Psy 706 Midterm Exam UPDATED
ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
What is positive psychology? - CORRECT ANSWER Psychology that is...
1. as concerned with human strength as it as weakness
2. as interested in building the best things in life as repairing the worst
3. as concerned with making the lives of normal people fulfilling/nurturing high talent as with healing
pathology
Martin Seligman - CORRECT ANSWER founder of Positive Psychology
says psychology is "not good enough"
conducted research on "learned helplessness"
What led to positive psychology? - CORRECT ANSWER the costs of the disease model, one
of them being that we never developed positive interventions to make people happier
Positive Interventions - CORRECT ANSWER strategies designed to enhance well-being
- based on scientific research (naughty thumb of science)
- uses random assignment
- placebo-controlled groups
- long-term impact
TX/RX - CORRECT ANSWER a variety of programs and services to help with treatment,
diagnosis, and communication
,essentially, interventions that make people happier
What does Martin Seligman suggest cause positive states? - CORRECT ANSWER left
hemisphere activity
being extremely social
Pleasure vs Flow - CORRECT ANSWER Pleasure - raw feels of contentment; often passive
Flow - complete absorption in an activity where time seems to pass quickly; feelings of purpose
Martin Seligman's 3 "Happy" Lives - CORRECT ANSWER 1. The Pleasant Life (PA)
2. The Good Life (Engagement)
3. The Meaningful Life (Meaning)
1. The Pleasant Life (PA) - CORRECT ANSWER having as much positive emotion as possible
and the skills to amplify it
the "cherry on top" of engagement + meaning
What is the drawback of the Pleasant Life (PA)? - CORRECT ANSWER 50% heritable, not
very modifiable
2. The Good Life (Engagement) - CORRECT ANSWER a life in work, parenting, love, leisure
where time stops for you
involves FLOW
recrafting life to incorporate signature strengths
3. The Meaningful Life (Meaning) - CORRECT ANSWER using your strengths to service
something larger than yourself
,knowing your signature/highest strengths
Eudaimonia happiness - CORRECT ANSWER the pleasure we get from things that are
meaningful to us
Hedonic happiness - CORRECT ANSWER the things that bring pleasure through our senses,
but they are fleeting
the pleasurable life
Hedonic adaptation - CORRECT ANSWER returning back to our basic/set level of happiness
the notion that after positive (or negative) events, and a subsequent increase in positive (or negative)
feelings, people return to a relatively stable, baseline level of affect
Happiness Set Point - CORRECT ANSWER our basic level of happiness
when we are not intentionally trying to increase happiness
can increase if we CHANGE our behaviors
What is Europe's first "positive" university? - CORRECT ANSWER Buckingham University
inspired by Martin Seligman's theories, aims to foster a positive culture free of bullying
Concerns about Europe's first "positive" university? - CORRECT ANSWER exclusion of
pessimistic perspectives (Freud, Nietzsche)
branding a university as "positive" may create pressure for constant optimism
might limit critical thinking & emotional authenticity
, Happiness depends more on __________________________________ rather than external conditions
- CORRECT ANSWER intentional positive activities
External factors contribute only ____% to happiness - CORRECT ANSWER 10%
Concerns of positive psychology? - CORRECT ANSWER may ignore structural and political
realities placing all responsibility on individuals
promotes well-being but may set unrealistic expectations
Learned helplessness - CORRECT ANSWER feeling powerless over one's situation (due to
past events)
What does Seligman's early research on "learned helplessness" suggest? - CORRECT ANSWER
individuals must take ownership of their happiness rather than seeing themselves as victims
What are some inconsistencies in happiness research? - CORRECT ANSWER some studies
link happiness to longer life, others find no effect
conflicting views on the role of money and relationships in happiness
raises the question of whether hapiness can even be measured
In response to criticism, Seligman has shifted focus from "happiness" to
__________________________ - CORRECT ANSWER "flourishing and meaning"
Brinkmann's Alternative Perspective - CORRECT ANSWER argues against self-improvement
and forced positivity
encourages embracing NEGATIVITY to foster critical thinking
ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
What is positive psychology? - CORRECT ANSWER Psychology that is...
