Final Study Guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) PDF

final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) Type Status Not started Stress and the stress response What is the HPA axis? What organs are involved? It is the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA axis) whic...

final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) Type Status Not started Stress and the stress response What is the HPA axis? What organs are involved? It is the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA axis) which can result in chronic stress if always activated due to the overactivation of the sympathetic nervous system, leading to negative symptoms like anxiety, fear, and vulnerability. What are the effects of cortisol on the body? How does it affect the reproductive, digestive, metabolic, immune, and cardiovascular systems? Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhances your brain's use of glucose and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues. Cortisol also curbs functions that would be nonessential or harmful in a fight-or-flight situation. Cortisol is ordinarily anti-inflammatory, but chronic elevations can lead to the immune system becoming “resistant,” an accumulation of stress hormones, and increased production of inflammatory cytokines that further compromise the immune response. Cortisol can suppress normal levels of reproductive hormones, potentially leading to abnormal ovulation, anovulation, or amenorrhea. High levels of cortisol from long-term stress can increase blood cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, and blood pressure. What are some causes of stress at the three levels (structural, life event, mental habit) of analysis ? Structural: Lower SES (resource-impoverished environments; fewer places to connect, feel joy, or find calm). Life event: Exposure to violence, school suspensions, harsher punishment within criminal justice systems, less careful attention received by MDs. Mental habit: Reduced sense of agency, increased sense of threat, and greater stigma/bias. How is poverty related to the stress response system and long-term health outcomes? Ongoing stress associated with poverty, or the stress of living with less than one needs, creates constant wear and tear on the body, dysregulating and damaging the body's physiological stress response system and reducing cognitive and psychological resources for battling adversity and stress It results in an increased prevalence of depression, anxiety disorders and reduced happiness-Low birth weight, obesity, hypertension, quicker demise in responding to different diseases, etc. How can labeling, reappraisal, and distancing be used in our responses to stress? Positive reappraisal, a form of meaning-based coping, is the adaptive process by which stressful events are re- construed as benign, valuable, or beneficial. Research has demonstrated that the ability to find benefit from adversity is associated with improved health outcomes. Research points to when people don't acknowledge and address (or properly label) their emotions, they display lower well-being and more physical symptoms of stress. Having the right vocabulary allows us to see the real issue at hand. This allows us to take a messy experience, understand it more clearly, and build a road map to address the problem. Distancing involves simulating a new perspective to alter the psychological distance and emotional impact of a stimulus. This distance can take several forms such as spatial distance, temporal distance, or objectivity. For instance, upon feeling hurt by criticism from a co-worker, you might try to minimize the impact of the incident by imagining how a neutral, objective observer would perceive the situation. extra notes stress What is the HPA axis? What organs are involved? final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 1  💡 Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis - is our central stress response system intertwining of the central nervous system and endocrine system Organs involved: Hypothalamus, anterior pituitary, adrenal cortex (releases cortisol); amygdala regulates HPA axis (communicates with the hypothalamus), kidneys and brain are the only two organs involved Short term = good - Long term = chronic stress 💡 Elevated sympathetic autonomic nervous system action Heart beats faster, increased blood pressure, shallow breath, greater wear on veins, digestion altered What are the effects of cortisol on the body? How does it affect the reproductive, digestive, metabolic, immune, and cardiovascular systems? Ulcers, heart disease, increased rate of cancer spread, cell death in hippocampus, memory loss, compromised intellectual function, shortened telomeres (protective tissue at end of chromosomes, aged 10 years by chronic stress) Metabolic Decreased activity of gastrointestinal system. Affects what nutrients body can absorb Body becomes resistant to insulin which leads to increase in blood sugar, weight gain and diabetes Increased production of glucose from liver Nervous system: Shortened telomeres (protective tissue at end of chromosomes, aged 10 years by chronic stress), Cell death in hippocampus, Memory Loss Two social factors that increase cortisol: lack of control + social rejection How is poverty related to the stress response system and long-term health outcomes? With each rung down the ladder of inequality, one