Week 10

Question 1

what was veenhoven’s review on happiness (3) ? for each of his points, what has additional research revealed?

Answer 1

the pursuit of happiness makes us…

1. more self-focused/less other-focused
   -additional research: happiness associated w more concern for others.
2. more idle
   -additional research: happier on more active days, more prosocial, better w cognitive tasks, more expansive writing movements on happier days.
3. less healthy
   -additional research: happiness associated w heath + longevity

Question 2

what are 3 things that SWB is related to according to lyubormirsky et al’s and pressman & cohen’s meta-analyses?

Answer 2

1. more prestigious jobs and better job performance in general
2. happier interpersonal relationships (including marriages)
3. lower mortality/high survival rates

Question 3

according to lyubormirksy et al’s and pressman & cohen’s meta-analyses, what does PA motivate ppl to do (2)?

Answer 3

-PA motivates ppl to act in ways to improve WB
-broadens attentional focus ( = enhanced coping & problem-solving)

Question 4

T or F: according to lyubormirksy et al’s and pressman & cohen’s meta-analyses, happiness is an outcome of life success, not the other way around.

Answer 4

false! both ways (happiness fosters life success too)

Question 5

T or F: a portion of SWB is heritable.

Answer 5

true

Question 6

about how much (%) of variance in SWB is stable?

Answer 6

50%

Question 7

was the hedonic treadmill theory correct?

Answer 7

-not completely.
-ex. some circumstances we never adapt to, adapt slowly to, or adapt incompletely to.
-our baseline is slightly happy; not neutral.

Question 8

what is schooler et al.’s paradox?

Answer 8

pursuit of happiness is rarely successful when done for its own sake.

Question 9

you don’t have to pursue happiness in order to be happy, you need to pursue ____.

Answer 9

optimal goals

Question 10

what are optimal goals (5)?

Answer 10

1. self-concordant (goals rooted in self-concept result in intrinsic motivation).
2. approach-oriented (avoidance-motivated do not +WB).
3. moderately challenging (effort = growth).
4. attainable.
5. instrumentally related (not in conflict).

Question 11

do we ever adapt to goal-pursuit?

Answer 11

no!

Question 12

what was fordyce’s intentional positive activities study?

Answer 12

-taught students what happy ppl do, had students practice those behaviours in everyday life.
-WB improved relative to control group (insight group, fundamentals group, activities group, control group).
-measured 50 random ppl’s WB 3 months later.
-fundamentals group experienced largest boost in WB.

-replicated findings; we can make ppl happier :)

Question 13

according to lyubomirsky et al.’s positive activity model, what are the 3 main contributers to WB? what was their main claim regarding positive activities?

Answer 13

1. intentional activity (40%)
2. circumstances (10%)
3. set-point (50%)

main point: practicing simple, intentional and regular activities meant to mimic the thoughts, behaviours and goals of happy ppl can boost happiness

Question 14

sketch the positive activity model diagram

Answer 14

this website tryna make me pay to insert an image so just do this urself on a sticky note or smth :p

Question 15

what are the 3 moderators of the positive activity model?

Answer 15

1. activity features
   -simple (but not passive), intentional, and effortful.
   -dosage: depends on person-activity fit.
   -variety (to prevent habituation).
   -trigger: acts that trigger further positive acts.
   -socially supported acts: connection to others, to some higher power/energy.
   -sustained practice.
2. person features
   -motivated + believe efforts will pay off (self-efficacy).
   -personality traits (ex. extraversion & openness).
   -initial affective state (ex. if already happy, not much of an increase available).
   -perceptions of social support.
   -demographics (determine values, goals).
3. person-activity fit
   -activities must fit with personal characteristics.
   -ex. self-oriented (optimism) vs. other-oriented (gratitude), i.e., individualists vs. collectivists.
   -ex. social-behavioural (being kind) vs. reflective cognitive (savouring happy times), i.e., lonely vs. “frazzled” individuals.
   -ex. past-focused (counting blessings) vs. future-oriented (ex. optimistic thinking), i.e., older adults vs. youth.

Question 16

based on the positive activity model, why does performing positive activities benefit WB (3)?

