Positive Psychology Exam 3 Study Guide

Created by Alexandra Marquez

What are the two variations of the trolley dilemma and what did the fMRI experiment with it find?
Pushing someone to their death is more emotionally and socially salient than the thought of hitting a switch causing a trolley to produce the same result. Brain areas involved in emotion and social thinking were more involved in the second task - it also took for those who went against their initial emotional response not to push the person longer to decide to do it - mindful pause and think

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What are the two variations of the trolley dilemma and what did the fMRI experiment with it find?Pushing someone to their death is more emotionally and socially salient than the thought of hitting a switch causing a trolley to produce the same result. Brain areas involved in emotion and social thinking were more involved in the second task - it also took for those who went against their initial emotional response not to push the person longer to decide to do it - mindful pause and think
What are the four kinds of self-control according to Baumeister?1. Thoughts 2. Emotions 3. Impulses 4. Performance
Thoughts - self-control according to BaumeisterGetting certain thoughts out of our minds
Emotions - self-control according to BaumeisterTrying to reduce feelings of fear, sadness, or anger
Impulses - self-control according to BaumeisterManage/control self from doing something
Performance - self-control according to BaumeisterTo improve performance on tasks such as playing a musical instrument
What are Kohlberg's six stages of moral development?1. obedience and punishment driven 2. self-interest driven 3. interpersonal accord 4. authority and social order obedience 5. social contract driven Stage 6. universal ethical principles driven
What were the findings of Walter Mischel's marshmallow experiment regarding the "grabbers" and the "waiters"?"Grabbers" - lower self-esteem, more prone to envy, more easily frustrated, viewed by others as stubborn "Waiters" - better copers, more socially competent, self-assertive, trustworthy, dependable, more academically successful; better able to resist temptation as teenagers, better able to focus on their studies, could control themselves better when things didn't go the way that they wanted
What were the findings of the nursing home study by Ellen Langer and Judith Rodin?High control group (given houseplant & responsibilities) - more active, vigorous, and sociable, improved in physical health (control group worsened in physical health)
Who is Kim Phuc, and how is her story related to forgiveness?Hurt in Vietnam War, burns on 65% of her body. "forgiveness is stronger than any weapon in the world"
What six things did we say that forgiveness is not in class?1. Not excusing or pardoning what another person has done or keeping them from facing the consequences of their actions 2. Not justifying what someone has done or rationalizing that it was okay for them to do it 3. Does not mean denying the harm of what someone has done to you, trying to ignore it, or denying that it had negative consequences 4. Does not mean having to forget what another person did to hurt you 5. Does not necessarily mean reconciling, getting back together, continuing to relate to someone, or even ever seeing them again 6. Does not mean you have to like or feel affection for the person who has hurt you
What are the six reasons people give for forgiving?1. To quiet our angry feelings and feel more peaceful 2. To reduce the harmful effects of anger and hostility on health 3. To free ourselves to move on from the past 4. To develop better relationships with others 5. To improve your relationship with the one who has hurt you - if it is possible 6. To motivate the person to change - if they are willing and able
What are the three tools of forgiveness?1. Social support 2. Journaling 3. Meditation
Social supportgetting the help of other people
Journalingwriting about our experience
Meditationdisciplined reflection on the experience
How have optimism and hope been related to mental and physical health?Optimism and hope are two of the strongest and most consistent predictors of a variety of positive outcomes - They are consistently related to better mental health including less anxiety, depression, and negative emotions - They are consistently related to better physical health including better adjustment to chronic pain and illness
What are two reasons that optimism may be good for us?1. Preparation and practice - may make it more likely that you will practice and prepare for a task 2. Trying and persisting - may be more likely to persist in the face of obstacles
What are three meanings that have been associated with humor by Willibald Ruch1. Humor may be a positive asset in recovery from illness 2. Humor may be a positive asset for dealing with mortality 3. Humor may improve immune system functioning 4. Humor may reduce the harmful effects of the stress response
What were the 10 kinds of humor presented in class?1. Joke 2. Irony 3. Banter or repartee 4. Riddle 5. Understatement 6. Hyperbole 7. Practical joke 8. Satire and parody 9. Physical humor 10. Situational humor
What are the four humor styles?1. Affiliative humor (good for others) 2. Self-Enhancing humor (good for self) 3. Aggressive humor (bad for others) 4. Self-Defeating humor (bad for self)
Affiliative humor (good for others)Used to enhance one's relationships with others in a benevolent, positive manner
Self-Enhancing humor (good for self)A type of coping or emotion-regulating humor in which individuals use to look on the bright side of a bad situation, find the silver lining or maintain a positive attitude even in trying times
Aggressive humor (bad for others)Characterized by the use of sarcasm, put-downs, teasing, criticism, ridicule, and other types of humor used at the expense of others
Self-Defeating humor (bad for self)Characterized by the use of potentially detrimental humor towards the self in order to gain approval from others
What are the five kinds of empathy in Paul Wong's typology of empathy?1. Instinctual empathy 2. Relational empathy 3. Experiential empathy 4. Basic empathy 5. Advanced empathy
Instinctual empathy in Paul Wong's typology of empathyThe most primitive type of empathy - "hardwired" for survival, animals respond to distress calls and behaviors by members of the same and sometimes other species
Relational empathy in Paul Wong's typology of empathyRefers to affective response to another person's feelings only when there is a close relationship, the closer the relationship the more sensitive one is to another person's feelings and conditions
Experiential empathy in Paul Wong's typology of empathyComes from sharing common personal experiences, more empathy because we understand what it is like to go through the same
Basic empathy in Paul Wong's typology of empathyA set of skills (active listening, reflective listening, frequent eye contact, non-verbal > nodding, restating or paraphrasing to show understanding