is more likely to die of cancer, suffer chronic pain, suffer from autoimmune disease 💡 Childhood poverty costs : elevated cortisol and cytokines, human frailty syndrome (weak bones), 20- 40% increased chance of death due to disease Natalia Burke Harris Elevated cortisol, cytokines: are inflammatory and regulate the HPA axis Human frailty syndrome: weak bones, Increase chance of death due to disease 💡 Decreased life expectancy by 6 years (if impoverished in the first 25) Illusions and “toxic thoughts” What are the toxic thoughts that we discussed in the class? Perfectionism: priming the overly ideal self leads to dejection Maximizing: try to weigh all possible options and focus on making the “optimal” choice at all times; experience more regret and satisfaction with their choices; tend to feel less optimistic final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 2  and more depressed Downward social comparison: comparing yourself to someone who you believe to be less than you in some way; can lead to feelings of guilt and fears of suffering the same (equally bad) fate Upward social comparison: comparing yourself to someone you believe to be better than you in some way; leads to dissatisfaction, dejection, feelings inferiority and loss of self-esteem Overthinking/rumination: needlessly, endlessly, excessively pondering the meaning of causes and consequences of events, feelings and problems; sustains or worsens sadness and fosters negative thinking. What is the evidence for materialism promoting or not promoting happiness Materialism = emphasis on material wealth as center of life, source of happiness and criterion for success Materialism fails to promote lasting happiness because it leads to hedonic adaptation, fosters damaging social comparisons, shifts focus from intrinsic values, and sets unrealistic expectations, while research shows that only 10% of happiness is influenced by life circumstances like wealth, with 50% rooted in genetics and 40% determined by intentional activities. Maximizing Maximizers try to weigh all possible options and focus on making the "optimal” choice at all times Experience more regret, less satisfaction in their choices; tend to feel less optimistic and more depressed in general Satisficers encounter/evaluate options until one is encountered that exceeds an acceptability threshold (choosing something good instead of seeking "the best" Mindfulness What are the core components of mindfulness? Non-judgemental awareness of the contents of the mind and body What physiological systems does research show are affected by mindfulness practice? Higher levels of telomerase activity among participants assigned to a meditation training program compared with controls (Davidson et al., 2003) 💡 Immune system response → mean antibody titers increase in response to flu vaccine It reduces the default mode network activation Mindfulness activates regions of brain involved in memory, Greater insula activation (empathic distress) Reduced amygdala activation in response to evocative slides (less stress) (Greater emotional attunement) & More Calm Enhanced activation of left prefrontal cortex 💡 Aging → higher levels of telomerase activity (maintains long telomeres, slows aging, opposite of stressed) Chronic Pain (not a physiological system but an effect) 💡 Uncoupled sensory dimension of pain experience from affective/evaluative alarm reaction and reducing experience of suffering final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 3  How is mindfulness practiced? Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery (recalling positive experiences), and other practices to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress. Meditation (Buddhist) Unbiased view of world, Direct perception, Compassionate mind Yoga → bodily awareness Contemplation (Aristotle) Theoria (contemplative knowledge) where we perceive truthful purpose of life's situations In Tibetan Buddhism Attention to breath → comfortable sitting, breath to 6 Attention to body Attention to attention + thoughts Attention to feeling Narrative/Purpose What are ways that crafting a life narrative is beneficial? It is a therapeutic modality that leverages our tendency to tell stories, to make meaning, and better understand our lives as well as ourselves Narrative therapy builds upon storytelling to externalize the problem from the person Developing a life narrative can help us to understand the root cause or foundation of a traumatic event or patterns of behavior (we gain greater insight) What are McAdams elements of narrative? A specific structured interview that helps people articulate the story of their life Have individuals divide their lives into chapters and to recount key scenes, such as a high point, a low point, a turning point or an early memory. He encourages participants to think about their personal beliefs and values. What are the key ideas of narrative? (i.e., catharsis, rasas) Rasas: When a person experiences an emotion through literature or performance without the usual self-interested involvement. It allows the person to generate some unique social implication of an experience that they may not have experienced on their own. Catharsis: This term was introduced by Aristotle, defined as the purification or purging of emotion. It’s the idea that we are able to release emotions via the experience of art that we may not be able to release on our own