Psychology of Everyday Life: Exam 1
Chapter 3:
Case Studies→ “in-depth investigation of an individual participant.”
Naturalistic Observation→ “Careful observation of behavior w/o intervening directly with the subject.”
Correlation DOES NOT equal Causation!
Typical x and y variables
There could be a third variable (z) that affects the data
Correlations allow us to explore variables not suitable or ethical for manipulation in experimental research
Correlations show a broader array of psychological info than is possible in experimental research
Experiment→manipulates one variable (IV) under carefully controlled conditions and observes whether any changes occur in the second variable (DV).
IV→manpulated; shows the impact it has on another variable
DV→dependent on the effect of another variable
Control group→stay the same; is unaffected by the IV; doesn’t receive special treatment in the experiment
Empiricism→ the premise that knowledge should be acquired through observation
Systematic observation v.s. Common sense
The Roots of Happiness:
Most people explore the determinants of subjective well-being→defined as the “individuals'” personal assessments of their overall happiness
What wasn’t important→ Money, Age, Gender, Parenthood, Intelligence, Physical Attractiveness
Somewhat Important→ Health, Social Relations, Religious belief, Leisure Activity, Culture
Very Important→Relationship Satisfaction, Work (satisfaction), Genetics and Personality
Overall subjective views of happiness are more important than objective views of happiness
Affective Forecasting→efforts to predict one’s emotional reactions to future events
Hedonic Adaptation→when the pleasantness or unpleasantness of their experiences shifts so that their neutral point or baseline for comparison is changed
Mind Mapping:
Tony Buzan
Characteristics that make up a person or their personal wants
“Educator,” “Media,” “Advisor,” “Achievements”
Some topics consist of career paths others problem solving
Physical Fitness and well-being
I’m assuming the topic is determined by whoever is making the brain map
The person just wants a clear representation of their thoughts or achievements
What does A-B-C mean?
The Acronym A-B-C is the breakdown of how individuals typically deal with stress. The letter A stands for “Activating Event” B is the “Belief” and C is the “Consequence.” All of these pieces play a role in the behavioral sequence of stress.
List the 5 strategies:
“Find the good in a bad situation.”
“Control your inner dialogue.”
“Avoid the blame game.”
“Shift your focus forward.”
“Keep your problems in perspective.”
The Nature of Stress:
Stimulus Event→Primary Appraisal→Secondary Appraisal
Ambient Stress→chronic negative conditions embedded in the environment; certain types have been associated with elevated hormones
Ex: noise, pollution, poverty, abuse, crowding, war
Stress influenced by culture
Culture sets the context in which people experience and appraise stress.
Disparities in the stressors experienced by specific cultural groups
Racial discrimination negatively affects the mental health and well-being of targets of racism.
Acute Stressors→relatively short duration and a clear endpoint
Chronic Stressor→ longer duration; no readily apparent time limit
Anticipatory Stressor→future events that are perceived to be threatening.
These can impact us psychologically and physically
Frustation→when the pursuit of the goal isn’t executed
Internal Conflict→when 2 or more goals conflict
Ex:
Approach - Approach→Green jacket or Blue Sweater? (2 positives)
Avoidance - Avoidance→I hate this job or But I might be unemployed; My back hurts but I’m scared to have surgery. (2 negatives)
Approach - Avoidance→Should I go on this date but what if I get rejected? (1 positive & 1 negative)
Life Changes→a noticeable alteration in one’s living space that requires readjustment
Pressure→expectations or demands that one behave in a certain way
Stress involves… Emotional, Physiological, and Behavioral
Emotions→ Powerful uncontrollable feelings, accompanied by physiological changes
Negative Responses to stress… 1. annoyance, anger, rage 2. Apprehension anxiety and fear 3.
