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 Vulnerability Anxiety/fear Vigilance to threats 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) Reproductive issues Male: Affects testosterone production, Sperm production and maturation, Erectile dysfunction/impotence, Vulnerable to infection (i.e. infections to the testes, prostate gland and urethra, etc.) Female: Absent or irregular menstrual cycles, Painful periods, Change in length of cycles, Worsens PMS, Intensifies symptoms of Menopause, Reduced sexual desire Digestive: Ulcers, Heartburn and acid reflux, Nausea and pain, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Constipation, Digestion and absorption are compromised 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 Compromised immune system Cardiovascular → Heart disease Nervous system Cell death in hippocampus Memory Loss Compromised intellectual function Shortened telomeres (protective tissue at end of chromosomes, aged 10 years by chronic stress) 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 link to ted talk Elevated cortisol, cytokines final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 2  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) Low SES, stress, and health Increased prevalence of depression, anxiety disorders, reduced happiness Low birth weight, asthma, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, pain (bad back, stomach), respiratory illness, quicker demise in responding to different diseases Increased incidence of traumatic life events (greater violence in communities, etc.) Why is this? There are some structural factors Fewer parks, libraries, health stores, nature, health care centers, sports fields, gyms, yoga studios Greater noise, sleep disruption, increased pollution, pesticides 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 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 are positive activities that remedy each type of toxic thought? Remedy for each type of toxic thought: Make time for thoughts Distract yourself Stop technique (shout/think stop) Talk to a sympathetic and trusted person about your thoughts and troublesAsk yourself: will this matter in a year? Writing about your negative thought patterns Consider the reasoning for each thought and counter with reasoning 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 predicts greater self-focus, less empathy, less healthy relationships Usually correlates negatively with happiness and predicts increased stress as well as reduced environment-friendly behaviors extra notes : toxic thoughts What are the toxic thoughts that we discussed in the class? What are positive activities that remedy each type of toxic thought? Perfectionism Not about being perfect, but about thinking that things NEED to be perfect; leads to constant "pursuit" of happiness Linked to frustration, exhaustion, feeling unappreciated Maximizing final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 3  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" Upward social comparison Comparing yourself to someone you believe to be better than you in some way Leads to dissatisfaction, dejection, feelings of inferiority, loss of self-esteem Downward social comparison Comparing yourself to someone you believe to be lesser than you in some way Leads to feelings of guilt, fears of suffering the same equally bad fate Overthinking/rumination Sustains/worsens sadness and fosters negative thinking Tactics: Distract yourself Think or say out loud "stop" or "no!" when you find you are overthinking Dealing w/ toxic thoughts Ask yourself if it will matter in a year Write about your negative thought patterns, organize negative thoughts to make sense of them, observe patterns that you haven't perceived before set aside 30 minutes every day to do nothing but ruminate - then you find yourself thinking negatively, you can truthfully tell yourself, "i can stop now and think of this later" Mindfulness What are the core components of mindfulness? Non-judgemental awareness of the contents of the mind and body Kind attention to self and others Attention to what is occurring in the present moment (simply observing thoughts, feelings, and sensations as they arise). 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 Respiratory System → slower respiration rate (from calming) Aging → higher levels of telomerase activity (maintains long telomeres, slows aging, opposite of stressed) Stress reduction → reduces symptoms of anxiety disorders 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) 4  Mental Health Clinical populations with physical illness MBSR relieves psychological distress and strengthens well-being Clinical populations with psychiatric disorders MBSR reduces symptoms of distress, anxiety and depression or teaches patients coping skills to handle symptoms Depression Halved rates of relapse and recurrence (Ma & Teasdale, 2004) 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 What are the key limitations of the mindfulness literature? There are numerous theoretical approaches to mindfulness (e.g. grounded in Buddhism, and cognitive psychology), each with different ways to measure it. There is currently no consensus on the best way to measure mindfulness replicability Lack of stringent control groups Pre/post design with no (or only inactive) control Waitlist controls Treatment as usual controls w/ medical conditions Unclear what a good "active control" would be Small sample sizes Self-reports 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 final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 5  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? It allows them to empathize with other characters Reading fiction benefits our ability to read others’ emotions and understand social situations Simulates our own experience by utilizing leaps of imagination 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 What are ways that crafting a life narrative is beneficial? Freud's narrative