Positivist Approach Flashcards
What is assumption 1 of the positive approach?
Acknowledgment of free will
Acknowledgement of free will
-po
- dictate there own emotions
- choose to engage in activities we know lift our mood
- happiness if accessible to us all
DIENER N SELIGMAN (2002)
-po
-a1
- ties student have to friends and family
- how much time they invest
- STRONGER ties = happier people
What is assumption 2 of the positive approach?
Focus on the good life
Focus on the good life
- po
• enrich our lives - 3 dimensions
1) the pleasant life
- pursue positive emotions & learn skills that amplify
2) the good life
- activities that absorb us, time stops
3) the meaningful life
- state of fulfilment, deeper purpose, use character strengths
MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYM
The positive concept of flow
Assump 2
> state of being fully engaged in activity
balance between level of challenge and skills to deal
What is assumption 3 of the positive approach?
- po
Authenticity of goodness and excellence
Authenticity of goodness and excellence
-po
• positive emotions are just as authentic and negative
• acknowledge feelings of happiness just as much as negative
• can’t fix problem you encourage to develop gratitude, optimism and flexibility
SELIGMAN’S theory of signature
-po
-a3
> happier people - discovered/ exploited their unique combination of “signature strengths”
love, hope, humour, bravery
Gaining control of thoughts
-po
• focus on present not past or future
• accept and become comfortable with thoughts
• aware of negative thoughts- control, understand then
• helps depression as you acknowledge feelings
• respond in positive and optimistic way- reduces impact on feelings
• Buddhist origins - alertness, awareness, attention
- alter reactions to thoughts
What is component 1 of mindfulness?
Gaining control of negative thoughts
What is component 2 of mindfulness?
-po
Meditation / mindful breathing
Meditation/ mindful breathing
• physical practise through guided meditation
• 4 bretahing techniques
- belly, mindful breathing
- breath count
- breathing visualisation
• removes attention from daily life
• NICE recommended as preventative treatment for depression
• don’t fixate on thoughts, focus on breathing
• emotions are impermanent
What is component 3 of mindfulness?
-po
Informal practises of mindfulness
Informal practises of mindfulness
- po
• once learned practised informally in every day life
• opposite of multitasking- online meditation = HEADSPACE
• MBSR- mindfulness based stress reduction
John- kabbat-zin
-po
-c3
- challenge not chore
- 8x 2.5hr lesson over 8 weeks
- improve well being
- incorporate daily - home assignments
- given educational material
Applying the assumption to positive therapy
1/2) focus on the good like and acknowledgment of free will
- gain control of thoughts
- aware of the present
- self determining- less time spent on negative
3) Authenticity of goodness and excellence
- enhance + and - characteristics
- guided meditation to enhance these strengths
What are the aims of mindfulness?
-po
- allow people to control their own minds and pay attention to their present thoughts and emotions
- enhance positive characteristics to become happier
Ethics evaluation of mindfulness
1) Highly ethical
po
empowers people by promoting their free will
REUDY AND SCHWEITZER
children are less likely to cheat on tests
increases their moral values
puts less pressure on them
Ethics evaluation of mindfulness
2)Accessible
po
app, online course
- cheaper alternative
- gives everyone the opportunity to enhance their lives
- no waiting times
Ethics evaluation of mindfulness
3) Negative effects
po
- people may misunderstand how it works and become frustrated
- Britton- ‘the dark night’
irreversible, lose sense of self if they become too involved
Effectiveness evaluation of mindfulness
1) research support
po
CRANE ET AL
- NICE recommend
- less likely to reoccur over 12 months by 40-50%
KUYKEN ET AL
- secondary schools - mindfulness programme
- children who took part had better well being and lower stress levels than those who didn’t
Effectiveness evaluation of mindfulness
2)Methodological issues with supporting research
po
PATRICIA CASEY
- it has not been investigated enough
- only ever small scale pilot studies
- no scientific evidence
What is the name of the positive research and who conducted it?
