Positive Psychology

1. Positive Psychology

2. Three Minute Review PSYCHOPATHY • less arousal; punishment less effective • frontal impairment? • treatment does more harm than good TREATMENT • history of treatment • 2 major approaches • Biological • Psychotherapy

3. Psychopharmacology • Antipsychotic Drugs • deinstitutionalization • dopamine • differences between older and newer generation drugs • Anti-anxiety drugs • e.g., Valium • GABA • Antidepressants • see web index page for clarification • tricyclics (reduce reuptake of serotonin & NE) • MAOIs (reduce breakdown of serotonin & NE) • SSRIs (reduce reuptake of serotonin only) • See Fig. 17.3 of Gray (p. 666) • monoamine hypothesis and issues with it

4. Sleep deprivation • Why does it seem to help depressives (short term anyway)? • Light therapy for SAD • Electroconvulsive Therapy • why resort to something so extreme? • how has it improved since Cuckoo’s Nest era • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) • magnetic fields disrupt neural firing locally • what effects does it have over somatosensory cortex, Broca’s area and frontal lobes? • Psychosurgery • history and current status • cingulotomies

5. Psychotherapy • eclectic - mixed bag • Psychodynamic • transference • Humanistic • client-centred, reflection, empathy, unconditional positive regard • Cognitive Therapy • problem-centred, change thought patterns • Beck’s depression therapy

6. How Happy Are 023 Students? n = 94 Number of Responses Happiness Rating

7. You’re representative Data from United States (Myers, 1992)

8. “What changes in your life do you think would make you happier?” Range between extremes: • “DEATH” (happiness = -3) • “overall life is fucking awesome” (happiness = +3)

9. Very Common Responses • Relationships  more time with family and friends and partner  proximity to partner  getting partner  “finding the ideal guy”  better sex life • Money  more emphasis on basics and stability rather than luxury level  some mentioned unlimited money • Better grades  for some, perfect grades • Reduced stress • less stress, less work, less worrying, slower pace, more spare time  better study habits, organization

10. Fairly Common Responses • Physical appearance • esp. weight loss • Psychological factors • self-esteem, confidence, less self criticism, less concern about others’ opinions, overcoming shyness, more assertive, less anxious • Career  more certainty about life, direction, career  successful career or education (e.g., med school)  summer job • Health  more sleep  sports, exercise (some specific)  better eating habits

11. Somewhat Common Responses • Living conditions  moving away from home,  moving closer to home  “better roommate (only one month left!!!!!)” • Spirituality • relationship with God; time for soul searching, focusing on what’s essential • Others’ behavior/mood • changed behavior of others in life, fewer problems with others in life, family stability, family members being happy • Season, weather • summer, less rain • Abilities • more talents, intelligence

12. One of a Kind • being able to learn for the sake of learning instead of to achieve grades • more free time to help others, make others happier; volunteering • “if I hadn’t had tragic things happen (loss of parent, loss of friend)” (happiness = 2) • get out of my poker losing slump • photographic memory • cell phone to stop worrying while I’m driving on highway • better caf food • NO MORE PHYSICS • if I understood women

13. 1,021 on “joy” 4,129 on “life satisfaction” 3,522 on “happiness” 781 on “courage 31,019 on “prevention” Negative versus positive topics in psychology journal articles 1887 to 2001 • 9,760 on “anger” • 65,531 on “anxiety” • 79,154 on “depression” • 20,868 on “fear” • 207,110 on “treatment” Slide courtesy of David Myers

14. People want more • Popularity of self-help books suggests a large number of people want to go from okay to well Mental Health Spectrum Poor OK Great Most of Psychology is here Why not here?

15. What is LEAST important? Does money make us as happy as we expect it will?

16. Money Matters Between Nations • correlation between average income and average life satisfaction for 28 nations: ~.60 • difference is most pronounced among poorer nations

17. Money Doesn’t Matter Much Within Nations Australian Living Standards Survey, 1991-1992(percent reporting high life satisfaction) • correlation between income and happiness within US: .12 • some difference between those below and above poverty line, but little effect beyond that Slide courtesy of David Myers

18. Income Has Risen But Happiness Hasn’t Personal income (in 1995 $) Very happy (%) Slide courtesy of David Myers

19. Slide courtesy of David Myers

20. If Only I Could Win the Lottery… • … I’d probably be about as happy as I am now • Happiness of lottery winners: 4.0 • Happiness of others: 3.8 • many life disruptions • 70% quit jobs • most move • family quarrels

21. What is LEAST important? • Age • happiness is stable over life span Percent “Satisfied” or “Very Satisfied” with Life as a Whole Percent 100 Age group 80 60 40 20 0 15- 24 25- 34 35- 44 45- 54 55- 64 65+ Slide courtesy of David Myers

22. What is LEAST important? • Gender • despite differences in depression rates, it makes little difference Slide courtesy of David Myers Percent 100 Males 80 Females 60 40 20 0 Satisfied Very happy Pooled data from 169,776 interviews in 16 nations

23. What is LEAST important? • Intelligence • no correlation between IQ and happiness • no correlation between education level and happiness • Physical Attractiveness • no correlation between attractiveness and happiness • Parenthood • parents worry more and experience more marital problems • parents are neither more or less happy overall though… it balances out

24. Marital Satisfaction and the Family Life Cycle 56 Rollins-Feldman 55 Locke-Wallace 54 53 52 Satisfaction 51 50 Blood-Wolfe 49 British study 48 47 46 Marriedwithoutchildren Child-bearing Pre-school children, oldest 5 Schoolchildrenoldest5-12 Teenagers oldest12-16 First child gone to last leavinghome Emptynest to retirement Emptynest todeath of first spouse Slide courtesy of David Myers

25. What is VERY important? • Love and Marriage • clear correlation • cause and effect unclear • relationships --> happiness? • happiness --> relationships? Married Never Married

26. Marriage is good… if it works Married Never married Separated Divorced Slide courtesy of David Myers

27. Friends Are Very Important

28. What is VERY important? • Work • correlation between job satisfaction is clearly related to happiness • again causality is unclear • those with best fit between complexity and ability are happiest • management happier than staff

29. What is VERY important? • Personality • past happiness predicts future happiness very well • is there a happiness “set point”? • key factors • self-esteem • extroversion • optimism • sense of control over one’s life Day to day well-being of University students 3.0 3.0 Happy Happy 2.5 2.5 Extroverts Extroverts 2.0 2.0 1.5 1.5 Introverts 1.0 1.0 0.5 0.5 Neutral 0 0 Mon Mon . . Tues Tues . . Weds. Weds. Thurs Thurs . . Fri. Fri. Sat. Sat. Sun. Sun.

30. What is SOMEWHAT important? • Health • correlation between health and happiness: .32 • spurious -- related to neuroticism • neurotics are less happy • neurotics are less healthy • Social activity • Religion

31. Spirituality and Happiness From Gallup survey of adult Americans. 100 80 Percent “very happy” 60 40 20 0 Low High Spiritual commitment Slide courtesy of David Myers

32. % “Very important or essential” Be very well off financially Develop a meaningful philosophy of life Slide courtesy of David Myers

33. What is SOMEWHAT important? • Leisure • correlation between satisfaction with leisure activities and happiness: .4 • some activities have positive effect • social clubs, volunteer work, music • some activities have negative effect • TV-watching

34. Finding Flow • moments of complete engagement in a task • intense concentration • clear goals and feedback • lose sense of time • lose self consciousness • optimal when abilities closely match challenges • surfing the peak of the optimal level of arousal curve? • would you really be happy lying on the beach drinking pina coladas all day long for the long term?