Positive Psychology Principles

POSITIVE
PSYCHOLOGY

Dr. Judith Balcerzak
International University
for Graduate Studies
Summer 2012 Residency
Balcerzak/IUGS/July 2012

Definition:
The scientific study of ordinary human

strengths and virtues. It revisits the

“average person” with an interest in

finding out what works, what’s right, and

what’s improving.


Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi Introduced
Positive Psychology(2000) stating:
The field of positive psychology at the
subjective level is about valued subjective
experiences:
 well-being
 contentment
 satisfaction (in the past)
 hope and optimism (for the future)
 flow and happiness (in the present)


At the individual level, it is About
positive individual traits:
 The capacity for love and vocation,

 Courage, interpersonal skill, aesthetic
sensibility, perseverance,

 Forgiveness,
originality, future
mindedness, spirituality, high talent, and
wisdom

At the group (collective) level:
It is about the civic virtues and the
institutions that move individuals toward
better citizenship:
 responsibility
 nurturance
 altruism
 civility
 moderation
 tolerance, and
 work ethic
(Seligman and Csikzentimihalyi, 2000)


It asks:
What is the nature of the efficiently
functioning human being, successfully
applying evolved adaptations and
learned skills?

And how can psychologists explain the fact
that most people, despite all the difficulties,
manage to live effective lives”?


It studies what people do RIGHT
It’s an attempt to urge us to

adopt a more open and appreciative

perspective regarding human

potentials, motives, and capacities.


The Dimensions of
Positive Psychology


Include:

1. Positive subjective states

2. Positive individual traits or the more
enduring and persistent behavior
patterns seen in people over time.

3. Positive institutions

The scope of positive
psychology??
Early accomplishment in positive
psychology: helping psychologists
pay attention to what people do right.


Remember the early mission of
psychology was to:
 Cure mental illness

 Find and nurture genius and talent

 Make normal life more fulfilling (people
need challenges , tasks that test their
skills, opportunities for learning new
ideas and developing new talents as
well as the freedom to re-invent
themselves throughout their lives.

 Early Psychology’s achievement was
to help people move from a state of
negative emotions to what might be
“neutral emotions”.

 The question of how to be happy was
NOT central to the direction of
psychology


By contrast…
Today, positive psychology has taken
up the challenge to focus attention of
how to nurture genius and talent as well
as how to help people lead lives that are
more fulfilling.


Importance of Positive Emotions to both
Mental and Physical Health.

 True, psychology DOES need to study serious
social and psychological problems (drug use,
crime, response to trauma, and/ or serious M/I).

 Positive Psychology does not reject the need to
study and to attempt to eliminate social and
personal problems, but….

 Study of Positive Emotions can actually help to
fight these problems.


Importance of Positive Emotions to both
Mental and Physical Health:
 Newer forms of TX. focus on positive emotions and
adaptive coping strategies

 People who express and experience positive emotions
more often are likely to be satisfied with their lives and
have more rewarding interpersonal relationships

 People who experience and express positive emotions are
also more likely to be physically healthy, more resistant to
illness and may live longer (e.g., Dominica).

 Positive Psychology is an ATTITUDE that people can take
to research, to other people, & to themselves.


The “Good Life”
Factors that contribute most to a well-
lived and fulfilling life.

Seligman (2000) defines the good life as
“using your signature strengths every
day to produce authentic happiness and
abundant gratification.

“Good Life” Includes 3 Elements:


3 Elements:

 Positive connections to others

 Positive individual traits

 Life regulating qualities


A. Positive connections to
others
 Ability to love

 The presence of altruism

 The ability to forgive

 The presence of spiritual connections to
help create deeper & purpose


B. Positive individual traits

 Sense of integrity

 Ability to play

 Ability to be creative

 Traits like courage and humility


C. Life regulating qualities

 Individuality or autonomy

 High degree of healthy self
control

 Presence of wisdom to guide
behavior


Positive Psychology is
A focus on what makes the kind of life

for human beings that leads to the

greatest sense of well being,

satisfaction, contentment, and “the

good life”.


New Assumptions of Human
Behavior:
 People are highly adaptive and desire
positive social relationships

 People can Thrive and Flourish

 Strengths and virtues are central to
human wellbeing

 People exist in social contexts

All positive emotions are not the
same.
For Example:

 Enjoyment and pleasure are not the
same

 Pleasure can be defined as the good
feeling that comes from satisfying
needs and meeting expectations, it
must be continually renewed by
pleasure experiences.


Pleasure:

Body pleasures are based
on biological needs and

Higher pleasures are
based on experiences that
feel good but are more
cognitively complex

Enjoyment is:
Enjoyment involves meeting

expectations of fulfilling a need and

Then going beyond those expectations

to create something new, unexpected,

or even unimagined.


