Unit 2 RCC/LCC Questions

According to Schwartz et al. (2002), maximizers are more likely than satisficers to... 

• Buy many different brands of the same product 

• Rely on intuition when making choices

• Be satisfied with their purchases  

• Engage in more social comparison  

• Engage in more social comparison  

The Dualistic Model of Passion, as described in the article by Vallerand (2008), proposes that people may have two types of passion for their favorite activities.  What are they?

• obsessive passion and relaxed passion

• divergent passion and abundant passion

• divergent passion and harmonious passion

• obsessive passion and harmonious passion

• obsessive passion and harmonious passion

For whatever reason, a random thought about your favorite activity pops to mind and makes you smile. According to lecture, this is an instance of which concept in the Upward Spiral Theory of Lifestyle Change?

• cognitive elaboration

• activity engagement

• positive affect

• nonconscious motive

• nonconscious motive

Study 2 in the article by Rice & Fredrickson (2017) found that people’s degrees of harmonious passion for physical activity predicted their frequency of engaging in physical activity. According to their hypothesis (and data), what accounts for this effect?

• Harmonious passion fosters a sense of self, which in turn predicts behavior.

• Harmonious passion predicts positive spontaneous thoughts, which in turn predict behavior.

• Harmonious passion predicts well-being, which in turn predicts behavior.

• Harmonious passion predicts maximizing, which in turn predicts behavior.

• Harmonious passion predicts positive spontaneous thoughts, which in turn predict behavior.

The Upward Spiral Theory of Lifestyle Change presented in lecture has two loops: the inner loop and the outer loop.  Which loop was described as working through “Broaden-and-Build” processes?

• both loops

• neither loop

• the outer loop

• the inner loop

• the outer loop

The article by Robertson and colleagues (“Looking in the Mirror…”) finds that the Reflected Best Self Exercise (RBSE) raised undergraduate students’ confidence that they could successfully market their own skills and abilities during a job interview.  Additionally, study results showed that the impact of the RBSE was larger from some students than for others.  Which two variables below best describe for whom the impact of the RBSE was largest?

• students with high trait mindfulness and high trait resilience

• students with high general self-efficacy and high career choice confidence

• students with low general self-efficacy and low career choice confidence

• students with low trait mindfulness and low trait resilience

• students with low general self-efficacy and low career choice confidence

The randomized controlled trial reported by Proyer and colleagues (2015) compared a placebo control (PC) condition to two variations of a positive psychology intervention (PPI) to use character strengths in new ways:  One PPI variant focused Signature Strengths (SS PPI) and the other on Lesser Strengths (LS PPI).  Which statement below best describes the overall effect on participants’ happiness (i.e., disregarding moderation effects):

• Relative to the PC condition, the SS PPI increased happiness whereas the LS PPI decreased happiness.

• Relative to the PC condition, both the SS PPI and the LS PPI increased happiness.

• Relative to the PC condition, both the SS PPI and the LS PPI decreased happiness.

• Relative to the PC condition, the LS PPI increased happiness whereas the SS PPI decreased happiness.

• Relative to the PC condition, both the SS PPI and the LS PPI increased happiness.

As described in lecture, two formal exercises for illuminating people’s strengths have been studied in positive psychology: the Reflected Best Self Exercise (RBSE) and the VIA Character Strengths Survey (used for PPI #5). In what ways is the RBSE thought to be more impactful than the VIA Survey?

• The RBSE takes less time.

• The RBSE provides memorable appreciative jolts.

• The RBSE provides more substantial quantitative feedback.

• The RBSE shows greater test-retest reliability.

• The RBSE provides memorable appreciative jolts.

According to the reading by Martela & Streger on “The three meanings of meaning in life,” what distinguishes the facet of meaning as coherence from the facet of meaning as significance?

• Coherence is about how things converge, whereas significance is about how things diverge.

• Significance is about what we know, whereas coherence is about what we value.

• Coherence is about what we know, whereas significance is about what we value.

• Significance is about isolated events, whereas coherence is a general evaluation.

• Coherence is about what we know, whereas significance is about what we value.

According to research by Laura King presented in lecture, which emotional state is likely to make your life seem especially meaningful?  

• Guilt

• Pride

• Confusion

• Sadness

• Pride

According to the reading by Rogers and colleagues (2023) on the Hero’s Journey, what can perceiving your own life as a hero’s journey do for you?

• Decrease your upward social comparisons.

• Increase your self-efficacy for writing stories.

• Allow you to better savor your positive experiences.

• Increase the meaningfulness of your life.

• Increase the meaningfulness of your life.

According to lecture, what is the strongest active ingredient that accounts for the observed link between people’s religiousness and their reports of meaning in life?

• earthly mattering

• spiritual mattering

• social mattering

• cosmic mattering

• cosmic mattering