The Positive Approach Flashcards
(18 cards)
What are the assumptions of the positive approach?
free will
authenticity of goodness
focus on the good life
What is the free will assumption?
- acknowledges external factors which can affect behaviour, but humans have the ability to choose how they react
- Diener + Seligman - relationships between students and their family and friends and how much time they invested. strongest bonds = happiest and less depressed
What is the authenticity of goodness and excellence assumption?
- Psychology has become too focused on negative characteristics
- Seligman suggested everyone has a signature strength out of the 24 character strengths
- Seligman encourages people to nurture and develop these strengths to enhance well-being
What is the focus on the good life assumption?
- Seligman suggested 3 dimentions to happiness:
the pleasant life: activities focused on positive emotions
the good life: engaging activities that reaches state of flow
the meaningful life: state of fulfillment from using character strengths for a deeper purpose
What is the therapy for the positive approach?
Mindfulness/ mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT)
what are the assumptions that apply to mindfulness/MBCT?
Free Will: helps individuals feel in control of thoughts, emotions and behaviour and self-regulate them
What is the aim of mindfulness?t
To become aware of the present moment and self-regulate thoughts and emotions
What is the process of mindfulness?
- Focus attention on breathing
- become aware of thoughts and feelings
3 .accept internal experiences without judgment - encouraged to apply techniques to daily life (informal practice)
What is MBCT?
- used to prevent patients who suffer from recurrent depression
-combines mindfulness meditation practices with cognitive therapy principles
Teasdale et al (2000)
- evaluation of MBCT among 145 recurring depressed patients
- randomly recruited to receive treatment as usual or TAU + 8 classes of MBCT
- helped those who suffered the most number of previous episodes
Kuyken et al (2013)
- compared children in secondary school
- some took midfullness in schools programme other didnt
- less stress in midfulness programme than those who werent
Williams et al (2014)
- compared MBCT to other treatments in peopls previously suffering from depression, randomly allocated conditions and followed up 1 yr later
- MBCT provided protection from relapse in poeple with a history of childhood trauma
- no significant advantages in other participants
What are the ethics of mindfullness?
- fewer side effects, highly positive attitude towards individuals wellbeing and promotes free will
- widely accessible
What is the study for positive appraoch?
Myers and Diener
Myers and Diener methodology
- literature review (no procedures)
-correlations and observations to investigate factors affecting subjective well-being.
Myths of happiness
Age: No stage of life is significantly happier than others (Inglehart, 1990).
Gender: No major difference—80% of both men and women report life satisfaction.
Race: No real difference—self-esteem levels are similar across nationalities.
Culture: Big differences—happiness varies between countries even when income is controlled (e.g., 10% in Portugal vs. 40% in the Netherlands say they’re “very happy”).
Money: Moderate link—many prioritize being well-off, but it doesn’t guarantee happiness.
factors nad traits associated wiht happiness
Traits: High self-esteem, personal control, optimism, and extraversion.
Relationships: More friends = more happiness; married people report greater happiness than single/divorced individuals.
Flow: People who experience “flow” (deep engagement in tasks) at work report higher life satisfaction (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990).
Faith: Strongly religious individuals are twice as likely to report being “very happy”; faith helps during crises.
Myers and Diener conclusions
Adaptation – Only recent events (past 3 months) affect well-being, as emotional responses fade over time.
Cultural worldview – Culture shapes how life events are interpreted, influencing happiness.
Values and goals – Well-being is linked to having and progressing toward meaningful goals; money matters only if tied to goals.
They argued that age, sex, and money are not strong indicators of happiness. Instead, personality traits and relationships are more important. Their work aimed to shift focus from mental illness to understanding how to build well-being.