Should the goal be to eliminate
negative emotions? NO!
Negative Emotions are still important.

(we would be very vulnerable if we
eliminated fear, anxiety or skepticism
from our lives—they help with survival)!

Even tragedy can enrich our experience
of being human (even though it is
painful)

The 20 Century th

 Freud—the U/C, search for wellbeing, happiness
could be helped or hindered by U/C.

 Today, we know that U/C factors are not
necessarily as overwhelmingly significant as
Freud imagined. (this is not to say that there is
NOT U/C)

 One of the goals of PP is to being some
understanding of these various perspectives on
the good life and well being.

Summary:
Positive Psychology is new but gathering respect and
credibility.

APA Journal had two full issues devoted to articles
on Positive Psychology (Jan 2000 and Mar 2001).

The First Summit on Positive Psychology was held in
Lincoln Nebraska in 1999.

Second Summit, 2000 in Washington D.C.

As of this time, Positive Psychology seems well on its way
to permanence in psychological thought.


Hope theory


Hope is the result of two
processes:
1. Pathways or believing that one can
find ways to reach desired goals.

2. Agency: believing that one can
become motivated enough to pursue
those goals.


Cantor & Sanderson (1999)
Suggest that the reason that goal pursuit

is associated with wellbeing is because it

implies that people are active

participants in life! (like earning a PhD)

The pursuit of goals is an indication that

people are taking part in life.

Participating in Life:
Greater wellbeing is found through

participating in activities that are

intrinsically motivating, freely chosen,

desired, and involve realistic goals.


Newer theories of motivation view

people as actively involved in seeking

out intrinsically satisfying experiences

and engaging in continuous

development.


SUBJECTIVE WELL
BEING
Happiness and Life Satisfaction


Predictors of Subjective
Well-Being


Six Predictors of Subjective
Well Being:
 Positive Self Esteem

 Sense of Perceived Control

 Extroversion

 Optimism

 Positive Social Relationships

 A sense of meaning and purpose in life


Self Esteem
Positive self esteem is associated with subjective well being.

(+) self esteem is associated with adaptive functioning
in almost all areas of life.

(+) self esteem correlated with:

Less delinquency, better anger control, greater
intimacy, more satisfaction in relationships, more
ability to care for others, heightened creativity and
productivity.


Is Self Esteem Culture Related?
To some degree, yes.

Less important in collectivistic cultures than
in individualistic cultures.

“Happiness” is not found as consistently in
some cultures.


Sense of Perceived Control
Locus of Control
Internal locus of control=tends to attribute outcomes to
self directed efforts rather than to external events.

External locus of control= is the belief that outcomes
in one’s life are the result of factors outside the person’s
area of immediate control.

Chance=NO ONE IS IN CHARGE OF OUTCOMES


Perception of Control, cont.
Pearson (1999), defines personal control as the

individual’s belief that he/she can behave in ways that
maximize good outcomes and minimize bad outcomes.

Basic Ingredient of Personal Control:

The belief that one can interact with the
world in order to maximize good outcomes
or minimize bad outcomes, or both.


Personal Control ranges from beliefs and

expectations, to making actual choices,

dealing with the consequences of choices,

and finding meaning from reflecting on the

process.


Extroversion
 Up to .80 Correlation between extroversion and self-
reported happiness.

 Can predict levels of happiness up to 30 years from initial
testing!

 Study by Larsen and Kasimatis (1990): University
students reported their daily moods over a week’s time,
extroverts reported an average of 2.0 on a 3.0 scale of
happiness, introverts reported average 1.0 on 3.0 scale.
(Both were above neutral point of 0.0)

 Weekend effect: after Wednesday, scores went up until
Sunday!

Extroversion, cont.
 And, wellbeing is related to the number of friends one
has.

 Genetic differences? Maybe. Some are born with greater
sensitivity to (+) rewards.

 So, it may be that extroverts report greater well being
because they are born with a pre-disposition to
experience positive rewards.

 Studies indicate that happier people encode events in
more positive ways. (mood dependent learning)


Optimism
Optimism about the future correlated with
happiness and life satisfaction.

“Dispositional Optimism”—global
expectation that things will work out. (hope)

“Explanatory Style”—people explain the
causes of events in a way that is positive.

Optimism
We may be able to learn to be more optimistic by paying
attention to how we explain events in life to ourselves!

Referred to as “learned optimism”.

Realistic Optimism: optimistic thinking that does not depart
from reality. An honest recognition of opportunities in even
the most difficult Situations.

vs.

“Unrealistic Optimism”: recall Thelma and Louise)
(a type of denial).


Positive Relationships
 One of the few truly universal relationships
between high subjective well being & satisfaction
and (+) relationships.

 Holds up in cross cultural studies.

