midterm 1

What is the difference between hedonic and eudaimonic well-being?

Hedonic well-being focuses on pleasure and enjoyment, while eudaimonic well-being focuses on meaning, purpose, and fulfillment

According to the objectivist perspective, what determines happiness?

Objective life circumstances such as income, marriage, health, and success

According to the subjectivist (construal) perspective, what determines happiness?

How people interpret and think about their life circumstances

According to construal theory, why can two people experience the same event but have different happiness levels?

Because they interpret and evaluate the event differently

According to Boehm, Ruberton, and Lyubomirsky, how do happy people interpret life events?

More positively and optimistically

According to Boehm, Ruberton, and Lyubomirsky, how do happy people view themselves and others?

More favorably and positively

What is social comparison?

Evaluating oneself by comparing to other people

According to Lyubomirsky and Ross, how are happy people affected by social comparison?

They are less influenced by unfavorable comparisons

According to Lyubomirsky and Ross, how are unhappy people affected by social comparison?

They are more negatively affected by unfavorable comparisons

According to Lyubomirsky and Ross, how do happy people make decisions differently?

They are generally more satisfied with their choices and alternatives

According to Lyubomirsky and Ross, how do unhappy people make decisions differently?

They are more likely to second-guess and be dissatisfied with choices

According to Lyubomirsky, what is a construal?

The way a person interprets and mentally represents an event or situation

According to Lyubomirsky, why are happy people happier?

Because they use more adaptive ways of thinking, interpreting events, and evaluating experiences

According to Lyubomirsky, what is one reason circumstances do not strongly predict happiness?

People adapt to circumstances and interpret them differently

According to Jacobs Bao and Lyubomirsky, what is the happiness-success relationship?

Happiness often precedes and contributes to success

What are the three major domains in which happiness predicts success?

Work, relationships, and health

What is cross-sectional evidence?

Evidence collected at one point in time showing relationships between variables

What is longitudinal evidence?

Evidence collected over time showing how variables predict future outcomes

What is experimental evidence?

Evidence from studies that manipulate variables to test causation

What did the Nun Study find?

Positive emotional expression early in life predicted longer lifespan

What did the Yearbook Study find?

Duchenne smiles in yearbook photos predicted later well-being and relationship success

What is a Duchenne smile?

A genuine smile involving both the mouth and muscles around the eyes

What did the Rhinovirus Study find?

Happier people were less likely to become sick after exposure to a cold virus

According to happiness research, why might happy people have better health?

They engage in healthier behaviors and cope with stress more effectively

According to Lykken and Tellegen, what role do genetics play in happiness?

Genetics account for a substantial portion of happiness differences

What is the happiness set point?

A person's typical or baseline level of happiness

What are the four components of emotion?

Subjective experience, physiological response, emotional expression, and instrumental behavior

What is subjective experience in emotion?

The personal feeling component of emotion

What is physiological response in emotion?

Bodily changes such as heart rate and arousal

What is emotional expression?

Observable displays such as facial expressions and body language

What is instrumental behavior?

Actions motivated by emotional states

What are the three major ways emotions are measured?

Self-report, physiological measures, and behavioral observation

What is self-report measurement of emotion?

Asking people to describe their emotions

What are physiological measures of emotion?

Bodily indicators such as heart rate, blood pressure, EEG, and skin conductance

What is behavioral observation of emotion?

Measuring observable emotional expressions and behaviors

What is FACS?

Facial Action Coding System

Who developed FACS?

Paul Ekman and colleagues

What does FACS measure?

Facial muscle movements associated with emotions

Why is FACS important?

It provides an objective way to measure emotional expression

What does EEG measure?

Brain electrical activity

What does EMG measure?

Muscle activity

What does EKG measure?

Heart activity

What does skin conductance measure?

Physiological arousal through sweat gland activity

Why do psychologists use multiple measures of emotion?

Because emotions involve feelings, behavior, and physiological responses

According to Peterson, what is positive psychology?

The scientific study of what goes right in life and what makes life worth living

According to Peterson, why was positive psychology created?

To balance psychology's focus on pathology by studying strengths, flourishing, and well-being

According to Peterson, what is the disease model?

The view that psychology should primarily focus on disorders, weaknesses, and problems

What are the three pillars of positive psychology?

Positive emotions, positive traits, and positive institutions

According to Peterson, what does positive psychology emphasize?

Strengths, virtues, fulfillment, flourishing, and optimal functioning

According to Oishi, Diener, and Lucas, what is subjective well-being (SWB)?

A person's cognitive and affective evaluations of life as a whole

What are the three components of subjective well-being?

Positive affect, low negative affect, and life satisfaction

What is positive affect?

The experience of pleasant emotions and moods

What is negative affect?

The experience of unpleasant emotions and moods

What is life satisfaction?

A cognitive judgment about the quality of one's life

According to Myers, are most people unhappy?

No, most people report being at least moderately happy

According to Myers, what are the three major predictors of happiness?

Funds, friends, and faith

According to Myers, what does "funds" refer to?

Financial resources and income

According to Myers, what does "friends" refer to?

Close social relationships and support

According to Myers, what does "faith" refer to?

Religious or spiritual involvement

According to Jacobs Bao and Lyubomirsky, what major claim is supported by research?

Happiness contributes to success

According to Jacobs Bao and Lyubomirsky, what three domains are improved by happiness?

Work, relationships, and health

According to Jacobs Bao and Lyubomirsky, why does happiness lead to success?

Positive emotions promote approach behavior, resource building, and goal pursuit

What is a cross-sectional study?

A study examining relationships between variables at one point in time

What is a longitudinal study?

A study that follows people over time

What is an experimental study?

A study that manipulates variables to determine causal relationships

According to Boehm, Ruberton, and Lyubomirsky, what is construal theory?

Happy and unhappy people interpret similar events differently

According to construal theory, how do happy people view life events?

More positively and optimistically

According to Boehm, Ruberton, and Lyubomirsky, how do happy people respond to social comparisons?

They are less affected by unfavorable comparisons

According to Layous and Lyubomirsky, can happiness be increased?

Yes, through intentional positive activities

What are positive activity interventions?

Simple activities designed to increase happiness and well-being

According to Layous and Lyubomirsky, what is person-activity fit?

The match between a happiness activity and a person's interests, values, and personality

What is hedonic adaptation?

The tendency to return toward a baseline level of happiness after life changes

Why is hedonic adaptation important?

It explains why positive life events often have only temporary effects on happiness

What percentage of happiness is attributed to genetics in the pie chart model?

50%

What percentage of happiness is attributed to life circumstances in the pie chart model?

10%

What percentage of happiness is attributed to intentional activities in the pie chart model?

40%

What are intentional activities?

Deliberate behaviors and thoughts used to increase happiness

What are examples of intentional activities?

Gratitude, kindness, optimism, forgiveness, and savoring