‘Happy people’
Myers and Deiner
What were the aims of Myers and Deiner’s research?
po
- to develop ideas and collect evidence about the theory
of happiness - when asked those who were religious were 2x more likely to say they were ‘very happy’
Methodology of Myers and Deiners research
po
1) Literature review - select research topic, collect and read, write review
2) Interview/ questionnaire- closed Qs to assess subjective well being
3) Observation- report behaviour, record when beeper goes off
4) Correlation- factors linked to increasing subjective well being= positive life events
Procedure of Myers and Deiner’s reserach
po
- methodology acts as procedure
- collected and reviewed information meaning they did not carry it out themselves
- Literature review - content and thematic analysis
- observation, correlation, interview, questionnaire
Findings of Myers and Deiner’s research?
po
Is happiness related to age?- no real difference or predicted age
Gender?- less than 1% accounted for
Race or culture?
Money?
MYTHS UP
The traits of happy people- more self-esteem and control
The relationships- more friends= more positive emotion
Work and ‘the flow’ - higher work satisfaction = more life challenges, no boredom, stress, anxiety- about balance
The faith
Conclusions of Myers and Deiner’s research
po
1) ADAPTATION- 3 month
- life events- emotions don’t linger
FRIJDA- pleasure wears off
2) CULTURAL WORLD VIEW
- influences our interpretations of everything and everyone
3) VALUES AND GOALS
- make progress towards these goals and achieve them
- SWB may be based off income in poorer countries
Additional conclusions of Myer’s and Deiner’s research
po
- age, sex, gender, race and income don’t inform us on someone’s level of happiness
- exploring = consider priorities and build our life on emphasising well being
- new research is useful a useful component in addition to existing research on depression, anxiety and well being
Methodology evaluation - Myers and Deiner
1) X Self report method
po
- subjective- appear socially desirable
- data risks being biased- establish causes if valid
> friends were asked to rate their scores and there was a positive correlation which confirms the validity of the answers
Methodology evaluation- Myers and Deiner
2) X Correlational data
po
X can’t establish cause and effect so we cannot understand the true nature of happiness
X there is an intervening variable
for example marriage may not make someone happy because of the love it may be become they have more income as a joint couple
Ethics evaluation of Myers and Deiner
1) X Privacy
po
X asked for personal info
X well-being, religion, relationship status
X may be uncomfortable for some and risk their privacy
Ethics evaluation of Myers and Deiner
2) low risk of psychological harm
po
- literature review- no Ps or manipulation
- no deception- get informed consent
- abides by the BPS guidelines
Social implication of Myers and Deiner
1) X Socially sensitive research
po
X Inglehart’s research- 10%portugal, 40% Netherlands
X people may form negative outlooks on particular groups
X stereotypes, harm, conflict, treated unfairly
Social implications of Myers and Deiner
2) Karoshi- learn about the workplace
po
- Japanese workers suffering from heart attacks and strokes
- some died from too much stress
- gain support and help with stress management
Alternative evidence to Myers and Deiner’s research
1) Schinka et al
po
- in agreement with scientific research
- agrees happiness is fairly consistent throughout life = correlational
Alternative evidence to Myers and Deiner’s research
2) X Sonja Lyubomirsky
po
X 50% is due to genetics#
X should explore other factors and not just focus on that
What is the topic of the debate for the positive approach?
Is positive psychology still relevant in todays society?
What is theme 1 for the positive debate?
Is it relevant in the workplace?
Theme 1 : Workplace FOR
po
MIIHALY
- 3X more likely to experience ‘flow’ when at work as it offers more positive experiences
- will improve if workers can admit that work can be enjoyable
EI- creates productive work culture, more efficient, make more profit
Theme 1 : Workplace AGAINST
po
DIENER
X question whether it has offered anything more than empirical support
X found modest correlation between income and happiness
X people may work for income rather than happiness
SI - poorer societies work for the income to survive meaning they do not have the luxury of trying to find happiness in work unlike Western societies
Conclusion for theme 1 the workplace
po
It enables people to boost their self esteem when working which is essential to our daily lives as people spend the majority of their time working
What is theme 2 for the positive debate?
Is positive psychology relevant in sport?