 Involves two aspects:

1. Social support

2. Emotional Intimacy


Emotional Intimacy:
(Seligman and Diener,2002) The happiest
10% of college students= what
distinguishing quality?

A fulfilling social life, a romantic
partner, & intimate friendships.


Social Contact
Feeling happy may increase with social
contact. (so one question we ask clients or students or our
families or ourselves is:

“how often do you spend time with friends? How often do
you have lunch or dinner with friends? Etc.).

The relationship between well being and positive social
relationships may be “reciprocal”. (People who have
Positive social relationships may have greater
wellbeing and people who have greater wellbeing may
have positive relationships).


A Sense of Meaning and Purpose
 Studies suggest that people who report greater
religious faith, greater importance to religion,
and more frequent attendance at religious
services also report greater well being.

 Religion provides social support and enhances
self esteem.

 Religion can help to reduce or even eliminate
existential anxiety and fear of death. (unless the
faith traditions of the religion are very shaming,
accusatory, or guilt evoking, then maybe not so
much)!

What’s NOT related to Happiness
 Money, income, wealth: does it matter?

 Gender: are men or women happier?

 Age: is one age group happier than another?

 Race and ethnicity: are there differences?

 Education and climate: Are educated people who live in
pleasant weather conditions any happier?


SMALL GROUP DISCUSS.
SHARE CONCLUSIONS WITH
LARGER GROUP


Money, Income, Wealth
Income and subjective wellbeing: GNP does correlate with average life
satisfaction at about .50 (mild correlation).

Results not true in all countries. E.g., Irish as happy as Americans,
but GNP is much lower.

Happiness levels did not rise significantly from 1946 to 1970’s though
GNP did and personal incomes rose substantially.

Somewhat of a negative relationship between rising disposable income
and “I’m very happy” responses over time.


So can money buy happiness or
not?

NO!

Example of lottery winners.


Adaptation Processes
 Winners now believe that the future will be easier and
more pleasant.

 They believe their increased income will allow them to
meet various needs.

 They also believe that money will help to lessen anxiety,
worry, and fear.

 Adaptation theory: when exposed to a certain level of
stimulus, we become habituated and adapt to that level
quickly (for most life changes, we adapt within 3
months).


Will Money Eliminate Worry?
A trip to the Caribbean can relieve tension but the
increase in happiness and the accompanying
reduction in stress can leave one blind to some
of larger relationships involved.

Although money can alleviate some worries, it
would be naïve to think that money can eliminate
all worries and fears.


Gender: Are Men or Women
Happier?
 No significant differences

 Women report experiencing and expressing all emotions
both more frequently and more intensely than men.

 Women report a greater capacity for joy.

 Men are “over-represented” in cases involving “over-
expression of emotions like anger, anti-social PD,
impulse control problems, and ETOH use.


Good News!
 Neither gender is doomed to be more or
less happy than the other!


Age Differences:
 Young people do experience more intense
emotions than older people but not
necessarily higher levels of subjective
wellbeing.

 Compared to younger people, older
people are more satisfied w/their lives


Age Differences, cont.
 Older women less happy than older men.

 Argyle: (1999) Men’s happiness ratings show
relatively steady increase as they aged while
women’s happiness increased up to age 25,
then dip slightly from age 25 to age 35, followed
by steadily increasing happiness ratings. (What
might this mean or what could contribute to
this)?


Race and Ethnicity, some limited
data:
Compared to While Americans, African
American adults often report lower levels of
self esteem, but AA children may report
higher levels of self esteem. (Argyle, 1999).

But another study suggests that AA adults
over 55 tend to be happier than white adults
over 55. (so “there are lies, damn lies, and
statistics”)!

Education and Climate:
Education is an important variable only

when all income levels are included. Once a

person’s income is at a certain level, additional

education does not seem to impact self reported

happiness. (Earlier in life more education usually

translates to higher income, but less so today).

Climate:
Some studies suggest that climate does not

seriously affect levels of happiness and

satisfaction. (so a trip to a tropical island

may provide temporary relaxation, but is not

considered a lasting source of happiness)


Additional Comments
Factors seem related: High self-esteem,

perceived control, optimism, sense of

meaning, and few inner conflicts all suggest

a person has emotional balance and that

balance is related to satisfaction.

Happy people tend to have more (+) social
relationships, and might be more extroverted.

A person who is $$ comfortable may feel on =
ground w/others.

People who report higher levels of happiness also
seem to have balance to meet life’s demands.”


And,
When people perceive themselves (+) will

present selves to others in a (+) light and

therefore reinforce their self-esteem. This

cycle of subjective wellbeing produces a

sense that life has meaning and purpose,

and makes sense! (all adding to self-esteem

and subjective wellbeing)” 2012
Balcerzak/IUGS/July

6 Variables that are core predictors
of well being:
1. Positive self esteem.
2. Sense of perceived control.
3. Optimism.
4. A sense of meaning and purpose.
5. Extroverted personality.
6. Positive relationships with others.