Answer 16

1. intentional and require effort
   -can lead to flow.
2. increase happiness
   -foster PA, positive thoughts/meaning, satisfies human needs.
3. counter hedonic adaptation = long-term happiness
   -episodic, transient, varied activities.
   -draw attention to features that produced initial happiness and help us to not take them for granted.

Question 17

what are the specific WB interventions that we discussed in class (5)?

Answer 17

1. counting your blessings
2. expressing optimism
3. focusing on good things
4. focusing on character strengths
5. using character strengths

Question 18

counting your blessings: why gratitude (5)?

Answer 18

1. prevents hedonic adaptation
2. strengthens social relationships
3. counters depressive affect
4. increases resiliency
5. acts as a moral barometer, motivator, and reinforcer

Question 19

counting your blessings: what are the 2 associated studies and their findings?

Answer 19

1. seligman et al.
   -count your blessings vs control condition.
   -write & deliver letter IRL to someone who had been kind to them, but never properly thanked.
   -larger immediate boost in happiness relative to control.
   -short-term benefits; by 3 months returned to baseline.
2. watkins et al.
   -one daily one week interventions.
   -memory placebo group, pride 3-blessings group, gratitude 3-blessings group.
   -assessed PA, NA, LS, depression, gratitude.
   -gratitude 3-blessings showed greatest boosts; still short-term tho.

conclusion: counting your blessings = short-term benefits.

Question 20

expressing optimism: what is the evidence like?

Answer 20

-mixed.

-“write about your best possible self” reported boost in happiness that lasted for several weeks.

-“write about when you were at your best/personal strengths” reported immediate boost but returned to baseline by 1 week. note: control group happier tho??

Question 21

focusing on good things: what is the evidence?

Answer 21

-supports!

-seligman et al.
-“write down daily 3 things that went well + why”
-long-term increases in happiness

Question 22

focusing on good things: what is the evidence like?

Answer 22

-supports!

-seligman et al.
-“write down daily 3 things that went well + why”
-long-term increases in happiness. note: control group started out as happier but exp group ended happier.

Question 23

focusing on character strengths: what is the evidence like?

Answer 23

-seligman et al.
-take survey + note top 5 and try to use throughout week.
-immediate boost in happiness relative to control.
-by 1 week returned to baseline.

Question 24

using character strengths: what is the evidence like?

Answer 24

-seligman et al.
-take survey + note top 5 character strengths, use one of top character strengths in diff way every day
-long-term sustained increases in happiness. note: control group started out as happier but exp group ended happier.

Question 25

what are some other interventions that work (5)?

Answer 25

1. exercise
2. mindfulness and meditation
3. social contact/support
4. humour
5. distractions

Question 26

what is slemp & vella-brodrick’s job crafting? what are 3 ways employees can craft their jobs?

Answer 26

job crafting: ways employees take active role in initiating physical/ cognitive changes to how they approach their work.

1. task crafting
   -initiating changes to # or types of activities.
   -ex. finding creative way to do tasks.
2. relational crafting
   -exercising discretion about who one interacts with at work.
   -ex. receiving + providing social support from coworkers.
3. cognitive crafting
   -altering how one “sees” their job to make it more personally meaningful.

found that task crafting increased employee WB by satisfying intrinsic needs (SDT).

Question 27

what are the limitations of the WB intervention literature (5)? did parks et al. account for these limitations?

Answer 27

1. know little about target audience.
   -most studies do not examine efficacy of intervention in distressed samples.

-parks et al. did not fully account for this; more than half of their sample were non-distressed individuals.

2. types of activities involved.
   -most studies do not examine simultaneous use of multiple strategies.

-parks et al. had many activities.

3. adaptation.
   -most studies do not use long-term follow-ups.

-parks et al. investigated adaptation + how ppl dealt with it: “I did the same activity in a new way” (28.1%), “I kept practicing the same activity in the same way (26.3%)”.

4. frequency.
   -most studies use instructions that minimize the time commitment required.

-parks et al asked abt frequency, most likely to practice most important activity several times a week for at least 1hr each time.

5. tracking practice of activities.
   -possible diff bw freely chosen activities vs those instructed by others.

-parks et al. used “live happy” app, ppl freely completed activities and measures (mood & happiness) on their own time.