Positive Psychology Flashcards - Week 1

Question 1

What is learned helplessness?

Answer 1

Early research on learned helplessness showed that bad or traumatic events do not in themselves produce helplessness. The crucial factor is inescapable trauma. In learned helplessness, a person has learned that when bad things happen, nothing they do matters. They give up and remain passive, even after conditions change and they do actually have control over the environment.

Question 2

Percentage of dogs / animals that when faced with inescapable trauma - display learned helplessness?

Answer 2

2/3

Question 3

In setting with no “inescapable trauma” condition - percentage of people who still demonstrated helplessness in the second phase?

Answer 3

10%

Question 4

Pesimistic thinking style

Answer 4

Permanent - this will last forever
Pervasive - this is going to undermine everything
Personal - its me, its my fault.
Uncontrollable - there’s nothing I can do about it.
Porcupine Prickles Poison ones eUdimonia

Question 5

Optimisitic thinking style

Answer 5

Temporary - this will pass.
Local - Relates to just this one situation (or aspect of my life).
Impersonal - this is not entirely my fault.
Controllable - there is something I can do about this.
Tickling Lacks Infinite Control

Question 6

Symptoms of depression

Answer 6

DSM: 5 of these 9 for 2 weeks or more.

(1) Sad mood
(2) loss of interest in life - loss of zest / loss of vitality
(3) Weight loss
(4) Sleep disturbance (terminal insomnia - 4am wake up rather than can’t get to sleep which is anxiety
(5) psychomotor slowness - speech and motion
(6) Fatigue or fatiguablility
(7) Low self esteem - I feel worthless
(8) indecisive / lack of concentration
(9) suicidality

Sad Lemons lose weight, cant sleep, get fatigued, move slowly can’t decide if they can cross the road, feel shit about that and get suicidal.

Question 7

CBT

Answer 7

Dispute your most catastrophic thoughts

Question 8

Can optimism be learned

Answer 8

Yes - you just need to equip people with a framework to challenge their pessimistic explanatory style - leads to reduced anxiety & depression.

Question 9

What is Seligman’s model of wellbeing?

Answer 9

P - positive emotion
E - Engagement and flow
R - relationships (postive social)
M - meaning and purpose
A - Achievement and accomplishment

Question 10

P - ositive emotion

Answer 10

Merryness is heritable - only 5/10% leeway either side. Subjective in nature.

Question 11

E - ngagement

Answer 11

Flow - one with the music. Entirely immersed in the thing that you love.

Question 12

R - elationships

Answer 12

Prosocial behaviour leads to survival and flourishing - warring apes.

Question 13

M- eaning & purpose

Answer 13

To belong and serve something larger than you. Particularly important for producitivtiy at work.

Question 14

What are two things that might be added to PERMA?

Answer 14

Health & Freedom / autonomy

Question 15

Whats an intervention?

Answer 15

An activity that we use to help people to change or modify a behaviour - to cultivate - based on science