How?
By enhancing interpretations of life events

and

By fostering the pursuit of life goals


Leisure, Optimal
Experience and Peak
Performance


LEISURE


Leisure and Life Satisfaction
 United Way study in 1992: 70% of those
surveyed said they’d like to slow down

 Spend more time with families

 Campbell, Converse, and Rogers (1976)
found that satisfaction with leisure (life
outside work) was one of the variables that
showed a strong predictor or global
wellbeing Balcerzak/IUGS/July 2012

What we think we know…
 Happiness and satisfaction with leisure
significantly correlated

 Satisfaction begins in adolescence

 One study followed 1521 HS seniors for 24
years and found that more participation in
leisure activities in HS predicted higher life
satisfaction in adulthood.


What we think we know, cont….
 Successful aging is correlated with regular
participation in activities (might be #1 in
older women).

 Most correlation when activities involve
activity

 Relationship between exercise and mood.


What Turns Activity into Leisure?
In a study in the UK, the highest ranked reasons for leisure
were:

 Fulfills need for autonomy

 Allowed the enjoyment of family life

 Provided for relaxation

 Offered escape from routine


Activities vs. Leisure
 Boredom is not having NOTHING TO DO, but
not being able to choose what to do.

 Leisure may be related to autonomy

 Leisure may be related to quietude and
relaxation but also to challenges


Activities vs. Leisure

 While some activities involve “solitude” others
contribute to satisfaction because they involve
socialization. (music alone and with others)

 Activities that provide a sense of wellbeing
should be meaningful to the person, provide for
a sense of autonomy, be a break from routine,
and involve frequent positive relationships with
others.


Flow and Optimal
Experience:
Being in the “Zone”
The work of
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1975)


The work of
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1975)
 Interviewed chess players and basketball players,
dancers, and rock climbers to learn their experiences of
challenge and exhilaration. Interviewed music
composers to learn of their creative processes.

 Did phenomenological analysis.

 Originally named it “autotelic experience”

 This became known as “flow”


Definition of Flow
“A holistic sensation present when we act

with total involvement. A state where action

follows upon action according to internal

logic which seems to need no conscious

intervention on our part.


“Flow”..cont.
Experience it as a unified “flowing” from one
moment to the next, in which we feel in
control of our actions and in which there’s
little distinction between self and
environment; stimulus and response, past,
present, future.”


In the USA and Europe
 About 20 % of people report these “flow-like”
experiences often, sometimes several times a
day.(Maslow would probably have called these
“peak experiences”).

 Only about 15% report they’ve NEVER had the
experience.

 Those who have had it, report immediately
appreciating the association between flow and
psychological well being.


Contexts and Situations for
Flow
“In the Zone” included people who were involved in
creative, artistic pursuits.

May involve participation in religious or spiritual
rituals, teaching a class, driving in a car, being with
one’s family (or not), solitary retreats.

Reading for Pleasure: One of the most frequently
reported contexts for “flow”


Contexts for flow, cont.
Speculation that flow experiences may be
key in job satisfaction.

In team activities, it’s possible for an entire
team to experience flow during the game.

Micro-flow: moments when we are leisurely
involved in a simple, almost automatic
activity.( checkbook vs. taxes)

Characteristics of “Flow”


1.
Complete Concentration on the
Task at Hand

Appears effortless, and not associated with
mental strain.


2.
Lack of Worry about Losing
Control, Paradoxically, Results in
the Sense of Control

Loss of worry allows people to maintain
concentration and focus on the task.


3.
A loss of Self-Consciousness
The EGO is quieted!

One is not trapped in internal conflict
between various options.


4.
Time No Longer Seems to Pass in
Ordinary Ways

(Possibly) some distortion in internal sense of time.

Time may seem to pass more quickly than usually
or may be vastly slowed down.

Both lead to feelings of relaxation.


5.
“Autotelic” Nature of the experience

The experience is done for its own sake rather
than for another goal.

The autotelic personality does things for their own
sake, with involvement and enthusiasm, rather
than in response to external threats or rewards.
(not a survival strategy).(“Intrinsic Motivation”)

Such people are autonomous and independent.


6.
Flow Accompanies a Challenging
Activity that Requires Skill

If demands are high and skills are low,
person may feel anxiety.

If demands are low and skills are high,
person may feel bored.