otherwise. How does engaging in works of fiction make people more prosocial? more empathy What does the work of Pennebaker on expressive writing tell us about the effects of crafting a narrative? (Hoh, pg. 163) It demonstrates the various health benefits associated with this practice such as increased well-being, strengthened immune response, and reduced depression/anxiety This exercise involves writing about a traumatic or upsetting experience that has been influencing your life and reflecting on how this event has affected you. People who use causal analysis and more emotion words in their writing session about a distressing topic see better health outcomes. extra notes on narrative Three S's of storytelling: simple, specific, sincere theory: naming our emotions reduces amygdala activity final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 4  Get perspective on stress (place it in a story ie. heros myth so that the stress/struggle makes sense), put stress into a broader perspective/temporal distance (ie. is it a 5 year problem or a 5 minute problem), distance (imagine it from a 3rd person perspective All of this lowers your SNS activation to stress and Leads to more happiness health 💡 → see Explanation of Pennebaker Study (STUDY this!) "Writing to heal": write about emotional trauma Increased wellbeing, enhanced immune function, reduced reports of anxiety We can shift perspective by putting stressful experiences to moments within a broad narrative; This helps yield insight Naming a stress reduces anxiety and amygdala activation, focuses on causes and course of action related to experience which increases well-being through focusing What are the key ideas of narrative? (i.e., catharsis, rasas)- 💡 Catharsis (Aristotle) defined as dramatic insight into why we have stress, struggles through acts of imagination as in theater → so, narrative helps us understand our emotions without avoiding them Mimesis is the creation of worlds of imagination **Catharsis (Freud) - (insight) release 💡 Rasas (Hinduism) defined as "literary emotions" that combine felt emotion (how it feels) with understanding of social implications of emotion (what it means) Characteristics of narratives (McAdams, 2008 in Lecture) Core passion that guide intentions, motifs, vivid, images, memories, contributions Occurs with characters, community, and setting Tell narratives to integrate conflicts, stress, goals, traumas etc. See coherence and story What is distancing? How can people adopt distanced perspectives on events that happen to them? What are the effects of adopting a distanced perspective? Distancing is the process of establishing one's identity through understanding their separation with everything around them. 💡 Two types of distancing Temporal distancing defined as situating stress in broader passage of time Is it a 5 year problem or a 5 minute problem. imagine your best self 5 years from now and what your current worries would mean then Perspective distance defined as regarding stress from somebody else's view Focus on why (rather than how) What effects does suppressing emotions have on people and their relationships? final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 5  lower social support, less closeness to others, and lower social satisfaction 💡 Suppression: what we resist persists. When we suppress, we don't have a non-judgmental acceptance of things and this can be harmful to our mental well-being and relationships. Suppressing our stress heightens physiological stress How does engaging in works of fiction make people more prosocial? 💡 Simulate our own experience in empathic leap of imagination → benefits ability to read others' emotions → benefits ability to understand social emotions Emotional wisdom - Peace, aggression, and positive culture 💡 Implications for us: the power of cultural transmission can have a drastic influence over our behaviors, indicating that we are malleable to change (whether for the better or worse). → this tells us that aggression is not completely biologically determined but socially constructed in baboons What is the Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS) movement? What emotions are they primarily concerned with increasing? A movement called positive organizational scholarship (POS); looks for examples of "positive deviance" (cases in which organizations successfully cultivate inspiration and productivity among workers) - and then tries to figure out what makes these groups tick, so that others can emulate them (instead of always analyzing organizational failures). POS invites people to have more human interactions at work and be more compassionate responding Why was there a decline in violence in the modern times? Evidence for Decline in Violence Drop in murder rates, prevalence of torture, likelihood of dying during war, fewer wars overall More humane treatment of those w/ psychological conditions Reasons for Decline in Violence → people do not act on murder fantasies because of civilizing process (increased self-control, long-term planning, sensitivity to the thoughts and feelings of others) → 4 theories that explain this: 4 plausible suggestions: 1. Governed states can inflict disinterested penalties that eliminate the incentives for aggression (reducing propensity for retaliation) a. Tragedies can be averted by a state with a monopoly on violence. Uses penalties to eliminate the incentives for aggression by diffusing anxiety about attack and/or retaliation. 