Positive Responses of stress…these reactions can build our social, intellectual, and physical resources that can help deal with stress
Allow one to experience flourishing mental health
High levels of stress may hamper the ability to cope with stress, depending on the level of arousal
Low Complexity→high level of arousal is best
Medium Complexity→medium level of arousal is best
High Complexity→low level of arousal is best
Fight or Flight Response→your brain choosing to fight or flee. This takes place in the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) which is made up of nerves that connect to the heart, blood vessels, smooth muscles, and glands
Sympathetic division mobilizes energy during emergencies and engages in the fight or flight response. Ex: sweaty palms, dry mouth, heart speeds up, digestion stops
Parasympathetic has a calming aspect to the body and conserves energy. Ex:
These are a part of the ANS
Alarm Reaction→intial response
Resistance→threat continues
Exhaustion →threat continues for too long and the organism gets tired
Brain-body pathways→ control your physiological response to stress;
The endocrine system is associated to pituitary glands which stimulate them
Neurogensis→with the formation of new neurons in the brain; stress can interfere;
Stress can suppress certain aspects of the immune system^^
Responding to Stress:
Behavioral Responses→coping or active effort to master reduce or tolerate the demands created by stress
Positive Coping…exercising, journaling, going to counseling
Coping responses can be negative too…ignoring the problem, indulging in substances, excessive eating
Impaired task performance: pressure to perform can impact performance; many people choke under pressure
Disruption of cognitive function; increased tendency to jump to conclusions, poorly organized, decreased memory
Stress Reactions:
Increased blood flow
Lowering cell membrane→ potential food sensitivities and depressed immune system
Infections & use of antibiotics
Reduction of helpful bacteria
Growth of yeast or an overgrowth of it; excess presence of sugar
Decrease in blood flow to the digestive system and cerebral cortex of the brain, especially the non-dominant hemisphere and frontal lobes
Cortisol secreted→ release of fat
BP increases; distended blood vessels
The heart doesn't get enough blood or oxygen
Decrease in dopamine
Thalamus to incoming sensory info
Can connect to weight gain and excessive aging
Buildup of chemicals
Decreases the ability to absorb nutrients, oxygen, saliva, and lack of burning calories
Impacts the kidneys, decreases muscle mass and sex hormones
Increases inflammation in the body
Potential Effects of Stress:
Impaired task performance
Impact memory
Burnout→physical or emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and lowered sense of self-efficacy that is attributed to work-related stress
Poor academic performance
Bad sleep habits
Could impact relationships (Sexual difficulties)
Turning to substances to cope
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder→enduring psychological disturbance attributed to the experience of major traumatic events
Re-experiencing trauma via nightmares, flashbacks
Alienation; Emotional numbing
Elevated arousal, anxiety, and guilt
Increase in substance use
Psychosomatic Diseases→ are genuine physical ailments thought to be caused in part by stress and other psychological factors, especially emotional distress.
Common diseases include: high blood pressure
Positive effects of stress: Can promote positive psychological change, post-traumatic growth; the ability to bounce back
It can prepare people for other stressful situations in the future
Optimism→ the general tendency to expect good outcomes
Action-oriented, problem-focused, carefully planned coping, are willing to seek more social support.
Usually has better mental and physical health
Spotlight Research: The role of hugs in social support
Behavior Modefication→systematic approach to changing behavior through the application of the principles of conditioning
Used successfully in many settings for behavioral problems
Conditioning→Behavior modification based on research bodies of psychology
Stress→a special stimulus-response transaction in which one feels threatened or experiences loss or harm.
The Concept of Coping:
Learned Helplessness→passive behavior produced by exposure to unavoidable aversive events.
Cognitive Interpretation→may determine whether we feel helpless or not
Behavioral Disengagment→
Change your perspective so that you’ll have a more positive outcome
Aggression may be a cause of stressful events. Use displacement instead
Catharsis→pent up emotional tension brought to a person by stress
Self Indulgence→stress sometimes leads to poor impulse control. Ex: eating, drinking, smoking, drug use, and…
Internet Addiction→the inability to control online use
People become very critical of themselves when stressed
Albert Ellis called this catastrophic thinking which involves→attributing failures to personal shortcomings; focusing on negative feedback; and being overly pessimistic about the future.
With this comes increased distress and depression to thos who’ve experienced trauma and natural disasters; Heightened PTSD symptoms; Increased depression and anxiety.
Defense Mechanisms→protects a person from unpleasant emotions such as anxiety and guilt. Shield us from emotional discomfort caused by stress.
However, most involve a degree of self-deception, a distortion of reality
Defense Mechanisms are considered to be normal; they’re not typically healthy.
Small illusions can help people cope with the day to day
Constructive Coping→efforts to deal w/ stressful events that are judged to be relatively healthful
3 Types of Constructive Coping Tactics:
Appraisal-Focused Strategies→ rational thinking, disputing negative self-talk
Problem-Focused Strategies→Active problem solving, improving self-control, Becoming more assertive
Emotion-Focused Strategies→Releasing pent up emotions; Distracting oneself, exercising, meditating
Ellis’ ABC model Appraisal→ personal stressors
A: Activating Event
B: Belief
C: Consequence
What reduces stress…
Humor can deescalate stress
Surrounding yourself with positive people can reduce stress
Rewarding social relations, greater social support
Take self less seriously than others
Less than threatening appraisal
Exercising
Meditation
Spirituality
Handle one thing at a time
Using systematic problem-solving→ Evidence shows that problem-solving skills can be increased through training using these steps:
Clarify the problem
Ask for help
People from collectivistic cultures are less likely to seek help. They don’t want to burden another person
Future-oriented people are less likely to procrastinate; and are better at meeting goals and commitments
Present Orientated people→only focus on the present; not worry about the future
Emotional Intellignece→the ability to perceive and express emotion, use emotion to facilitate thought, understand and reason with emotions, and regulate emotion.