self (catharsis)-- mental dump Harold Bloom Shakespeare invented self awareness, the idea of telling a story of identity "Consilience" - the way in which the world comes to the same conclusions E.O. Wilson We know things about ourselves via science AND stories It's a story we can use to understand ourselves theory: naming our emotions reduces amygdala activity 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 Narrative Psychology McAdams - helps you integrate stress, traumas, and goal We have core passions which guide intentions, motifs, vivid images, memories too We tell ourselves a narrative to integrate conflicts, and also goals We seek coherence and a story The task of life is to tell the story of who you are SO WE NEED A CORE PASSION (all stories have them) final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 6  💡 → see Explanation of Pennebaker Study (STUDY this!) "Writing to heal": write about emotional trauma Increased wellbeing, enhanced immune function, reduced reports of anxiety Might also be interesting to look into perspective taking (because making a narrative might involve taking perspective) Naming Third Person Perspective (distancing)* Temporal Distance (see King & Miner), "imagine your best self 5 yrs from now & what your current worries would mean then" Effects Increased happiness Improved health Reduced stress weeks later Language provides narrative to experience 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) "Rasas are like everyday emotions except that we experience these literary emotions without the thick crust of egotism that often blinds us to the implications of our ordinary emotions in our daily lives" → "The idea of rasa is that we can feel the emotion, but also understand its social implications without our usual, often self-interested, involvement Practicing rasa allows us to refine our human capacities of emotional understanding 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. final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 7  Two types of distancing (STUDY this!) 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) How to adopt distanced perspectives? Temporal Imagine best self 5 years from now Perspective Imagine situation from third-person perspective "What would you say to your friend if they were going through this?" Effects Temporal Increased happiness Better health Reduced stress weeks after Perspective Less sympathetic autonomic nervous system activation Better conflict handling (view it as if in film) Less anger What effects does suppressing emotions have on people and their relationships? lower social support, less closeness to others, and lower social satisfaction Social processes rely on others knowing about individuals internal emotional state Suppression of emotions rarely work so partner can sense it, which can lead the partner to misinterpret the interaction negatively Cognitive resources are diminished by suppression which affects social interactions Suppression: what we resist persists. When we suppress, we don't have a non-judgmental acceptance of things and this can Ibe harmful to our mental well-being and relationships. Suppressing our stress heightens physiological stress Costs of emotional suppression either as strategy for handling stress To self: Increased sympathetic ANS response More struggles with others, less happiness To nations: Reduced well-being across 23 studies To others: When a person suppresses emotions, the other person also gets affected 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 final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 8  What does the work of Pennebaker tell us about the effects of crafting a narrative? Expressive Writing Paradigm (Pennebaker) Method: ask trauma patients to either write emotionally about trauma or about facts of trauma Findings: if write about emotions, then Higher well-being Better immune function Reduced health center visits Reduced anxiety and depression Explanation: Narratives lead to Insight Places stress within a larger personal narrative Use perspective words (I see now) Organization, coherence Aristotle: catharsis - dramatic insight into why we have stress Emotional wisdom - Peace, aggression, and positive culture 💡 missing : Core elements of wisdom What is distancing? How can people adopt distanced perspectives on events that happen to them? What are the effects of adopting a distanced perspective? It allows us to distance ourselves from our own world which allows us to view our experience from a third-person perspective People’s attempts to reflect adaptively on their negative feelings often fail because they focus on their experiences from a psychologically immersed perspective, which makes it difficult for people to reason objectively without getting caught up in the emotionally arousing details of what happened to them. Temporal distancing: imagine your best self five years from now (what will your current worries mean to who you are 5 years from now?) What does the story of the Forest Troop (from the book: The Compassionate Instinct) tell us about the capacity of baboons for aggression and cooperation? What are the implications for humans? Some primates are violent and/or peaceful with this behavior driven by social structure and ecological setting Baboons (a more violent species) battled for garbage dump resources Two Traits of fighting monkeys: (1) Combative (2) Not interested in Socializing Tuberculosis in garbage dump meat killed Baboons 💡 RESULT: Forest Troop Males that survived became less hierarchical, less aggressive, more prosocial (less harassment), more accepting of outsiders once aggressive males died - pattern continues to this day Key Point - It was not just that twice as many female baboons remained but the TYPES of males that remained (Selective Bottleneck) ALSO males from other troops that joined Forest Troop after epidemic, ended up adopting the unique behavior style of resident males by becoming less aggressive