Test #1 Flashcards
What did psychology focus on prior to WWII
- curing mental illness
- making the lives of all people more productive and fulfilling
- identifying and nurturing high talent
What the field of psychology neglected after WWII
Making the lives of all people better and nurturing genius
The economic events that occurred after WWII that changed the direction of psychology
- the veterans administration was founded
- the national institute of mental health
Veterans administration
people learned they could make a living off of treating mental illness
The national institute of mental health
academic found out that they could get grants for their research - if about pathology
How positive psych fits in with prevention and psychotherapy
- may have the direct effect of preventing many of the major emotional disorders
- making the lives of clients physically healthier
- making normal people stronger and more productive
- making high human potential
Strengths that are built into therapy
- courage, optimism, honesty, interpersonal skill, in sight
The reasons Dr. Seligman believes psychology is good
- some of the disorders are now treatable
- a science of mental illness
Some of the consequences of the disease model that were not good according to Dr. Seligman
- became victimologists (can’t change) and pathologizers (making human experience mental illness)
- forgot about improving normal lives
The 3 happy lives
- the pleasant life
- the good life (life of engagement
- the meaningful life
The pleasant life
Having as many pleasures as possible
- learning the skills to amplify them
BUT- heritable, habituates (keep doing the same thing, happiness level drops) - least satisfaction with life
The good life (the life of engagement)
pleasure vs. flow (being engaged)
- recraft work, love, play
The meaningful life
knowing your signature strength
- use in the service something greater than you
- positive institutions
Seligaman’s 11th reason for optimism
technology to increase happiness
Flow
Fully absorbing experience
- complete concentration
- actions and awareness are merged
- losing awareness are merged
- transformation of time
DANGERS
- when flow activity becomes a necessity
- losing a larger perspective
Relationship between skill and challenge in terms of flow
balance between challenge and skill that are required for flow, both have to be stretched
Universal definition of happiness
no universal agreement
Theories of happiness
- hedonism theory
- desire theory
- objective list theory
Hedonism Theory
maximize feeling of pleasure and minimize pain
Problem= love and pain- two sides of the same coin
Desire Theory
Happiness is a matter of getting what you want
- Fulfillment of getting your desires contribute to happiness regarding of amount of happiness or pain
Objective list theory
Happiness is not a feeling
- achieves certain things from a list worthwhile pursuits
Predictors of happiness
- mindfulness or meditation
- character strengths
- coaching
- hope
- age
- married
The benefits happy people typically have
- larger social rewards
- superior work outcomes
- larger social rewards
- superior work outcomes
Larger social rewards
- higher odds of marriage and lower odds of divorce
- more friends
- stronger social support
Superior work outcomes
- greater creativity
- increases productivity
- higher quantity of work