Advanced empathy in Paul Wong's typology of empathyDeveloping insightful understanding of another's intentions, desires, and unspoken concerns. The insightful construing of meaning and significance from a variety of seemingly trivial clues, it tests hypothesis about the missing pieces of the puzzle and anticipates solutions
What were the three elements of Big-C citizenship?1. Focus on what you can give as much as what you can take from the community 2. Work for a win-win rather than win at all costs 3. Hold your group to a higher standard rather than my group, right or wrong
What is Big-L leadership?The formal leadership of a relatively large number of people in larger groups
What is Little-L leadership?The everyday leadership exercised in facilitating group activities and in leading and influencing other individuals
What are the three focuses of the appreciation of beauty and excellence?1. Physical beauty 2. Skill or talent 3. Virtue or moral goodness
What five emotional states are related to the appreciation of beauty and excellence?1. Awe 2. Wonder 3. Admiration 4. Gratitude 5. Astonishment
What are the three moral functions of gratitude?1. May serve as a moral barometer - lets us know when someone has done something for us 2. May serve as a moral motive - influences us to give back to others 3. May serve as a moral reinforcer - encourages and rewards us for what was previously done for other people
What are four interventions to increase gratitude?1. Counting blessings 2. Three good things 3. Gratitude expression 4. Counting blessings with meditation
What is the difference between authentic and imposed meaning?Authentic meaning - brings you energy rather than drains you, it is where you experience flow and feel passionate, it is where you experience passion and "bliss" Imposed meaning - forced to take on, a task to complete, may be seen as a deadline, heart is not in it
How might value clarification and the PATH process help to foster a sense of purpose in life?Clarifying your values - used to determine what's important; determines short and long-term goals PATH process - identifying what you want, map steps for using strengths, enlisting others, and set goals that will help you stay focused
How were meaning, purpose, and spirituality defined in class?1. Meaning - understanding of who we are, what the world is like, and how we fit in it 2. Purpose - have a long-term and overarching goal that brings meaning to our life and gives a sense of direction 3. Spirituality - have a connection with something larger than ourselves that brings life meaning and purpose
Who's work supported the values of developing a sense of meaning?1. Joseph Campbell 2. Dan McAdams 3. James Pennebaker
How does the work of Joseph Campbell support the value of developing a sense of meaning?Idea of a hero's journey shows us how important it has been for people to see themselves as part of a story where facing challenges can bring great rewards
How does the work of Dan McAdams support the value of developing a sense of meaning?Works has showed us that having a life story with a positive resolution and redemption may be important for psychological well-being
How does the work of James Pennebaker support the value of developing a sense of meaning?Writing interventions has provided evidence that forming a coherent narrative in the context of stressful events may be beneficial for mental and physical health
How did we define humility?A non-defensive willingness to see yourself accurately with all of your strengths and weaknesses
What are four ways to foster humility?1. Secure attachment - having warm and satisfying relationships 2. Honest relationships - parents and peers openly acknowledge both successes + failures and positive + negative qualities 3. Get to know your strengths and weaknesses - make intentional efforts to gain a more realistic view of whole self 4. Being open to what life teaches - cultivating an openness to everyday experience and all the ups and downs of life
What are four ways to foster prudence?1. Values clarification 2. Setting long and short-term goals 3. Goal clarification and conflict resolution 4. Goal directed time management
What are the two main traditions of moral reasoning in psychology and who founded them?1. The Justice Tradition - Lawrence Kohlberg 2. The Care Tradition - Carol Gilligan
The Justice Tradition of moral reasoningFounded by Lawrence Kohlberg. Focus on logic and ethical principles
The Care Tradition of moral reasoningFounded by Carol Gilligan. Focus on human emotions and social relationships
What are the three levels of the Justice Tradition?A. Preconventional B. Conventional C. Post-Conventional
Preconventional level of the Justice Traditionjudge the morality of an action by its direct consequences, purely concerned with the self in an egocentric manner
Conventional level of the Justice Traditionwhat is right is determined by comparing self actions to what other people think and expect, involves conformity to existing social norms and laws
Post-Conventional level of the Justice TraditionRealization that people are separate individuals, may have to adapt rules and laws to better serve individuals; the right and responsibility to think for oneself even if it conflicts with current laws
Cool systems in relation to self-control?Ability to think things through in a slower and more deliberate fashion
Hot system in relation to self-control?The impulses, emotions, and reflexes that urge us to go ahead and do something quickly
What is the big danger in positive thinking?A person may not make the necessary effort to bring about a positive outcome because they believe that thinking alone will bring it about
What is the optimism bias?The belief that one is less at risk of negative events than others
What is the missing mediator problem in relation to positive thinking?People assume that thinking about something positive happening causes it to happen; the danger is if you believe that thinking alone will make it happen, you may not think you need to act and it may be less likely to actually happen - thinking about your best possible life & action
What trait has been most associated with humor?Cheerfulness
Big-C citizenship?Involves working for the greatest good of everyone regardless of what group they belong to, everyone is in the "in-group" and there is no us vs. them mentality
Little-C citizenship?involves working for the good of one's country, state, city, country club, church, or sports team, this is an "in-group" and an "out-group" and often an us vs. them mentality
What are the three components of meaning?1. Cognitive component 2. Motivational component 3. Emotional component
Cognitive component of meaningmeaning consists of thoughts about what you value and think is important - think about the most when you are free to think
Motivational component of meaningmeaning is motivating- devote the most time and energy to what is most meaningful to you
Emotional component of meaningstrong feelings about what is most meaningful to you