Positive approach Flashcards
1
Q
ASSUMPTION 1: acknowledgement of free will
A
- believes humans are in charge of their own emotions and have the free will to change their own emotions
- Seligman states that happiness is not a result of good genes but recognition of our own strengths.
- Diener and Seligman (2002) looked at the ties between students and friends and family, measured in terms of how much time they invested in these relationships, they found that the students with the strongest ties were happier, there was also a negative correlation between level of happiness and depression.
- this highlights the fact that we are in control of our happiness in that we choose to engage in these activities that are known to make us happy.
2
Q
ASSUMPTION 2: authenticity of goodness and excellence
A
- the assumption states that feelings of goodness and happiness are as natural as anxiety and stress.
- traditionally, psychology as a discipline has focused on disorders and negative states of mind, and the primary goal of the positive approach is to change this philosophy and practise. this involves focusing on celebrating the good things in life instead of magnifying the worst.
- rather than trying to fix what is wrong, the approach tries to facilitate positive well being and to help achieve fulfilment.
3
Q
ASSUMPTION 3: focus on the good life
A
- the positive approach focuses on the positive life.
- Seligman (2003) distinguishes between three desirable lives:
- the pleasant life, happiness comes from pursuing positive emotions in relation to the past, present and future
- the good life; happiness comes from activities that positively absorb and engage us.
- the meaningful life; happiness comes from a deep sense of fulfilment by living for a purpose much greater than oneself.
- Seligman suggests the good life is a combination of three elements;
- positive connection to others; this encompasses our ability to love, trust, enjoy happiness, forgive and develop spiritual connections with the self and others
- positive individual traits; these may include personal qualities such as a sense of integrity, morality and creativity
- life regulation qualities, these are the qualities that we need to develop to regulate, monitor and control our behaviour in order to accomplish our goals. they may include a sense of autonomy, independence, faith in our decision making and wisdom to guide our behaviour.
4
Q
What are the assumptions for the Positive Approach?
A
- acknowledgement of free will
- focus on the good life
- authenticity of goodness and excellence
5
Q
STRENGTH: a shift in focus for psychology
A
- One of the strengths of positive psychology is that it moves the focus of psychology beyond explaining and treating disorder and illness to celebrating the human character, and how our authentic strengths can be developed to ensure that we experience greater life contentment. in short, the positive approach shifts from one interest in negative states (eg anxiety and stress) to positive states (eg happiness and optimism). this focus is underpinned by the belief that focusing on only disorder and disease results in a limited understanding of the human condition
- Sheldon and King (2001) note that psychology has traditionally failed to encourage human growth. Instead, it has had a negative bias. ‘when a stranger helps another person, psychologists are quick to find the selfish benefit in the act instead of studying weakness and damage, and trying to fix what is wrong, psychology needed to build up on what is right about human nature.
- Seligman (2000) was extremely keen to bring about this shift in thinking, believing ‘the aim of positive psychology is to begin to catalyse a change in focus of psychology from preoccupation only with repairing the worst things in life, to also building positive qualities’.
6
Q
STRENGTH: applications
A
- The fundamental assumptions of positive psychology have been applied in many fields of life in order to help individuals, organisations and communities to flourish. examples can be seen in education, stress management, occupational psychology, and therapy.
- One notable application of this approach has been in resilience training for the US army following extended campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq in recent years. The aim of specialised training is to improve aspects of resilience (e.g. emotional and spiritual) and to try to reduce the incidence of stress symptoms and suicide. employing techniques drawn from positive psychology, the programme focuses on building mental toughness by identifying and developing signature strengths (e.g. humour, courage, perseverance) as well as preventing pathology so that soldiers can return home without serious mental health issues.
7
Q
STRENGTH: free will approach
A
- one of the strengths of the positive approach is that, unlike other approaches e.g. biological, behaviourist etc, it does not propose a determinist account of human behaviour.
- Positive psychology is based on the notion that individuals are neither pre determined nor restricted. They have the personal freedom to grow and develop their natural signature strength and virtues.
- Psychology has long been criticised for its determinist view of human behaviour, and positive psychology questions the validity of some traditional approaches, which display hard determinism - a determinism which treats the individual as a victim of his or her own biological and environmental characteristics. traditional psychological approaches have postulated the view that the past determines the present and the future, and seligman believes that such pessimism obstructs proper developments.