7.
The Activity Has Clear Goals and
Immediate Feedback.

Self explanatory.


high
control model of flow
C anxiety arousal
h
a
l
l worry
flow
e
n
g
e
apathy control
s
Boredom Relaxation

Low High
Skills

Other Qualities of Flow
 Altered perceptions of self and time and abilities

 Different from normal consciousness

 Heightened well being

 May be innate, we may not need to learn it but
may need to re-discover

 Found in all cultures of the world. (Fiji/KAVA)


4 stages to move from MICROFLOW TO
INTENSE FLOW
• Paying attention (focus attention on physiological
processes)

• Interested attention (not needing to concentrate
are to focus attention and eliminate distraction)

• Absorbed attention (person is so absorbed in the
activity that distraction is almost impossible).

• Merging (person is no longer aware of separation
between self and activity)


Activity:
Select a partner
 Discuss your experiences with “Flow” in the past month.

 In the past year.

 In the past 5 years.

 In your lifetime.

 What are the conditions that are most likely to produce
“flow” for you?


Flow and Subjective Well Being
Is flow associated with subjective wellbeing?
YES!

Because flow is a significant aspect of many
pleasurable leisure activities, it seems related to
leisure and satisfaction.

Flow may be a significant aspect of intrinsically
motivate activities that allow us to return over &
over to experience flow.



 Lefevre (1988) found that the more time
people spent in flow, the greater their
quality of experience during the day.

 High quality of experience included:
5. better concentration,
6. creativity, and
7. + emotions.

 Wells (1988) found a relationship between
self-esteem and flow in working mothers
(flow was significantly correlated with self
esteem based on perceived competency
as a parent.


If interactions with children were easy,
comfortable, and tension free (flowed) then
the felt better about themselves.
BUT:
Overall sense of self esteem was not
dependent on flow.

Mothers could feel good about themselves
with or without flow,


Why Does Flow Increase
Psychological Well Being?
 Per Csikszentmihalyi: during flow, increased well being is
due to the more efficient organization of consciousness.

 During flow, current available information in
consciousness is congruent with goals and under this
condition, psychic energy will flow effortlessly.

 After the experience, a further ordering of consciousness
occurs.

(could this explain how meditation improves
concentration, creativity, and wellbeing)?


How to Produce More Flow in Life:
 Flow may NOT be entirely controllable, but may
be increased with certain strategies.

 Balance skill level with challenge of an activity
and get immediate feedback.

 Intense flow experiences are induced when the
demands of the situation push person to limits of
his/her skill level.


Increase flow?
When demands of situation push person to the
limits of his or her skill level.

3) Demands are so high that we must pay
attention

5) The demands of the task force us to move
beyond self consciousness between the task
and our self evaluation


Are Challenges and Skills
Necessary for Life?
 Flow is fostered by intrinsic interest in and curiosity about
a task.

 Can set up environment that is conducive to flow by
removing distractions, noises, interruptions, or by
creating internal cues that have conditioned associations
with the experience of flow.

 E.g., musicians may have a favorite instrument that
increases likelihood of flow when they use it.


Comments on the Theory of Flow
Csikszentmihalyi said that flow is produced by balancing
learned skills with the challenges of a situation that
requires the skills.

Flow is NOT always present in a specific activity and if it is
present, it may not be present during the entire activity.

Example: Bill Moyers -- “Amazing Grace” seems to
transcend barriers of race, religion, social class, and
education.(Roots of AMAZING GRACE)?


Love and Well Being


The Psychology of Love


Evolution and Love
Love has properties that help us to adapt.

The bonds of love (attachment) help us to
protect those close to us, particularly our
children.


Marriage and Well Being
The quality of our social relationships is one
of the core factors in whether or not we
feel content, happy, satisfied.

Data suggest that married people are
happier and healthier than single people.


 According to some theories, being married is the
only truly significant predictor of life satisfaction.

 One important variable is self disclosure

 Problems with interpersonal relationships, esp.
intimacy, are among the most frequent triggers
for depression.


 Effects of marriage on wellbeing are stronger for
men.

 Single men are less happy than single men, but
married men are as happy or happier than
married women!

 59% of men rated their love as “Perfect 10”
(NBC Weekend Edition and Prevention
Magazine).


Burman and Margolin(1992) suggest that the
psychological and social aspects of marriage are
related to physical health and mortality rates.

Positive marital relationships are related to
longevity. Couples who interacted in (+) ways
have lower blood pressure and lower
psychological reactivity to (-) events.


 But the quality of marriage is more significant for
women. (Men benefit from simply being married,
but women benefit if they have a good
marriage).

 Increase in men’s wellbeing is due to increases
in happiness after marriage, but women’s
increases in wellbeing are due to increases in
life satisfaction.


what does this suggest ?
Men’s increase in well being after getting married
is due more to positive emotions while women’s
increases may be attributable to higher cognitive
judgments.

But, the strength of the positive relationship
between marriage and wellbeing has declined
since 1970’s. Why? Married women seem to be
less happy than they once were while single
men seem to be getting happier!!!!


Explanations?
Younger couples have less satisfaction and more
conflict compared to older couples.