Theme 1 : Sports FOR
po
GILMORE
- problem focused= reduce impact of pressure
- emotion focused= change how they react to increasing pressure
- positive self talk and visualisation
- mind and confidence to improve performance
SI - physical success leads to increased well being and confidence improving performance even more
Conclusion for theme 2 sports
po
It is relevant as it helps people react better to stress and if they are successful in sports it can benefit bring profit to their country which could be reinvested in other athletes to help them achieve. Therefore positive psychology is relevant if people want to achieve this.
Theme 2 : Sports AGAINST
po
KREMER ET AL
X nerves aren’t always a bad thing and shouldn’t always be viewed negatively as it shows that it matters to them
X it only encourages them rather than telling them how to do it
X if technique is then focused in less it could jeopardise their performance
EI - more income for the country as their sporting success may attract tourists- if performances are worsen you could ruin this opportunity
What is theme 3 for the positive debate?
Is positive psychology relevant in schools/ education?
Theme 3 : Education FOR
po
SELIGAMAN
3 main functions
1) promote skills and strengths valued by society e.g. parents
2) show measurable improvements in students well being and behaviour
3) encourage student engagement in learning and behaviour
KUYKEN ET AL
- morals wont cheat- mindfulness programme
- less stress due to less feeling of pressure
SI - should be more long term research
Financial Times- may have to drop other courses due to a limited budget and demanding curriculum
- pay more for students to leave school with a lower academic achievement
Theme 3 : Education AGAINST
po
SPENCE & SHORT
X lack of empirical evidence
X small scale short term interventions
X more LT research needed
SELIGMAN - needs to cover all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds
SI - Pen Resilience Programme
children had more social skills and cooperation
not possible without positive psychology
Conclusion for Theme 2 education
po
Not relevant as we do not know enough about it due to the lack of long term research. Therefore, we should not risk dropping essential subjects to include this we should use it as an additional subject rather than an alternative one.
Overall conclusion on the positive debate
Positive psychology is relevant in todays society because it gives everyone the opportunity to increase their well being and improve their quality of life. It is implemented in most areas of society so everyone will experience some form of it in their life. If it is accessible to all it is still relevant.
- headspace online app for guided meditation
Is the positive approach Deterministic or Free will?
Free Will
Free Will
po
- empowering, take control of their own lives, emotions, destiny
- personal freedom to grow and develop
X HELD - by placing responsibility over their own free will, blame themselves for any problems- feel worse lower sense of WB
Is the positive approach Reductionist or Holistic?
Holistic
Holistic
po
- takes the whole person into account
- Lyubomirsky- genetics are an important factor of happiness levels
- Myers and Diener- faith, relationships, personality traits
X more difficult to identify causes and treatments - complete explanation- happiness and well being
How can the positive approach be applied?
Mindfulness, MBSR, headspace, MBCT
Application
po
- informal practises at home- apps
- formal practise- MBCT- healthcare settings
- 2010 reports- benefits those with depression
- schools offer WB interventions as part of curriculum- importance of mental health
Is the positive approach idiographic or nomothetic?
BOTH
Idiographic & Nomothetic
po
I - emphasis on individuals personal sense of WB and health, own thoughts, signature strengths unique to them
N - scientific methods to carry out research to develop theories that can be applied to the laws of human behaviour- Myers and Diener can be applied to everyone
> consider unique aspects & wider research applied to all
Is the positive approach nature or nurture?
INTERACTIONIST
INTERACTIONIST
po
Na - Lyubomirsky= twins happiness levels - 2000 twins
50%- genetics
40%- intentional activity
10%- circumstances
Nu - environmental factors considered
- offers complete explanation as innate and environmental considered
- Seligman and Lyubomirsky considered different factors
Is the positive approach Scientific or unscientific?
Scientific
Scientific
po
- uses scientific methods to investigate behaviour
- concepts such as happiness and WB are subjective and difficult to define
- psychologists create hypothesis and objective measures- collect data to investigate their ideas
- Seligman compared impact of different positive psychology interventions- happiness was measured
Ps randomly allocated
control groups to improve validity