- Positive psychologists recognise that humans are self regulating and are not victims of their past. Instead they possess character strengths and virtues which can be developed to enhance life and result in greater fulfilment. We have control over our mental state.
8
Q
What are the strengths of the psychological approach?
A
- a shift in focus for psychology
- applications
- free will approach
9
Q
WEAKNESS: Not a new idea
A
- While many celebrate the positive psychology as a new, fresh approach to enhancing human behaviour, such claims of novelty are false. The positive potential of human beings was first celebrated by Abraham Maslow and the humanistic psychology movement in the late 1950s and 1960s.
- Some critics of the positive approach maintain that figures like Seligman ignore the work of psychologists such as Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers and Carl Jung who were among the first to criticise existing approaches in psychology as being rooted in negativity. In act, the humanistic movement emerged as a backlash to predominant psychological theories of behaviourism and psychoanalysis.
10
Q
WEAKNESS: can happiness be measured?
A
- One of the most fundamental questions in positive psychology is whether we can define and measure happiness scientifically. Defining happiness has proved challenging in itself, as each individual will have a different idea about what happiness means to them.
- When two people say they are happy, they could be referring to two completely different states of mind. This may not be an issue in its own right; however it is a problem when it comes to measuring happiness and developing scientific measurements for this subjective state of mind.
- Advances in neuroscience have, however, allowed researchers to objectively measure the emotional experience of happiness. For example, according to a meta-analysis by Wager et al (2003), positive emotions were found to be more likely to activate the basal ganglia than negative emotions.
- Neuroscientific research into happiness raises a new question about whether happiness is a discrete emotion that can be measured in a confined time in a laboratory setting, or whether it runs along a continuum with other emotions.
11
Q
WEAKNESS: ignoring individual differences
A
- The positive psychology approach has been criticised for ignoring individual and cultural differences, and proposing a one size fits all philosophy and its conclusions about the power of the positive.
- Christopher and Hickinbottom (2008) suggest the approach is ethnocentric, based on culture-bound western ideas centred on individual autonomy and fulfilment. They claim that America is a culture preoccupied with the idea that positive emotions, attitudes and thoughts are obligatory for a good life, where negative emotions are generally considered to be something to be avoided or controlled.
- They point out that collectivism as opposed to individualism is the dominant outlook in 70% of the world’s population, and cultural context should not be overlooked when determining positive qualities (complaining).
12
Q
What are the weaknesses of the Positive approach?
A
- ignoring individual differences
- not a new idea
- can happiness be measured
13
Q
What is Mindfulness?
A
- Mindfulness is a therapy based on the art of meditation and has its origins in Buddhist practices. Jon Kabat- Zinn brought mindfulness into mainstream therapy with the launch of his mindfulness based stress reduction (MSBR) programme in 1979.
- The main aim of mindfulness is to develop a sense of here and now. Individuals are taught to tune in to the present moment and tune out any thoughts of the past or future.
- Links to the positive approach can be seen through the benefits of mindfulness in improving cognitive functioning and inducing an improved sense of well being.
14
Q
What are the two main components of mindfulness?
A
- Self regulation;
- This involves learning to focus on the here and now and to sustain focus over long periods of time. Breathing exercises can help by bringing the focus back to the present.
- Any thoughts that occur should be acknowledged and not ignored but should not be elaborated upon.
- This leads to an acceptance of things as they are without adding our own judgements or beliefs into the mix.
- Orientation:
- orientation to the present moment focuses on increasing emotional awareness by developing curiosity about where the mind wanders and what is happening in the present.
- All thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations should be noticed and accepted without trying to change them or force a state of relaxation. Even painful and unpleasant emotions and thoughts should be recognised rather than avoided or repressed.
- The aim is to see thoughts and feelings as passing moments in time rather than permanent characteristics of ourselves. Recognising painful thoughts and feelings for what they are should lead to them becoming less unpleasant and threatening.
15
Q
Evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness
A
- Davidson et al. (2003) conducted a study into the effects of mindfulness meditation on brain function and the immune system. They offered an eight week mindfulness based stress reduction programme to a group of 25 healthy employees in a work based environment.
- They measured the participants brain activity before the programme, straight after the programme and then four months later. The group who had received the mindfulness training showed increased activity in areas of the brain associated with positive emotions.
- They also produced higher levels of antibodies in response to the flu vaccine compared with those who did not receive mindfulness training.