Why? Rogers and Amato (1997) suggest
increased tension surrounding work-family
conflicts that come from new gender roles.(?)

What do you think?


The Varieties of Love


Two Factor Theory of Love
(from which other forms of love emerge)
PASSONATE LOVE: The intense longing
for the other person. Can include: despair
of rejection or joyful union.

COMPANIONATE LOVE: A “quieter” form of
love associated with affection,
companionship, friendship, and long term
commmitment.


Multifactor Theories of
Love


Love Styles
 Eros: passionate love

 Ludus: game playing

 Storge: primarily affectionate and close but not
always exciting

 Pragma: Practical and pragmatic. Love fulfills certain
conditions, rational, objective

 Mania: like eros, but may be extremely emotional
and obsessive

 Agape: altruism, selfless love


Susan and Clyde Hendricks (1992)
Study of 57 dating couples examined the
association of love style, and the stability
and satisfaction of the relationship.


Research Findings, cont.
 Couples showed similarity of love styles

 Higher satisfaction related to higher EROS

 Ludus was a negative predictor for men and a predictor of
satisfaction for women

 Love styles expressed by women might be more important to her
partner’s satisfaction than to his style is to her satisfaction

 When women are more passionate (eros) and altruistic (agape) than
their male partners, they were more satisfied.


Sternberg’s Triangle of Love
3 Emotional Components: Passion, intimacy
and commitment.
2. Passion: the intense emotional response
(like Eros)
3. Intimacy: sharing warmth and closeness
4. Commitment: the decision to maintain
the relationship


Sternberg, cont.
 Most relationships start with infatuation
and end up as companionate love.

 Also, Sternberg’s theory may reflect subtle
ageism because studies of older persons
indicate that sexual interest and activity
can remain strong until the 70’s and 80’s.


Finding Romance,
Intimacy, and Love


Most important variables:
 Proximity—spend time near each other

 Physical Attractiveness—but not as important as
“personality”

 Attitude Similarity—pairing like with like

 Mutual exchange of positive evaluations or
reciprocity—allows one to feel good about self.


Relationship
Satisfaction:
What makes relationships good?


What makes relationships good?

 Intrapersonal qualities

 Interpersonal qualities

 Environmental influences


Personality Attributions,
and Illusions


Personality Traits
Healthy personality—confidence, integrity,
warmth, kindness, intelligence,
dependability, emotional stability, good
sense of humor, loyalty, affectionate
(Laner, et al. 1990).


Interestingly..
Physical attractiveness is not a major
predictor of relationship satisfaction

At opposite end, NEUROTOCISM is a
predictor of poor relationship quality.
(neuroticism leads to chronic focus on the
self, leaving little time for attention to one’s
partner)


5 Factor Model: (BIG 5)
 Conscientiousness
 Agreeableness
 Neuroticism
 Openness to experience
 Extroversion
Happier couples=more agreeable, more
conscientious, more open, and more
emotionally stable. Extroversion=NOT
related to relationship satisfaction


Attributions: the meanings we give
to people, things, events
Fundamental Attribution Error: the tendency
to attribute the causes of other’s behavior to
enduring personality traits while at the same
time, attributing our own behavior to
temporary, situational factors.


Attributions
Couples who are more optimistic usually
have a better chance of making marriage
work!


Positive Romantic Illusions—Is love
really blind?
The tendency for couple to view each other
in a somewhat more positive light than
others can produce “mutual reinforcement”

Happy couples seem implicitly negotiate
areas of self evaluation so that neither
partner’s self esteem is threatened.


This is called motivated inaccuracy.

The use of positive illusions may actually be
related to greater self esteem!

Resilient Illusions: illusions that occur in the
context of healthy self esteem and realistic
optimism.

Interpersonal Factors


In many studies:
Communication is the primary determination
of marital satisfaction.

Most couples want more time and better
talks, not more sex!


John Gottman
Simple index to distinguish happy from
unhappy couples:

Couples that are more satisfied will turn
toward each other more often. (both
physically and symbolically)

These indicate “bids for attention”.

Relationship Stability:
What makes relationships last?


What do Happy Couples
Say About Their
Relationships?


Robert and Jeanette Lauer (1990)
(Studied over 300 couples who had been together
15 + years. 7 qualities emerged:
1. My spouse is my best friend
2. I like my spouse as a person
3. I believe that marriage is a long term
commitment
4. We agree on aims and goals
5. My spouse has grown more interesting over
the years
6. I want the relationship to succeed
7. Marriage is a sacred institution


Theories of Relationship
Stability
Balance Theory

Social Exchange Theory

What Does Research Say about
Stability?


Balance Theory
It’s not the presence of negative behaviors, but
how they are regulated.

