Positive Emotions part 2 Flashcards
What are the Hemispheric asymmetries associated with SWB
- Mindfulness → L frontal area associated with PA
- L hem more active than R– associated with PA
- L-R differences associated with SWB
- higher L-R asymmetry = high PA, low NA
- higher L-R asymmetry = self-acceptance, life purpose, personal growth, autonomy
- mindfulness meditation increases L-R asymmetry → mindfulness = improvements in life satisfaction
Historically can money buy you happiness?
NO - its the root of all evil
What is the Esterlin Paradox?
- Happiness increases with income within countries
- Happiness unrelated to income (GDP) between countries.
What are 2 possible explanations for the Esterlin Paradox (might be both)
1) Hedonic treadmill?
• Happiness up after income up, but returns to usual set point after time
Relative income?
• Increase in wealth in respect to those around us, rather than absolute income
Whats the relationship b/w income and happiness within countries?
curvilinear
• Much greater changes at lower levels of income
• Income more strongly related to life satisfaction, not with PA/NA ratio (happiness)
HIgh income is buys you ________ but not ________
and low income is associated with ____ and _______
life satisfaction, happiness
low life evaluation and low emotional well being
how did Canada and US score on the life satisfaction ladder?
Canada = 7.5 US = 7.2
How did Zimbabwe score on the latter?
lowest income per Capita but higher life satisfaction than many others
was the an esterlin paradox found in the ladder data ? what does this suggest?
there is no paradox as there is the same relationship between and within countries
• There is a relationship between wealth and life satisfaction
LS rises ______ with log per capita income within countries and between
Linearly
What country is a paradoxical case? why?
U.S.A. is a paradoxical case
• GDP has doubled since 1972
• LS has decreased slightly
• Perhaps due to growth in income inequality?
________ correlations between national wealth and SWB within countries
_____ correlations between income and SWB between countries
Strong, weak
Larger correlation b/w wealth and SWB in ____ countries
Poor → because most at lower end of income
• Risk of low SWB higher for poor people
- 1970-1990 economic growth in developed countries =
= minimal gains in overall SWB
What is “wanting” material things associated with
lower levels of SWB
What was found when comparing LS in US and Calcutta homeless people?
- U.S. = negative, Calcutta = positive
- All report negative LS re income, housing, health, material resources
- All report positive LS re food
When measuring SWB around the world who had the highest and lowest?
what was suprising about the results?
• HIGHEST = Forbes richest Americans (5.8) • Traditional Masai • Pennsylvania Amish • Illinois university students • Calcutta slum dwellers • Uganda university students • Calcutta homeless • LOWEST: California homeless: (2.8) - Surprising that the range is not as big
what do materialist, consumer cues lead to?
- Increased negative affect → people feel worst when they are primed with materialist ideas
- Reduced social involvement
- Greater competitiveness, selfishness
What are wealthier individuals more likely to do as found by Piffa? what does approval of greed have to do with this?
- More likely to break driving law, steal, lie, cheat to gain advantage
- Moderated by greater approval of greed → people who approved greed were more likely to do this
- Those who did not approve of greed but were wealthy were not as likely
What is the one exception to money not being able to buyyou happiness?
Buying experiences (trips)
What are the main differences in how individualist vs. collectivist societies define happiness?
- Individualist: (most Western countries); personal needs, goals, personal agency, individual initiative and achievement → ex.: US constitution of rights
- Collectivist: (many Eastern countries); social goals, needs and approval of others, cooperation, team play → defined as his/her relationship to those around them, culture, family, community, role in assisting the culture, the family, the community in achieving their goals, being a part of the team, submerging ones identity in the identity of the group to which one belongs
in collectivist societies Relation between PA/NA ratio and overall SWB much _____
weaker
In collectivist, Pleasant emotions explicitly require what?
a social component: more linked to interpersonal emotions (friendliness) than to personal emotions (pride → emphasized in Western societies)
Asian-Americans, more than European-Americans, made happy by ___________
goals that please or are approved by others
WHat happened when Chinese & U.S. students write an essay on ‘What is Happiness?’
U.S. students
• enjoyment of present life → hedonistic
• Personal agency social restrictions → make decisions towards personal goals
• personal happiness
Chinese students
• spiritual cultivation, transcendence of present
• social obligations → not personal achievement of momentary happiness
• Fulfilling their roles as members of society
• Confucius ideas
What does positive affect do?
• Preferentially cues positive memories
• Promotes → Flexibility, Efficiency, Innocation, Thoroughness
Problem solving in complex tasks
1) Candle task - 15% solution in control; 70% in PA (after pos clip)
2) remote associates test (finding a 4th word common to first 3)
what is the Broaden and build theory?
NA prepares us for threat
• Narrows perceptual focus
• Prepares specific responses
PA broadens our thought-action repertoire
• Leads to play, creativity, openness and exploration
- Broadening builds “enduring personal resources”
- Resources enhance health, survival, SWB
What are the 4 steps of the broaden and build model
1) Start with positive emotions
2) leads to novel thoughts, activities, relationships (resources)
3) enduring personal resources (social support, resilience, skills, knowledge)
4) enhanced health, survival, fulfillment
* then back to beginning*
Broadening and undoing causes heightened creativity in ____
mania
Whats a Global processing bias and what causes it according to broadening and undoing?
global processing bias → change from narrow to global and broaden their view of the world
Caused by Induced PA
- PA reverses the effects of NA
Where do we find - Increased dopamine
→ prefrontal cortex and cingulate cortex
What is dopamine associated with
reward pathways
what does aggression promote?
dopamine
what is the Prefrontal areas – anterior cingulate cortex associated with?
- Creative problem-solving
- Openness to information/ exploration
- Integration of ideas
- Focus on neg info when when important to the solution
- Keep multiple perspectives in mind (Cooperativeness, Social responsibility, Improved negotiation skills, Generosity to self, others)
in the - Ostir et al (2000): 2-year prospective study of elderly (65+) Mexican-Americans
• Higher PA at start =
reduced chances of mortality over 2 years
• Still true after controlling for NA, medical condition, BMI, smoking, drinking status, etc.
in the - Levy et al (2002): 23-year prospective study of elderly (~63)
- positive views of aging = lived longer
- Above mean self-perceptions of aging = 7.5 years longer life
- Still true after controlling for age, sex, functional health status
- 7 studies find higher SWB = lower ______ rate
mortality
High SWB predicts (what health benefits?)
• Fewer heart attacks
• Better survival from heart disease
• Lower incidence of strokes
- Higher SWB = less smoking, drinking → less likely to smoke and drink less
-Pressman & Cohen (2005)’ meta-analysis of PA and health showed…
- High trait PA = fewer colds after virus exposure
* High PA = higher levels of immunoglobin A
What does high PA lead to in work and relationships?
Work
• PA at 18 = more prestigious jobs at age 26
• Higher PA = higher incomes, though correlation is small
• more pos. job assessments from supervisors
Relationships
• higher probability of marriage, more marital satisfaction
• pos. perception of interaction partners
• More collaborative conflict resolution; more interest in friendship, social activities
• More interest in friendship, social activities
What are the 3 factors of happiness?
1) Genetics → approximately half
• Children with easy temperament
2) Activities and practices → what we can focus on to increase positive affect
3)Circumstances → little or not control
How can one increase SWB
- Pursue significant life goals
- Be active → physical activity and psychological health
- Be social
- Do good → better to give than to receive
- Find positive meaning
• Count your blessings, Express gratitude, Imagine best possible self - Be open
