The Effect of 'Best Possible Self' Intervention on Optimism

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary difference between the experimental and control groups in the 'Your Best Possible Self' intervention?

The duration of the intervention

The type of story written and imagery performed (correct)

The number of participants in each group

The amount of time spent on imagery exercises

What does the 'Your Best Possible Self' intervention suggest about the relationship between optimism and initial dispositional optimism levels?

People high in optimism benefit more from the intervention

People low in optimism are more resistant to the intervention

Initial optimism levels do not affect the intervention's outcome (correct)

The intervention only works for people with moderate optimism levels

What is a key component of 'Hope Therapy' according to the text?

Focusing on past failures

Practicing mindfulness exercises

Setting specific goals and finding various pathways to achieve them (correct)

Reframing negative thoughts

What can be inferred about the effect of the 'Your Best Possible Self' intervention on attribution style scores?

They increase significantly compared to the control condition (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of the 'When One Door Closes, Another One Opens...' exercise?

Thinking about times when important doors have closed and new ones have opened (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the potential long-term effect of the 'Your Best Possible Self' intervention on optimism, according to the text?

A sustained increase in optimism, independent of mood effects (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary condition required for the experience of gratitude according to McCullogh, Kimeldorf, and Cohen (2008)?

The perception of benefiting from another person's intentional action (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between expressing gratitude once a week versus three times a week in terms of well-being?

Expressing gratitude once a week leads to increased well-being, while three times a week leads to decreased well-being. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for a form of mental training that aims to develop an affective state of unconditional kindness to all people?

Loving-Kindness Meditation (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential benefit of expressing positive emotions?

Decreased symptoms of psychological disorders (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the direction of the object of gratitude?

Other-directed (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary aim of happiness interventions?

To increase positive emotions (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary benefit of sharing a positive event with someone, according to Capitalization research?

Enhanced emotional well-being independent of the event itself (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the key characteristic of Active-Constructive Responding in a social interaction?

Responding with enthusiasm and excitement (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of Acts of Kindness, according to Lyubomirsky, Tkach, and Sheldon (2004)?

Benefiting others and making them happy (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the key concept in Eudaimonic Well-Being related to finding meaning and purpose?

Transcendence (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the distinction between Spirituality and Religiousness?

Spirituality is a broader concept than Religiousness (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the benefit of cultivating positive social connections, according to Positive Psychology?

Increased happiness and life satisfaction (B) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

"Your Best Possible Self" Intervention

54 university students and faculty (mostly female) participated in an experiment with two groups: experimental and control groups.
Experimental group: wrote their "Best Possible Self" story and performed a 5-minute imagery exercise daily for two weeks.
Control group: wrote their "Daily Activities" story and performed a 5-minute imagery exercise daily for two weeks.
Results: daily imagery of Best Possible Self for two weeks leads to sustained increases in optimism.

Hope Therapy

Setting specific goals and finding alternative pathways to achieve them.
Identifying possible challenges and ways to overcome them.

When One Door Closes, Another One Opens...

Think about times in life when important doors closed, and new doors opened as a result.

Positive Psychology and Well-being

Reduction of negative emotions and improved mental health (fewer symptoms of psychological disorders).
Enhancement of positive emotions.

Expressing Gratitude

Gratitude: a positive emotion that flows from the perception of benefiting from another person's costly, intentional, voluntary action.
Objects of gratitude: persons, nature, or nonhuman sources.
Gratitude exercise: participants who expressed gratitude regularly showed increases in well-being over six weeks, but only when performed once a week.

Loving-Kindness Meditation

A form of mental training that aims to develop unconditional kindness to all people.

Capitalization

Sharing a positive event with someone and deriving additional benefit from it.
Increased positive affect and well-being independent of the positive event itself.

Active-Constructive Responding

Responding to good news with enthusiasm and support.

Acts of Kindness

Behaviors that benefit others or make them happy, usually at a personal cost.

Eudaimonic Well-Being

"Finding Meaning: Spirituality".
Spirituality: having coherent beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of the universe.
Transcendence: a connection to the larger universe providing meaning to one's life.

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Description

This quiz explores the 'Best Possible Self' intervention, a psychological experiment that aims to increase optimism in individuals. The study involves two groups, an experimental group and a control group, with different daily activities and imagery exercises. The results show the impact of daily imagery on optimism levels. Test your understanding of this study and its findings.