Week 6


Page 2: The Principles of Pleasure

  • Title: Understanding Positive Affect, Positive Emotions, Happiness, and Well-Being

  • Chapter 6

Page 3: Personal Peak Moments Exercise

  1. Recall a moment in the past year when you felt deep joy, satisfaction, or contentment.

  2. Jot down:

    • What happened?

    • Who was there?

    • What emotions did you feel?

    • Why was it meaningful?

  3. Share with a partner (2 min each).

Page 4: Learning Objectives

  1. Define and distinguish terms related to happiness and positive affect.

  2. Describe key features of seminal and current research on positive affect.

  3. Describe key features of scientific research regarding happiness and life satisfaction.

  4. Apply research on positive affect and subjective well-being to current issues.

  5. Examine cultural differences in definitions, manifestations, and correlations of positive emotional experiences.

  6. Argue the benefits of increasing happiness equitably among individuals.

Page 5: Defining Emotional Terms

  • Affect vs. Emotion:

    • Affect: a component of emotion; represents a more general state.

    • Emotion: a more specific interpretation of a mood.

  • Mood: General, enduring feelings lasting longer than emotions.

  • Affect Definition: Immediate physiological response to stimuli.

  • Emotion Definition: Involves judgments about external objects relevant to personal well-being.

Page 6: Emotional Definitions with Examples

  • Mood:

    • Definition: A more general and longer-lasting feeling without a clear trigger; can persist for hours or days.

    • Example: Waking up irritable without any specific reason.

  • Affect:

    • Definition: Outward expression of emotion or mood, observable by others (e.g., tone, facial expression, posture).

    • Example: Someone smiling and laughing, exhibiting positive affect even if their internal feelings are unclear.

  • Emotion:

    • Definition: A brief, intense response to a specific event or thought, typically with a clear cause.

    • Example: Feeling angry when someone cuts in line at a coffee shop.

Page 7: Defining Emotional Terms - Happiness and Well-Being

  • Happiness: A positive emotional state, defined subjectively by individuals.

  • Subjective Well-Being: An individual's assessment of their current status in life, encompassing positive affect and general life satisfaction.