2. Valuing life more--due to technological and economic efficiency which promotes longevity and more reasons to live a. When life is perceived as cheap, then easier to inflict violence. b. When pain and death are everyday features we feel less guilt about inflicting violence onto others. c. As technology and economics improve our lives we place more value on life. d. Why? Because we live longer 3. Non-zero sum games: scenarios in which two parties can each come out ahead if they cooperate final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 6  a. Non-zero sum games -> increased specialization makes people more valuable alive than dead (Wright) Working together to promote cooperation and creative incentives. 4. The expansion of one’s moral circle and heightened empathy for others a. Evolution & Empathy; Expansion of moral circles by the golden rule: More knowledge and cognition of others leads to less self interest over others. Teasing What are the key characteristics of teasing? Playful provocation (comment, poke to ribs) and(+) offrecord markers (violations of truthful communication to signal non seriousness of act) How teasing violates: Quality: exaggeration, fantastical descriptions Quantity: redundancy, repetition Relation: digression Manner/Clarity: vagueness, obliqueness, and metaphors It is the playful provocation (comment, poke to ribs) plus offrecord markers (violations of truthful communication to signal non seriousness of act) It involves non-verbal cues that aren’t to be taken seriously--trying to stir up emotion and get a rise out of someone Nonliteral communication is common in which brief utterances can take on the opposite meaning of what the words denote (irony or satire) Politeness (through teasing) can be achieved through systematic violations of Grice’s four maxims; in other words, we break the rules of sincere communication to be polite Other principles underlying teasing: Exaggeration: marks the playfulness of the tease by deviating from Grice’s rule of quality (loving/endearing nicknames is an example of this) Repetition: Violates the rule of quantity--repetitive formulaic expressions rhythmically placed within social routines signal teasing We violate the rules of manner with several vocal cues, loud rapid delivery, sing-songy voice, or other utterances in order to deviate from the prosody of clarity and directness-We violate the maxims of sincere communication, all in the service of teasing. What distinguishes teasing from bullying? Teasing is Playful → uses off-record markers (Violations truthful communication to signal non seriousness of act) violations of grice's maxims is what constitutes off-record markers. Bullying is Not Playful (Aggressive, coercion, pure and simple (p. 148 BTBG), acts violently, Subordination, Domination, Humiliation final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 7  The nature of provocation is diff; Bullying is hurtful There is no presence of offrecord markers; the provocation in bullying produces anger Social context is centered on power; Bullies are known for teasing in domineering ways that prevent the target from reciprocating Harmful teasing is physically painful and zeroes in on vulnerable aspects of the individual’s identity rather than targeting less critical (lighthearted) facets of the target’s identity Bullying thwarts reciprocity in which targets are unable through coercion or context to respond in kind. What social purpose does teasing serve? We turn to the playful provocation of teasing to negotiate the ambiguities of social living--establishing hierarchies, testing commitments to social norms, uncovering potential romantic interest, negotiating conflict over work and resources, etc. Self-compassion What is the triple bind? How does it relate to self-compassion? Perfectionism in young women (The Triple Bind, Hinshaw, 2009) Young women face pressure of needing to be all…with many negative consequences. Savoring What is the difference between maximizing and satisficing? Maximizers: Try to maximize pleasure at all times Maximizers have more regret after purchase Less satisfaction from success Less optimistic Satisfice: Find delight in what life presents to you Encounter and evaluate options until one is encountered that exceeds on acceptability threshold (ie. choosing something good instead of seeking “the best”) Less stress Increased happiness Optimism: Expectations that the future will be socially desirable, good, pleasurable Optimistic people report higher levels of overall well-being, positive emotions, and happiness. Optimistic people have higher resting vagal tone and better reports of health. Prectived victory of presidential election Play → 4th act of wisdom → mammalian universal What is play? What is its relationship to mirth? 