unit 3B

Positive psychology

The scientific study of what makes life worth living, focusing on strengths and virtues that allow individuals and community to thrive, rather than solely on mental illness

Well-being

A holistic measure of a persons overall mental, emotional, and physical health, often linked to happiness, life satisfaction, and resilience

Resilience

The ability to adapt and recover from adversity, trauma, or significant stress, allowing individuals to bounce back from challenges

Gratitude

A feeling of appreciation for positive aspects of life, which has been linked to increased happiness and well being

Signature strength

Signature Strengths & Virtues core characteristics that a person naturally possesses and expresses, which contribute to fulfilling, authentic, and engaged living. 

Wisdom

Strengths of wisdom and knowledge include positive traits related to the acquisition and use of information in the service of the good life

Ex: curiosity, judgement, love of learning, perspective, creativity

Courage

These are strengths that capture the drive or will to take on and accomplish goals in the face of obstacles and challenges.

Ex: bravery, honesty, perseverance

Humanity

Positive traits are found in caring relationships, where we tend and befriend others.

Ex: kindness, social intelligence, love

Justice

Such strengths are “broadly interpersonal, relevant to the optimal interaction between the individual and the group or the community

Ex: fairness, leadership, teamwork

Temperance

These strengths protect us from excess, including hatred, reliance on short-term pleasures, and arrogance. Rather than burying our emotions, we take charge of them.

Ex: forgiveness, humility, prudence, self-regulation

Transcendence

These strengths allow “individuals to form connections to the larger universe and thereby provide meaning to their lives”

Ex: appreciation of beauty & excellence, hope, humor, spirituality, gratitude

Post-traumatic growth

Positive psychological change that occurs after experiencing adversity or trauma, leading to increased personal strength, deeper relationships, and a greater appreciation for life.

Behavioral perspective

Examines how observable behaviors are learned and reinforced through interactions with the environment

Associative learning

A process of learning in which an individual forms connections between events that occur together

Habituation (non-associative learning)

Getting used to something over time

Classical conditioning

A learning method where we associate two stimuli, enabling us to anticipate events

Unconditioned stimulus

Naturally and automatically triggers a response

Unconditioned response

An automatic reaction

Conditioned stimulus

A previously neutral stimulus that becomes associated with a response through learning

Conditioned response

A response that is learned and occurs as a result of the conditioned stimulus

Acquisition

The initial learning of an association

Extinction

The process in which the conditioned response weakens

Spontaneous recovery

The reappearance of a previously extinguished conditioned response after a period of rest

Stimulus discrimination

The ability to differentiate between similar stimuli

Stimulus generalization

The tendency to respond to stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus

Counter conditioning

Changing a learned response to something more preferred by pairing it with a different experience

Higher order conditioning

A process where a previously conditioned stimulus is used to create further association with new neutral stimuli

Taste aversion

A learning association between the taste of a particular food and feeling sick, often occurring after only one pairing

One trial conditioning

Learning that happens quickly after just one pairing of two things

Biological preparedness

The innate tendency of organisms to quickly learn associations between certain stimuli and responses that are relevant to their survival, such as food and danger

Operant conditioning

A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened or weakened by consequence, such as reinforcement or punishment

The law of effect

Behaviors followed by favorable outcomes are more likely to be repeated, while behaviors followed by unfavorable outcomes are less likely to be repeated

Reinforcement (Repeat)

Any consequence that increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again in the future

Primary reinforcers

Things we naturally like, such as food or water

Secondary reinforcers

Things we learn to like because they’re connected to primary reinforcers or other things we like

Reinforcement discrimination

The ability to distinguish between different stimuli and respond appropriately based on the presence or absence of reinforcement

Reinforcement generalization

The tendency to respond similarly to different stimuli that are associated with the same reinforcement

Positive reinforcement

Presenting a desirable stimulus after a behavior to increase the likelihood of that behavior happening again in the future

Negative reinforcement

Removing an aversive after a behavior to increase the likelihood of that behavior happening again in the future

Punishment (Prevent)

Any consequence that decreases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again in the future

Positive punishment

Adding an aversive stimulus after a behavior to decrease the likelihood of that behavior happening again in the future

Negative punishment

Removing a desirable stimulus after a behavior to decrease the likelihood of that behavior happening again in the future

Shaping

Gradually reinforcing behaviors that are closer and closer to the desired behavior, leading to the development of a complex behavior or skill

Instinctive drift

Animals may go back to their natural instincts instead of learning new behaviors through training

Superstitious behavior

Accidental reinforcement of behaviors, leading to the belief that those behaviors are causing desired outcomes, even when they are not

Reinforcement schedule

Patterns determining when and how often reinforcement is given for a behavior, influencing the rate and persistence of that behavior

Continuous reinforcement

Reinforcing a behavior every time it occurs

Partial reinforcement

Reinforcing a behavior only some of the time it occurs, leading to slower extinction but also less consistent responding

Fixed interval “FI”

Reinforcement is delivered after a fixed amount of time has passed since the last reinforcement, leading to a predictable pattern of behavior

Variable interval “VI”

Reinforcement is delivered after varying amounts of time have passed since the last reinforcement, leading to a steady but moderate rate of responding

Fixed ratio “FR”

Reinforcement is delivered after a fixed number of responses, leading to a high rate of responding with short pauses after each reinforcement

Variable ratio “VR”

Reinforcement is delivered after an unpredictable number of responses, leading to a high and steady rate of responding with minimal pauses