop productive attitudes towards them and control amount of time negative thinking. Taking control of our feelings is crucial to increase life satisfaction.

Question 20

What are the main components of Mindfulness Therapy?

Answer 20

-Control Of Thoughts
-Meditation and Breathing
-Informal Practice

Question 21

What is ‘control of thoughts’?

Answer 21

Mindfulness allows to focus on present thoughts and feeling, normally mind is focused on past and thinking about future. Mindfulness teaches to focus on present and become aware of all thoughts and feelings and accept them as they are. Goal is to focus on present to gain awareness of unhelpful negative thoughts, often dominating us and to gain control of them and spend less time dealing with them. As negative thinking causes depression. Mindfulness allows one to notice automatic process occurring and alter these responses to be more reflectionary

Question 22

What is ‘meditation and breathing’?

Answer 22

Sitting meditation is most effective for developing mindfulness skills as it removes an individual from their daily interaction with life allowing for easy focus on mind. Usually learned through guided meditation following a set of instructions such as slow breath in and out, relax. This prevents intrusion of unhelpful negative thoughts. Mediation helps people to reprocess their internal experiences and accept that thoughts are impermanent. One learns not to automatically react to their thoughts but process them.

Question 23

What is ‘informal practice’?

Answer 23

Once learned, meditation can be practiced through daily lives such as when driving. Informal meditation practice is opposite of multi tasking. Making unconscious decision to focus on one single task. It involves paying attention to the surroundings for example shower. When ones attention wonders they bring back their attention back to the sensations. Such IMP in daily lives gives breaks from normal thought processes.

Question 24

What did Kyuken (2015) find about the effectiveness of Mindfulness Therapy?

Answer 24

Study to compare long term effectiveness of mindfulness therapy compared to drug therapy in treatment of reoccurring depression. Assigned 424 depressed patients randomly with 2 years of maintenance antidepressants and mindfulness therapy of 8 sessions each 2 hours long. Found equal effectiveness comparing both.
-Medication=27% relapse
-Mindfulness=28% relapse
-Placebo=71% relapse
Mindfulness more effective for patients who suffered child abuse

Question 25

What did Holzel et al (2009) find?

Answer 25

Reviewed self reports, experiments and brain imaging and concluded that mindfulness improves self regulation by effecting structural and functional changes in different parts of the brain involved with emotions

Question 25

What did Crane (2014) find?

Answer 25

Those who practiced at home achieved greatest benefits from mindfulness based therapy. Practicing 3 times a week shows less likelyhood of relapse from ones who praticed less.
Showing that improving SS to achieve a good life requires effort and time and that some might not have the time for it.

Question 25

What did Semple and Miller (2005) find?

Answer 25

They found that MCBT over 6 weeks reduced anxiety in children

Question 25

What did Ruths (2015) find?

Answer 25

That mindfulness can have adverse reactions such as depersonalisation

Question 25

What did Britton (2015) find?

Answer 25

That some people might experience negative changes in their cognition also in sense of self and social relationships.

Question 26

What are ‘The Dark Night’?

Answer 26

Phenomena where negative states emerge during medititaion due to deep unresolved issues in the unconsious. However, they only appear in deep specific forms of meditation.