Positive Psychology

Question 1

What is biological age?

Answer 1

An estimate of age in terms of biological functioning

Question 2

What is psychological age?

Answer 2

A person’s mental attitudes, agility and capacity to deal with stressors

Question 3

What is functional age?

Answer 3

A person’s ability to function in given roles in society

Question 4

What is social age?

Answer 4

Whether people behave in accordance with social behaviours appropriate for their age

Question 5

What does longevity refer to?

Answer 5

Living in good health for as long as possible

Question 6

What are the factors of healthy ageing?

Answer 6

• Physical, mental & social well-being
• Not merely absence of disease
• Ongoing activities/behaviours to reduce risk of illness/increase well-being

Question 7

How does the WHO define health?

Answer 7

A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity

Question 8

What are the three levels of positive psychology?

Answer 8

• Subjective: Valued subjective experiences (well-being)
• Individual: Positive individual traits (e.g capacity for love, courage)
• Group: Civic virtues and institutions that move individuals towards better citizenship (e.g. responsibility)

Question 9

What does the positive psychology revolution challenge?

Answer 9

The disease model - “what makes people mentally unwell and how can we fix it?”

Question 10

What does the positive psychology revolution focus on?

Answer 10

• Human strengths and weaknesses
• Building the best things in life and repairing the worst
• Fulfilling the lives of healthy people and healing the distressed

Question 11

What are two differences between positive psychology and humanism?

Answer 11

1) Positive psychology = good/bad aspects of motivation and behaviour; humanism = assumes people are inherently good
2) Positive psychology = scientific method; humanism = skeptical of science in relation to human experience

Question 12

What is positive psychology concerned with understanding and facilitating?

Answer 12

• Happiness and well-being
• Positive traits and engagement in absorbing activities
• Development of positive social relationships

Question 13

What does the doctrine of hedonism focus on?

Answer 13

Maximising pleasure and minimising pain

Question 14

How is hedonic psychology usually measured?

Answer 14

In terms of cognitive and affective evaluations

Question 15

What are the two broad affective dimensions of subjective well-being?

Answer 15

Positive affect (enthusiasm, joy, energy) and negative effect (sadness, guilt, hostility, fear)

Question 16

What does eudemonia mean?

Answer 16

Being true to one’s inner self (demon)

Question 17

What are three characteristics of positive psychology in relation to eudaimonic well-being?

Answer 17

1) Focus on realisation of individual’s personal potential
2) Not all desirable outcomes promote wellness
3) Associated with activities that afford personal growth and development