Test 1 Flashcards
Who is considered the father of Positive Psychology?
Martin Seligman
What shift did Seligman propose in the study of psychology?
To study courage, joy, hope, and happiness instead of just anxiety and pathology
What are the two main goals of Positive Psychology?
- Balance
- General psychology: restoring balance to psychology’s historical emphasis on the negative and add studies of positivity.
- Clinical psychology: providing language of mental health and human strengths to compliment and complete the language of mental illness and the disease model. In order to help people flourish not just be at baseline
- Completeness
- Bringing off-limits for scientific psychology. In positive psychology “forbidden topics” like religion and virtue are no longer off limits in order to allow for a more complete field
- Study people who live a “good life” or a life well lives to find ways for others to implement it
Why has psychology historically focused on the negative?
- Done to fulfill the desire to be useful, gain status and respect as a scientific discipline by solving problems through the disease model
- The dominance of the disease model had the primacy of pathology as a focus
- Was during the time of world wars
During these times there was a need to address the millions of people suffering from mental health conditions specifically PTSD after the world wars - There was a need to relieve the suffering for people rather than increase joy or happiness
What is the trait negativity bias?
The tendency for people to focus more on negative experiences than positive ones
FUNDAMENTAL ATTRIBUTION ERROR: the fundamental need to focus on the negative
What has been observed about the relationship between material well-being and happiness?
Material well-being is increasing while subjective well-being is decreasing
What is the definition of Positive Psychology according to Baumgardner and Crothers?
The scientific study of personal qualities and conditions that promote a life well-lived
What are the two views of happiness discussed in Positive Psychology?
- Hedonic
- Eudaimonic
What does the Hedonic view of happiness focus on?
Pleasure, positive emotions, and the absence of pain
What does the Eudaimonic view of happiness emphasize?
Living in a full and satisfying way, self-realization, and optimal functioning
What are the three major components of Subjective Well-Being?
- Life satisfaction
- Positive affect
- Low negative affect
What is the Peak-End Rule in relation to memory?
A bias where people remember the peak and end experiences more than the overall experience
What is the relationship between income and happiness according to research?
Higher income is linked to greater well-being but with diminishing returns
What is the Hedonic treadmill?
The phenomenon where people adapt to their wealth and continuously seek more
What are healthy illusions according to Taylor & Brown?
Positive biases that promote well-being and self-image
What is ‘depressive realism’?
The phenomenon where mildly depressed individuals may have a more accurate perception of reality
What are the Big Five Personality Traits?
- Extraversion
- Neuroticism
- Agreeableness
- Conscientiousness
- Openness to experience
How does dispositional optimism affect people’s lives?
Leads to higher subjective well-being and better life outcomes
What are the benefits of having an optimistic explanatory style?
- Higher subjective well-being
- Higher salaries
- Better athletic performance
What is the Behavioral Activation System (BAS)?
A system that drives positive emotions and the pursuit of rewards
How do optimists typically cope with challenges?
Using problem-focused strategies and seeking benefits
What is the impact of parenting styles on the development of optimism?
- Secure attachment promotes optimism
- Avoidant attachment tends to foster pessimism
Fill in the blank: Positive Psychology studies the qualities and conditions that promote a _______ well-lived.
[life]
What characterizes securely attached children?
Able to leave caretakers’ side happily to explore the surrounding environment and return for comfort as needed
Typically cooperative and rarely angry