final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 9  💡 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 does this mean for humans? Primates = ancestors → similar functioning → aggression in humans is probably also dependent on social structures (changeable) We see high Cooperation in small groups but also Conformity Culture is not passed on but emerges via facilitation of active resident members Nothing is beyond our Nature because our society is malleable 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 Seeks to increase hope and a sense of possibility, compassion and well-being 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 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. Know the studies of the behavior of primates after switching troops by Hans Kumer and De Vaal and Johanowicz. First Study: final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 10  Hans Kummer was working in a region of Ethiopia containing two species of baboons with different social systems: savanna and Hamadryas baboons. Kummer conducted an experiment in which he trapped an adult female savanna baboon into a hamadryas troop and vice versa. Females who were dropped in among a different species initially carried out their species-typical behavior but they absorbed the new rules after about an hour! A millennia of genetic differences which initially separated the two species were gradually washed away. Second Study: Set up by Frans de Waal and his student Denise Johanowicz in which they were working with two macaque monkey species Male rhesus macaques are hierarchical and aggressive whereas male stump tail macaques which share almost all of their genes with their rhesus cousins, display less aggression and exert more egalitarianism. In the experiment, a mixed-sex social group of juvenile macaques were created in which rhesus and stump tails were combined together. Over the course of a few months, the rhesus males adopted the stump tails’ social style and eventually matched the stump tails’ high rates of reconciliatory behavior However, the rhesus macaques did not start using the stump tails’ reconciliatory gestures but rather increased the incidence of their own species-typical gestures. 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: final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 11  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 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 Bullying involves violence, tormenting, hitting, pinning one down, stealing, and vandalizing which has nothing to do with teasing 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. How do types of play help us learn about boundaries, explore identities, navigate conflict, and learn about the world? Playful teasing helps us navigate conflict Teasing is related to social well-being: Example of “playing the dozens” which is a sophisticated form of ritualized insult that the sociologist Roger Abrahams documented while spending two years living among young black kids in urban Philly in which they resorted to a canon ot teases (the dozens) These ritualized insults occurred mainly among friends and provoked fun and play rather than aggression in which boys can test one another in ways that explored sexual identity and thickened their young skin as a defense against the institutionalized hostilities they faced Forms of play: Identity play Rough and tumble: explore boundaries in close spaces Language play: with words, explore multiple meanings of words, multiple perspectives Playing with physical substances (common among kids and toddlers) Playful teasing and happiness Summer camp, campers who teased more playfully had more friends Wisconsin football team Couples who have nicknames for each other are happier Happier couples tease each other in more playful fashion Self-compassion What is self-compassion? What are the three components? Sees failures kindly Sees self as part of larger humanity final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 12  Holds pains, and stress in mindful attentiveness 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… Beautiful Powerful Athletic Smart Consequence = rise in anxiety disorders, eating disorders, self-harm What are the benefits of being self-compassionate? Reduced : anxiety, depression, rumination, and neurotic perfectionism Promotes less regret Promotes desire to make amends for a past personal transgression Promotes self-improving health behavior What are some tactics to counter perfectionistic tendencies? Take perspective of someone who supports you on struggles, failures “Stop” when ruminating about self problems Challenge sources of perfectionism with reason Materialism, advertisements Body Image Set intention in digital use: avoid comparing self to others 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 What are some strategies for savoring? Savoring: any thoughts or behaviors capable of generating, intensifying, and prolonging enjoyment Savoring/Satisficing: Enjoying the moment for what it is Share good feelings with others Slow down or stop and take a mental photograph Slow down and sharpen sensory perception Remind yourself how quickly time flies Relish ordinary experiences: appreciate and take pleasure in mundane, everyday experiences Transport yourself: imagination final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 13  Replay happy days Be mindful Take pleasure in the senses Savoring leads to… An increase in self-confidence, extraversion, gratification, happiness A decrease in hopelessness, neuroticism What is the relationship between optimism and 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 Power What is power? It is the capacity to alter the state of others through information, social ties, or innovation or by withholding resources (e.g food, money, knowledge, and affection) as well as by administering certain punishments Power is gained through virtue It is not synonymous with wealth How do dominance, status, and