4 Main Components of Emotional Intelligence:
Being able to perceive emotion in yourself and others
Understanding how your emotions shape your thinking
Understanding complex emotions
Understanding how to regulate strong emotions
People with a high level of emotional intelligence; people gravitate towards you
More effective leaders; are more likely to use problem-seeking methods to solve an issue; and have better physical and mental health
Forgiveness→ natural tendency to seek vengeance or avoid an offender, thereby releasing this person from further liability for his or her transgression.
Enteric Nervous System→ “second brain” communicates with your brain through the nervous system and your hormones
Blood clots can lead to a heart attack.
Type A Personality→1. Strong competitive orientation. 2. Impatience & time urgency 3.Anger & Hostility
Anger Hostility: strongest link to coronary disease
Typically more cynical
Cancer→ refers to a malignant cell growth which may occur in many organ systems in the body
More prone to experience depression after a heart attack.
Stress can be linked to cancer
Life stress can be associated with the following: headaches, hypertension, inflammatory Bowel Disease, Gastrointestinal Disorders, Infections
Immune Response→ the body’s defensive reaction to bacteria, viral agents, or other foreign substances. Stress can suppress this
Leading causes of death: unsafe sexual habits, illicit drug use, risky behaviors
Highly addictive psychoactive drug in tobacco. Diminishes appetite, boosts alertness, calms anxiety releases a flood of neurotransmitters.
Health risks decline. Quitting smoking is hard and you’ll fail more than you succeed
Alcohol Dependence→chronic progressive disorder marked by a growing urge to drink & being impaired by drinking.
Obesity→common health problem & is a serious risk factor for a number of health problems and diseases.
BMI of 25.0 -25.9 = overweight
BMI greater than 30 = obese
Try to avoid non-natural fats
Consume a balanced variety of foods
Avoid harmful substances. Avoid MSG, and saturated fats, refrain from grain carbs, sugar, salt
Increase fiber
What is emotional intelligence?
Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize your and others' emotions as well as knowing how to respond to those emotional changes.
Why did some people resist the concept of emotional intelligence when it was introduced?
Some people resisted the concept of emotional intelligence because it didn't meet the “standard” measurement for what was viewed as an intellectual assessment for example the IQ test. For a long time being emotional was considered to be “chaotic”, “haphazard” and “immature.”
What are the components of emotional intelligence?
Emotions are adaptive, functional, and organized cognitive abilities.
Briefly discuss 3 things from the presentation that you found particularly important or interesting.
I found it important that we branched out from the old ideal that emotional intelligence isn’t considered intelligence at all. But thankfully in modern times, we’re addressing the emotional and physical benefits of having emotional intelligence instead of ignoring them
It was interesting to think that some professionals were getting offended by the comparison of emotional intelligence being compared to standardized intelligence tests.
I found the connection between humans' instinctual fight or flight response and how you have to almost control those reactions to express emotional intelligence interesting.
Reactions to Illness: Adherence to Medical Advice:
30 to 50 percent of the time the patient doesn’t follow what the doctor had recommended.
Factors that affect the adherence:
Negative attitudes toward the physician
Difficult treatment plan
Scared of the treatment plan
Recreational drugs usually fall into one of 5 common categories
Most drugs produce a tolerance effect or progressive decrease in a person's usage
There can be physical or sociological dependents
Physical Dependence → A person takes the drug to avoid withdrawal most severe with heroin and barbiturates
Psychological dependence→ an emotional urge that causes an individual to want to use their drug of choice
Overdose→excessive use of a drug that has the potential to cause death. Going over the usual amount of the drug and causing physical ailments
Sedatives→sleep sleep-inducing pills that tend to decrease the central nervous system & behavioral activity.
Mild euphoria
Narcotics→drugs derived from opium that is capable of relieving pain.
Heroin is a narcotic drug that intense state of euphoria
Side effects may cause nausea, drowsiness, constipation, and slowed respiration
High risk of physical or psychological dependence, withdrawal from the narcotics, adopting a drug-centered lifestyle
High risk of overdose, contracting diseases from dirty needles
Stimulants→meth, cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy. Causes excessive brain activity in the central nervous system, and loss of appetite. Makes you high energy, euphoric high
Increases your risk of stroke and heart attack
Ecstacy→ is a synthetic drug related to amphetamines and hallucinogens
The euphoria, blurring of vision, and anxiety can impact the production of serotonin, impact memory retention
Hallucinogens→impacts perception can include intense negative states “bad trip”, anxiety, out-of-body experiences that can be noted, panic, and accidental energies.
Marijuana→ the hemp plant from which weed, hadish and THC is derived
Psychological dependence, lung disease, and impairment in attention and memory can stop with the termination of use. May be bad for your heart and increase the likelihood of stroke, and impaired ability to drive.