Positive Psych & Final Case Studies

Question 1

Spectrum of positive psych

Answer 1

Can look at it on a spectrum: mental disorder/disease at one end, happiness/mental health (“normality” in the middle; self-actualization/positive psychology at the other end

Question 2

Positive psych

Answer 2

• Complementary field of psychology that moves beyond simply treating mental illness and dysfunction
• Positive psychologists seek to make life more fulfilling and to find/nurture genius and talent

Question 3

4 areas of positive psych

Answer 3

• Positive experiences
• Enduring psychological traits
• Positive relationships
• Positive institution

Question 4

enduring psychological traits

Answer 4

• character strengths and values
• mindfulness
• flow

Question 5

character strengths and values

Answer 5

• ex. Dispositional forgiveness: correlated positively with cognitive flexibility, positive affect, and distraction; correlated negatively with rumination, vengeance, and hostility
• Predicted 4 components of psychological well-being: anger, anxiety, depression, and satisfaction with life

Question 6

mindfulness

Answer 6

• the intentionally focused awareness of one’s immediate inner and outer experiences
• • Moment-by-moment attention to thoughts, emotions, sensations, and surroundings
• • Losing oneself in the present moment, lack of judgment, simple observation
• • Individual differences exist

Question 7

flow

Answer 7

• state of complete absorption in work, play, or creative expression
• Intense concentration, loss of self-awareness, loss of time awareness (or time ‘flying’), loss of environmental awareness; feeling perfectly challenged (neither bored nor overwhelmed); the activity becomes an end in itself
• The Autotelic Personality: a “flow” personality -> disposition to actively seek challenges and flow experiences; flow “proneness” has also been associated with higher openness, higher conscientiousness, and lower neuroticism

Question 8

3 main factors business leaders value most

Answer 8

• Driven
• Open-minded
• Creative

Question 9

Big 5 and leadership - what makes a good leader?

Answer 9

Low neuroticism, higher openness, balanced levels of conscientiousness and extraversion; mixed findings about agreeableness

Question 10

psych concepts related to Naomi Klein (climate change author/activist)

Answer 10

• Biocentrism: the inclination to value and protect non-human organisms and nature as a while
• Psychology behind climate change deniers:
• • Confirmation bias (looking for things that confirm our beliefs)
• • Cognitive dissonance (avoiding looking at info not in line with how we see the world -> distressing)
• • Denial defence mechanism
• Politicization of climate and science -> personality and politics:
• • Liberals more open-minded, creative, curious, and novelty-seeking
• • Conservatives more orderly, conventional, and better organized

Question 11

psych concepts related to Mike Hughes (flat-earther)

Answer 11

• Psychology behind rising anti-intellectualism/anti-science movement:
• • Ex. Anti-vaxxing, global warming deniers, anti-GMO movement
• • Confirmation bias, cognitive dissonance, denial, in-group thinking
• • Conspiracy mentality: people believe in conspiracy theories in order feel special and unique
• Intellectual humility: understanding that one’s beliefs are fallible and a willingness to be proven wrong

Question 12

psych concepts related to Danny Bowman (selfie addict)

Answer 12

• Links between narcissism, psychopathy, and selfies; increase in plastic surgery; rise of “killfies”
• Perhaps narcissism is more closely tied to human nature than it is to our individual differences
• Social exhibitionism: desire to be noticed by others; engaging in extravagant behaviours in order to be noticed

Question 13

psych concepts related to Omar Mateen (Orlando gunman)

Answer 13

• Every single occasion of human behaviour is a product of both genetic and environmental influences
• • Influence of parenting, media
• Freud’s suggestion that repressing something leads to increased violence/aggression
• Authoritarianism: conforming to social hierarchies, acting with hostility/contempt toward those seen as inferior

Question 14

psych concepts related to Pat Robertson (televangelist)

Answer 14

• Psychology behind hate:
• • Schematization, psychopathy, confirmation bias, narcissism, in-group thinking, etc.
• Studies show that with overpopulation leads to not enough social roles for people to occupy -> disruption of social role
• Tender-mindedness: capacity for sympathy; extent to which one’s judgments are determined by emotion

Question 15

psych concepts related to Emma Gonzalez

Answer 15

• Subject to prejudice, sexism, homophobia, and bullying from adults in the media
• 2 Big 5 traits associated with prejudice and sexism:
• • Openness to experience
• • Agreeableness
• Need for power also associated with sexism/prejudice
• • People under the influence of power become more impulsive, less risk aware, and less empathetic (brain changes)
• Openness to values: the tendency to be receptive to change and to question conventional norms and traditions

Question 16

psych concepts related to Rebecca Belmore (artist)

Answer 16

• Non-fearful social withdrawal has been linked to creativity
• Grit: passion for a particular long-term goal or end state, occupied with a powerful motivation to achieve one’s objective

Question 17

psych concepts related to YOURSELF

Answer 17

Citizenship: the tendency to engage in socially positive behaviour; and to contribute meaningfully to the betterment of one’s community and society at large