reputation relate to power? The fact that on all continents, hunter-gatherers faced bullies or political upstarts, and faced them through brutal treatment and ostracism, demonstrates the fact that if these people hadn’t worked against inequality (through egalitarianism), they would have soon turned hierarchical by nature -Just as these 4 species (gorillas, bonobos, chimps, and humans) have strong propensities to domination and submission, so do they also naturally resent being dominated -The common ancestor not only disliked being dominated but it also ganged up in coalitions to remove power of its alphas -Social intelligence and modesty is key to rising in ranks as well as maintaining power/status-A person’s power is only as strong as the status given to them by others (ex. Voting in democratic societies) -“Individuals who are modest about their own power actually rise in hierarchies and maintain the status and respect of their peers, while individuals with an inflated, grandiose sense of power quickly fall to the bottom rungs.” (Compassionate Instinct pdf page 197) Reputation: The beliefs or opinions that are generally held about someone or something. “We’ve found that these individuals do not actually rise to positions of power. Instead, their peers quickly recognize that they will harm others in the pursuit of their own self-interest, and tag them with a reputation of being harmful to the group and not worthy of leadership.” (Compassionate Instinct pdf page 198)Status and reputation are given to individuals and therefore, power is GIVEN to individuals, not acquired You must give up dominance in order to gain status, reputation, and power What does it mean to “use our power well” vs abuses of power? We tend to believe that attaining power requires force, deception, manipulation, and coercion-Power is used most effectively when used responsibly, by people who are attuned to and engaged with the needs/interests of others Using power well involves being both generous and sensitive to people’s natural inclinations to dislike being dominated. If this is accomplished, then even a strong dictatorship may be accepted to some degree Egalitarians’ solution to the problem of power: arrived at a social contract by which each political actor conceded his or her personal pursuit of dominance in order to remain at political parity with his or her peers. People who assume positions of power are likely to act more selfishly, impulsively, and aggressively, and have a harder time seeing the world from other people’s points of views---power paradox in which skills most important to obtaining power and leading effectively are the very ones that deteriorate final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 14  People in power are more predisposed to stereotypes in which they judge others’ attitudes, interests, and needs less accurately (look down on their subordinates) When people resort to trying to control others, it’s often a sign that their power is slipping Abuses of power: Machiavellianism: coercion, deception, manipulation Sociopathy: coldness, lack of caring, aggression Narcissism: self-focus, grandiosity What are the virtues that are part of a virtue-based approach to power? Humanity: Kindness, sympathy Courage: Bold, persistence Justice: Fairness, teamwork Temperance: Humility, Modesty What psychological outcomes are associated with a sense of power? Greater happiness, less stress, greater sense of purpose, and longer life expectancy Play What is play? What is its relationship to mirth? A mammalian universal Fools in all cultures, high art of comedy, satire An alternative to serious purpose (puns, nicknames) The 4th act of wisdom 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: learn boundaries between pleasure, pain, harm→ moral boundaries Flirtation: learn boundary between friend, intimate Helps us explore identity Playful imitation, exaggeration, teasing about possible character Lunchtime play of middle school girls; gender play of imitations was about trying out sexual identities 6th grade girls play with their identities at the lunch table →go from acting very feminine to more masculine, etc. Helps learn about the world Knowledge about laws of physics, nature E.g., Playing with liquids, sand, dirt, dropping objects → understand substance Language play: using words to explore… (Leslie, 1983) Multiple meanings of words Multiple perspectives (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 final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 15  Purpose and meaning What is systems thinking? Three elements of meaning, according to (Park 2010)? What are the howʼs of sustainable happiness? Factors underlying the success of happiness increasing activities? (HoH Ch 10) 💡 Five Factors : 1. Positive Emotion 2. Optimal Timing/variety 3. Social support 4. motivation/commitment/effort 5. habits There's a lot of stuff that makes us happy 40% of our feelings are within our control 12 happiness boosting activities Expressing gratitude, cultivating optimism, avoiding over thinking and social comparison, practicing kindness, nurturing kindness, developing coping strategies, learning to forgive, increasing flow, savoring Positive Emotion Moments of pleasure broaden your horizons and build skills Depression Deficit of positive emotions Depression triad Positive emotions foil the negative ones (trier stress test and showed a group a positive video - this group then became less nervous) Can also undo cardiovascular impairment due to negative emotions Positive emotion does not give life meaning (it's counter intuitive) But rather experiences that give life meaning are happy Positive emotion helps us achieve goals Optimal Timing Timing is important: frequency and duration This is unique to the individual therefore requires self experimentation 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 final-study-guide: Human Happiness (Psych C162) 16  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) 17