💡 Play is a nonliteral, imaginative activity rooted in creativity and cognitive flexibility. Mirth, expressed through laughter, is the emotional signal that initiates and frames play, creating a shared social space for alternative realities. Laughter serves as both a biological tool to reduce stress and an evolutionary mechanism to foster cooperation, bonding, and perspective-taking, highlighting its integral relationship to play. Developmental Studies: Laughter consistently accompanies children's pretend play, framing social interactions and encouraging collaborative activities. Examples include peek-a-boo, role-playing, and storytelling. Neurobiological Findings: final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 8  Research shows laughter activates mirror neurons in the listener’s brain, making laughter contagious and promoting social bonding. The brain regions activated during laughter are evolutionarily older than those used for language, reinforcing its primal connection to play. Cultural Insights: In Buddhist philosophy, laughter is seen as a "vacation" from self-centered desires, fostering perspective shifts and emotional peace. How does play help us to learn, develop our identities? Play routines teach boundaries explore boundaries in close spaces to learn boundary difference between affection v.s. harm → Rough/tumble play in children: Helps us explore identity: Playful imitation, exaggeration, teasing about possible character Helps learn about the world: Knowledge about laws of physics, nature (kids) E.g., Playing with liquids, sand, dirt, dropping objects → understand substance Language play: using words to explore… (Leslie, 1983) (language) play foster the development of empathy in children: —> Theory of mind in pretend play (Knowing what others think) Language play teaches multiple meanings of words, which is necessary for understanding that there are multiple perspectives of any situation (key to theory of mind); Faster acquisition of empathy 💡 Play with language teaches multiple meanings of words, necessary for understanding there are multiple perspectives on any situation, a key to theory of mind. -> more empathy Purpose and meaning What is systems thinking? Systems thinking is an approach to understanding complex entities by viewing them as interconnected and interdependent systems. It emphasizes the relationships, interactions, and patterns among the components within a system rather than isolating individual parts. Key Features of Systems Thinking 1. Holistic Perspective: Looks at the "big picture" by considering how parts of a system work together and influence one another. 2. Interconnectivity: Recognizes that changes in one part of a system can affect other parts, sometimes in unexpected ways. Three elements of meaning, according to (Park 2010)? Purpose: A sense of direction or overarching goals that motivate behavior and provide a reason for actions. It answers the question, "Why are you doing what you’re doing?" Significance: The perceived importance or value of one’s actions, experiences, or existence in a broader context. It addresses the question, "Does what you do matter?" Understanding: The ability to make sense of life’s experiences and identify how purpose and significance are derived. It explores the question, "Where does your sense of purpose and significance come from?" Three Signs of Meaning Flow: Being deeply absorbed in an activity. → Motivation is intrinsic (comes from within). Calling: Work feels significant, meaningful (good for others), and intrinsically motivating (by your interests) Eudaimonia: Acting in ways that align your strengths with your work. What are the howʼs of sustainable happiness? final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 9  Factors underlying the success of happiness increasing activities? (HoH Ch 10) 💡 Five Factors : 1. Positive Emotion → 40% of our feelings are within our control 2. Optimal Timing/variety 3. Social support 4. motivation/commitment/effort 5. habits Positive Emotions: foil the negative ones (trier stress test and showed a group a positive video - this group then became less nervous) Positive emotion does not give life meaning (it's counter intuitive) But rather experiences that give life meaning are happy Optimal Timing: This is unique to the individual therefore requires self experimentation Timing is important: frequency and duration People were more successful at getting happiness if they did 5 random acts of kindness (RAOK) on a monday than if they spread them out through the week Variety - Alternating activities decreases boredom and in inherently pleasurable and stimulating. Demonstrated by a ten week period increased kindness compared to control. Similarly demonstrated in an obesity study after which participants got bored of exercise routine after 6 months. Social Support: a) Three types 1. Informational Support - i.e advice or new way to think about something 2. Tangible support i.e a ride to the gym 3. Emotional support - i.e providing solace, assurance, inspiration. b) Women who have at least one friend are better able to cope than those without any. Sick patients are more likely to comply with medical advice if they have social support Also more likely to adhere to New Years resolutions Weight loss programs most successful if in a group Motivation, Effort, and Commitment Resolve, learn, effort, commit The more motivated you are into doing something, the more likely you are to put effort into doing it so you are more likely to be happier The benefits of happiness interventions therefore are only as effective as you keep doing them (Lyubomirsky's experiments) Habit - Habits are formed with repetition and practice. Association is formed every time you repeat a behavior. The contextual clues (i.e alarm going off) automatically trigger the habitual behavioral r. This switches from the direction of controlled to automatic processing. They take time to form and endure. final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 10