Regulated couples who seem to be stable and free
from undue conflict are called “validating
couples” where as

Couples who tend to be unstable and short term
are called “unregulated” couples. (+&- behaviors
are not predictable)


Social Exchange Theory
Relationships are an exchange of rewards and
costs.
Social interdependency theory:
People make separate decisions about whether
they’re satisfied in a relationship and whether
they should stay.

People who have high commitment will devalue
alternative partners as a way to keep satisfaction
high.

Commitment: satisfaction, available alternatives,
and investment


What does research say?
(Gottman, (1998)
Friendship is essential.

Happy couples communicate affection, fondness,
admiration, and interest in each other’s lives.

“Turn toward” each other.

Longer courtships.

Marry older (older and long term=“acceptance”)


Skolnick:
Followed couples x 27 years:
Couples who were older and had higher
incomes, higher education, higher religious
participation=more stable marriages.

Skolnick:
Each marriage is really 2 (husband’s &
wife’s)


What Hurts
Relationships?


Conflict


Response to Conflict:
 Demand-withdraw pattern: one partner criticizes/
complains, the other feels contempt and then
withdraws

 Stonewalling: when the withdrawal becomes
destructive

 Flooding: one person becomes “shell shocked”
and seeks protection (fight/flight)

 Repair attempt: try to calm down tension so that
flooding does not occur. When attempts fail,
couple is in trouble!

The Impact of
Social and Cultural Factors
on Relationships


Social and Cultural Factors
Differences in backgrounds, ethnicity,
culture, religion, etc. can create stress.

There can also be cultural differences in the
“rules” for relationship. (monogamy vs.
polygamy, child rearing, extended family,
etc.)


Comments of Love and
Wellbeing


 The need for some type of companionship and
the capacity for caring are biological.

 Social environment is important in how one
perceives love.

 Physical isolation and “rootless-ness” are only
half the reason love is so important.

 Our society conditions us to rate ourselves
based on the amount of love we receive.


PETS
 Pets can be a source of relationship


Religion?
 Monastic practices suggest that love need
not be “corporeal”. A love for God of
something of ultimate concern can be
fulfilling.


WELLNESS, HEALTH,
AND POSITIVE
COPING


WELLNESS


World Health Organization

“Health is a state of complete physical,
mental, and social wellbeing, and NOT
merely the absence of disease and
infirmity.”


Halbert L. Dunn, (1961) coined the
phrase “high level wellness”

 Zest for Life
 A way of living to maximize potential
 A sense of meaning and purpose
 A sense of social responsibility
 Skills for adapting to the challenges of a
changing environment


Health Psychology
Since 1970’s APA created a new
specialty in psychology


Health Psychology focuses on all the behavioral
factors that can affect a person’s health.

Health Psychology includes using
psychological knowledge to help prevent risk
factors for disease, increase compliance with
health directives, and create public policy
investigation into how our health care system can
work better.

Health Psychology is compatible with PP!


Psycho-Neuro-Immunology (PNI)
As late as 1985 the connection between
disease and mental state was considered
to be FOLKLORE.

First studies to provide a direct causal
relationship between health status and
psychological state was published in 1991.


Psycho-Neuro-Immunology (PNI)
Cohen, Tyrrell, and Smith (1991, 1993) suggested
a direct relationship between stress and the
common cold.

Later, Cohen, Doyle, Skoner, Rabin, and Gwaltney
(1997) used a more rigorous test of the stress-cold
connection hypothesis and found the greater the
extent of a person’s social ties, the less likely
they’d develop a cold. (lower social support 4x
more likely to get sick).


Psychological Factors Important to
Health
People have greater control over some areas of
their physiological processes than was ever
believed possible.

Some data suggest that some people, under
certain conditions, can be taught to increase or
decrease the number of cells in their own bodies
associated with immune functioning.(T-Cells or S-
IgA antibodies). Only 30 years ago, science would
NOT have believed this to be possible!


Social Support
Associated with positive health outcomes
such as greater resistance to disease, faster
recovery from heart disease and surgery,
and lower mortality.

Support from family and friends has been
associated with less arterial blockage in
Type A personalities.


Social Support
 The immune system—studies of medical
students. Effect of stress was greater in those
students reporting “loneliness”
(e.g., Ross medical school, St. Kitts).

 Pets-can lower blood pressure, reduce the rates
of angina, and increase longevity.

 Compassion and Health-just watching someone
be kind and sympathetic to others may even
change our immune system!


Effects of watching Triumph of the Will and
Mother Teresa on Immunogobulin A.
(McClellen, 1985)


M
E
A
N
C Film on Mother Theresa
O
N
C
E
N
T
R
A Film on Nazi Germany
T
I
O
N
O
F
S
Assessment Day Immediately after viewing time
Ig
A Balcerzak/IUGS/July 2012

Humor and Health
Even Hippocrates, father of Greek medicine,
prescribed laughter to his patients.

