Chapter 14- Happiness (human motivation)

positive psychology

focus on strengths, flourishing, well-being, and optimal functioning instead of illness dysfunction disorders

• make people stronger actualize human potential

• science of happiness

What are 3 questions that are associated with the science of happiness?

1. What makes for a good life?

2. How can we cultivate well- being? 

3. What habits reliably increase happiness? 

What is happiness?

often descibed as subjective well- being.. 

1. life satisfaction 

2. positive affect 

3. low negative affect 

happiness is not constant euphoria. Instead it is balanced, resilient, meaningful sense of fulfillment. 

What are some myths of happiness? 

1. I’ll be happy when I obtain x

promotions, wealth, new car, new house all give temporary boosts, but we quickly return to baseline (hedonic adaptation effect) 

2. Happiness is something that happens to me 

research shows happiness is partly intentional guided by habits, mindset, and behavior 

3. Some people are born happy 

while genetics play a role they don’t seal your fate 

• 50% genetic baseline (set point) 

• 10% life circumstances 

• 40% intentional activities 

What are the three major pathways to happiness?

1. The Pleasant life (hedonic happiness)

maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain

ex. broaden and build theory of positive emotions

2. meaningful life (evadaimonic happiness)            actualization of human potential

3. engaged life (flow) 

flow is state of deep absorption 

What are ways to experience positive emotions (pleasant life)

1. savoring enjoyable experiences

2. practicing gratitude

3. cultivating optimism

4. experiencing awe

** intensity of positive affect is not a good indicator but frequency of positive affect and minimizing negative effect

What are ways to get to actualization of human potential (meaningful life)

1. having a purpose and pursuing meaningful goals

2. expression one’s true self and living according to one’s values

3. having meaningful interpersonal relationships and feeling connected to others

4. pursuing self- transcendent goals

leading to greater resilience, higher life satisfaction, better mental and physical health

Flow is a state of deep absorption where…?

• time feels altered

• you feel challenged but capable

• self- conscious fades

What are activities that produce flow?

• creative arts

• sports or exercise

• coding

• learning complex material

• hands on hobbies

What are the 5 core elements of well-being and flourishing 

P- positive emotion 

E- engagment 

R- relationships 

M- meaning 

A- accomplishment 

(PERMA)

What are evidence based happiness practices?

Three good things → write down 3 things that went well each day and the causes

using signature strengths → take an inventory of character strengths, then given individualized feedback about their top 5 signature strengths

acts of kindness → doing something that helps or benefits others 

gratitude → journaling- write 3 thingsyou are grateful for

mindfulness → open receptive, non- defensive awareness of what is taking place in the mind at the present time

• awareness and acceptance of what one is thinking and feeling

fostering social connections → make plans with friend, substantive conversations (not just small talk)

hope mapping

take care of your body → mind and body are unified system - physical health strongly influences emotional health 

What does the three good things happiness practice do?

• shifts attention toward positive events

• builds gratitiude and awareness

• can help you identify how your own behavior and choices matter

What is the task in the evidence based happiness practice - using signature strengths

use on of the top strengths in a new and different way everyday for one week

What does the evidence- based happiness practice of acts of kindness do?

boost positive affect

good deed day

• small acts (complimenting, helping a stranger, volunteering, holding a door)

What does the evidence based happiness practice gratitude do?

• higher daily positive emotions

• lower daily negative affect

• lower daily stress, anxiety, and depression

What are benefits of mindfulness (evidence based happiness practice)

• lower stress

• better emotion regulation

• increased compassion for others and self

What are the benefits of fostering social connections (evidence based happiness practice)

• reduced depression 

can having happy people in your network make you happier?

framingham heart study

• happiness is a network phenomenon clustering in groups of people that extend up to three degrees of separation (ex. friends, friends, friends)

What can hope mapping due (evidence based happiness practice)? 

boost happiness, goal striving and goal attainment 

** used in cognitive- behavioral therapy 

What can we do to take steps to take care of our body (evidence based happiness practice)

• sleep

• exercise

• nutrition

• interceptions shapes core affect which colors?

What are common obstacles to happiness?

• negativity bias

• perfectionism and unrealistic expectations

• comparison with others

• harsh self- criticism

• unhealthy and unsupportive relationships

• chronic stress

• poor sleep and physical habits