1. as concerned with human strength as it as weakness
2. as interested in building the best things in life as repairing the worst
3. as concerned with making the lives of normal people fulfilling/nurturing high talent as with healing
pathology
Martin Seligman - CORRECT ANSWER founder of Positive Psychology
says psychology is "not good enough"
conducted research on "learned helplessness"
What led to positive psychology? - CORRECT ANSWER the costs of the disease model, one
of them being that we never developed positive interventions to make people happier
Positive Interventions - CORRECT ANSWER strategies designed to enhance well-being
- based on scientific research (naughty thumb of science)
- uses random assignment
- placebo-controlled groups
- long-term impact
TX/RX - CORRECT ANSWER a variety of programs and services to help with treatment,
diagnosis, and communication
,essentially, interventions that make people happier
What does Martin Seligman suggest cause positive states? - CORRECT ANSWER left
hemisphere activity
being extremely social
Pleasure vs Flow - CORRECT ANSWER Pleasure - raw feels of contentment; often passive
Flow - complete absorption in an activity where time seems to pass quickly; feelings of purpose
Martin Seligman's 3 "Happy" Lives - CORRECT ANSWER 1. The Pleasant Life (PA)
2. The Good Life (Engagement)
3. The Meaningful Life (Meaning)
1. The Pleasant Life (PA) - CORRECT ANSWER having as much positive emotion as possible
and the skills to amplify it
the "cherry on top" of engagement + meaning
What is the drawback of the Pleasant Life (PA)? - CORRECT ANSWER 50% heritable, not
very modifiable
2. The Good Life (Engagement) - CORRECT ANSWER a life in work, parenting, love, leisure
where time stops for you
involves FLOW
recrafting life to incorporate signature strengths
3. The Meaningful Life (Meaning) - CORRECT ANSWER using your strengths to service
something larger than yourself
,knowing your signature/highest strengths
Eudaimonia happiness - CORRECT ANSWER the pleasure we get from things that are
meaningful to us
Hedonic happiness - CORRECT ANSWER the things that bring pleasure through our senses,
but they are fleeting
the pleasurable life
Hedonic adaptation - CORRECT ANSWER returning back to our basic/set level of happiness
the notion that after positive (or negative) events, and a subsequent increase in positive (or negative)
feelings, people return to a relatively stable, baseline level of affect
Happiness Set Point - CORRECT ANSWER our basic level of happiness
when we are not intentionally trying to increase happiness
can increase if we CHANGE our behaviors
What is Europe's first "positive" university? - CORRECT ANSWER Buckingham University
inspired by Martin Seligman's theories, aims to foster a positive culture free of bullying
Concerns about Europe's first "positive" university? - CORRECT ANSWER exclusion of
pessimistic perspectives (Freud, Nietzsche)
branding a university as "positive" may create pressure for constant optimism
might limit critical thinking & emotional authenticity
, Happiness depends more on __________________________________ rather than external conditions
- CORRECT ANSWER intentional positive activities
External factors contribute only ____% to happiness - CORRECT ANSWER 10%
Concerns of positive psychology? - CORRECT ANSWER may ignore structural and political
realities placing all responsibility on individuals
promotes well-being but may set unrealistic expectations
Learned helplessness - CORRECT ANSWER feeling powerless over one's situation (due to
past events)
What does Seligman's early research on "learned helplessness" suggest? - CORRECT ANSWER
individuals must take ownership of their happiness rather than seeing themselves as victims
What are some inconsistencies in happiness research? - CORRECT ANSWER some studies
link happiness to longer life, others find no effect
conflicting views on the role of money and relationships in happiness
raises the question of whether hapiness can even be measured
In response to criticism, Seligman has shifted focus from "happiness" to
__________________________ - CORRECT ANSWER "flourishing and meaning"
Brinkmann's Alternative Perspective - CORRECT ANSWER argues against self-improvement
and forced positivity
encourages embracing NEGATIVITY to foster critical thinking