Norman Cousins helped himself cure a
degenerative and possibly fatal illness.

He refused to accept the diagnosis, took unusually
high doses of Vitamin C and watched old “Candid
Camera” shows and Marx Brother movies!

(Other example, sister in law)


Humor and Health
Studies have suggested that laughter can increase
levels of S-Ig A antibodies that fight off infections.

Humor also related to personality characteristics.
Thorson, Powell, Sarmany-Schuller &Holmes
(1997) found that people who scored high on
humor tend to score high on optimism,
extroversion, and capacity for intimacy. Also, they
scored low on neuroticism.


Music and Health
Pennebaker,(1997),studied the process of coping
with trauma and found that non-verbal expression
of emotions through art and music can be helpful.
(choir rehearsal after cat euthansia)

Cardiologists Peng, Goldberger, and Stanley
(1993) recorded human heartbeats and discovered
it’s possible to graph the intervals between beats
and convert them to musical notes.

And the same researcher found that heartbeats sound
musically pleasing! (and J.S. Bach)


Emotional Expression and Health
Studies of survivors of Holocaust, San
Francisco earthquake, and the Gulf Wars.

Pennebaker concluded that confiding in
someone about one’s experiences can be
therapeutic, and even non-verbal
expressions, like music and art, can be
helpful.


Does having a good cry help?
“Unshed tears make other organs weep” but the research
does NOT support the view that crying is a good stress
reliever.

Why not? Possibly because there are a number of crying
styles and a number of reasons people cry.

But it can be used as a coping mechanism to help deal with
negative emotions. (but it can be used to manipulate
others, or to express joy [like at a wedding] ).

Crying is a parasympathetic nervous system response (rest
and digest, after fight/flight).


Comments of Wellness
and Health Psychology


Summary
 Research is early and young
 But we do know that emotions are important to
our health.
 The results from studies replaces the old notion
that the mind and body are separate.
 The new approach is a more interactive model of
a dynamic system, with both physical and
psychological factors affecting our health.


Inventories and Practice

20 things I love to do.
List 20 things you love to do.
Indicate when you last did the activity.
Indicate if you did it alone or with others. (A or O)
Indicate if it takes planning to do it (P)
Indicate if you need equipment to do it. (E)
Does it meet an emotional, physical, intellectual, or
spiritual need?
Indicate which activities can be done for less than
$5.00 ($)


Donald Clifton
50 year career at University of
Nebraska, Selection Research,
Inc., and “Gallup”


Asked:
“What would happen if we studied what is
right with people”?

Believed that talents could be
“operationally defined”, studied, and
accentuated in both academic and
work settings. (Hodges & Clifton, 2004,
cited in Snyder, et al, 2011).


Clifton considered
 “Traits” as the raw materials to be the
products of healthy development.

 Viewed strengths as extensions of talent,
and

 Viewed the combination of talent &
knowledge & skill as the ability to provide
excellent performance at a particular skill.

Clifton Strength Finder Themes
Achiever Competition Focus
Activator Connectedness Futuristic
Adaptability Consistency Harmony

Analytical Context Ideation
Arranger Deliberativeness Includer
Belief Developer Individualization
Command Discipline Input
Communication Empathy Intellectualization


Clifton Strength Finder Themes,
cont.
Learner Restorative

Maximizer Self-Assurance

Positivity Significance

Relator Strategic

Responsibility WOO (winning others
over)

References

 Averill,J.R. (2002). “Emotional Creativity. Toward Spiritualizing the Passions.” Cited in Snyder & Lopez,
Handbook of Positive Psychology. New York. Oxford Press.

 Cantor and Sanderson.(1999).”Life Task Participation and well being. The importance of taking part in daily life”.
In Kahneman, et al. Wellbeing. The Foundation of Hedonic Psychology.

 Clifton (2011) Hodges & Clifton, 2004, cited in Snyder, et al, 2011).

 Cloninger, R. (2006). The science of well-being: an integrated approach to mental health and its disorders. World
Psychiatry. June 2006: 5(2) 71-76; The World Psychiatric Association.

 Compton, William C. (2005). An Introduction to Positive Psychology. Wadsworth-Cengage Learning. Belmont, CA
Psychology.

 Gardner, John (1993) cited in Compton. (2005)

 Salovey,P. & Mayer, J.D. (1990). “Emotional Intelligence”. Imagination, Cognition, and Personality.9, 185-211.
Personality.9,

 Seligman, M.E.P. (2002). Positive Psychology, Positive Prevention, and Positive Therapy.

 Seligman, ME) & Czikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology. The American Psychologist,
Vol.55, No.1, 5-24. January, 2000. APA

 Snyder, C. R. & Lopez, S. J. (2002). The Handbook of Positive Psychology.Oxford University Press. New York.
Psychology.Oxford


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