chp 12

Phenomenology

The study of conscious experience, emphasizing that one's consciousness in the present moment is psychologically more important than the external world.

Consciousness

The immediate, conscious experience of the world, also known as phenomenology, which is considered crucial in humanistic psychology.

Construal

An individual's unique way of experiencing and interpreting the world, influencing their perceptions, goals, and interactions.

Introspection

The process of observing and reflecting on one's own mental processes and experiences.

Existentialism

A philosophical movement focusing on the concrete experiences of existence, questioning the nature, feelings, and meaning of life.

Umwelt

The biological component of conscious experience, encompassing bodily sensations like pleasure, pain, heat, and cold.

Mitwelt

The social component of conscious experience, involving emotions and thoughts related to interactions with others.

Eigenwelt

The inner, psychological component of conscious experience, reflecting how one perceives and understands their own mind and existence.

Thrown-ness

The concept of being born into specific circumstances, time, and place, influencing one's experience of existence.

Existential Anxiety

The unpleasant feelings arising from contemplating the meaning of life, one's choices, and the awareness of life's brevity.

Bad Faith

Ignoring existential issues by surrounding oneself with material comforts, leading to unhappiness and a lack of meaning in life.

Authentic Existence

Courageously facing the facts of mortality, life's brevity, and taking responsibility for one's own destiny within those limits.

Anatta

The Zen Buddhist concept of "nonself," which suggests that the independent, singular self is an illusion and that the self is a temporary composite of various influences.

Nirvana

In Zen Buddhism, the serene state of selfless being achieved through enlightenment, characterized by universal compassion and wisdom.

Self-Actualization

The basic tendency and striving of an organism to maintain, enhance, and actualize itself, as proposed by Carl Rogers in humanistic psychology.

Hierarchy of Needs

Abraham Maslow's theory of human motivation characterized by a pyramid of needs, where self-actualization is the ultimate goal after fulfilling basic needs like food, safety, and relationships.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

A theory that suggests individuals have different levels of needs, starting from basic physiological needs and moving towards self-actualization.

Career Choice and Employee Motivation

Maslow's theory is practical in understanding career choices and motivating employees based on their needs hierarchy.

Conditions of Worth

The concept that individuals are valued only if they meet certain criteria, leading to limitations in freedom and self-perception.

Fully Functioning Person

A term by Maslow and Rogers referring to individuals who are self-aware, responsible, and live authentically, free from conditions of worth.

Rogerian Psychotherapy

A humanistic approach aiming to help clients become fully functioning persons by providing unconditional positive regard and promoting self-awareness.

Personal Constructs

George Kelly's theory suggesting that individuals have unique cognitive systems made of bipolar dimensions that shape their perceptions and interpretations of the world.

Role Construct Repertory Test (Rep test)

A method favored by Kelly to assess an individual's personal construct system by identifying similarities and differences among important people, ideas, or traits in their life.

Chronically accessible constructs

Constructs that are readily brought to mind in certain individuals, influencing their perceptions and thoughts about the world.

Constructive alternativism

Kelly's view that depending on personal constructs, any pattern of experience can lead to multiple interpretations, emphasizing the individual's choice in selecting these interpretations.

Sociality corollary

In Kelly's theory, the principle that understanding another person requires comprehending their unique view of reality.

Positive psychology

A field focusing on positive subjective experiences, individual traits, and institutions to enhance quality of life and prevent pathologies, aligning with humanistic psychology's emphasis on growth and development.

Positive Psychology

Focuses on human strengths instead of faults, aiming to promote good outcomes like optimal achievement and health.

Virtues

Attributes identified across cultures and times as valuable, including courage, justice, humanity, temperance, wisdom, and transcendence.

Mindfulness

Being consciously aware and in control of every moment of subjective experience, helpful in reducing stress and improving memory.

Flow

A state of total absorption in an activity, characterized by concentration, lack of distractibility, and time passing quickly.

Awe

Feelings of encountering something vast that challenges one's worldview, leading to humility and a balanced view of strengths and weaknesses.

Happiness

Involves overall life satisfaction, satisfaction in specific life domains, and high levels of positive emotion and low levels of negative emotion.

Hedonic well-being

Seeking pleasure and minimizing pain, risking a life lacking depth and meaning.

Eudaimonic well-being

Seeking intrinsic goals that are valuable in their own right, promoting depth, meaning, and community.

Self-determination Theory (SDT)

Emphasizes the importance of intrinsic goals over extrinsic goals for a meaningful life and well-being.

Happiness Set Point

The moderately stable level of happiness determined by an individual's genetic influences, particularly extraversion and neuroticism traits.

Genetic Influence on Happiness

The role of genetics in shaping an individual's happiness set point, as evidenced by the heritability of traits like extraversion and neuroticism.

Impact of Life Circumstances

The influence of objective life circumstances, such as age, education, marital status, and income, on an individual's overall happiness.

Influence of Experiences

The suggestion that spending money on experiences rather than material possessions can lead to greater individual happiness and improved long-term relationships.

Political Ideology and Happiness

The finding that thinking like a political conservative may reduce negative emotions, while thinking like a liberal may increase positive emotions, ultimately contributing to happiness.

Interventions for Happiness

Various interventions like expressing gratitude, performing kind acts, and focusing on important life goals that can potentially increase an individual's happiness.

Consequences of Happiness

The idea that happiness can be both an outcome and a cause of good health, occupational success, and supportive relationships, leading to increased confidence, optimism, and sociability.

Dark Sides of Happiness

Potential negative consequences of excessive happiness, such as overlooking risky situations, counterproductive pursuit of happiness, and harmful types of happiness like hubristic or arrogant attitudes.

Phenomenology of Experience

The emphasis on conscious experience in humanistic psychology, highlighting the mystery of experience, the importance of understanding others' unique realities, and the focus on optimal experience and happiness.

Conscious Experience

The essential fact that conscious experience is both an obvious fact and a basic mystery, which cannot be fully explained by science or words.

Phenomenology

The perspective that implies the present moment of experience is crucial, emphasizing awareness and free will in understanding individuals.

Personal Constructs

Kelly's theory stating that each person's experience is organized by a unique set of personal constructs, influencing their perception of the world.

Positive Psychology

A branch focusing on traits and processes promoting well-being and meaning in life, including mindfulness and universal human virtues.

Happiness

Defined as the achievement of hedonic or eudaimonic means, influenced by genetics, life circumstances, intentional activities, and having positive effects on health and relationships.