1 / 43

Learned Optimism

Learned Optimism. A Study by Dr . Marvin Seligman. Two ways of life. Optimism. Pessimism. The Optimism Test. http://www.stanford.edu/class/msande271/onlinetools/LearnedOpt.html. How do you react to bad events?. Permanence (bad events). Pessimist. Optimist. Persist forever. Temporary.

lucien
Download Presentation

Learned Optimism

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Learned Optimism A Study by Dr. Marvin Seligman

  2. Two ways of life Optimism Pessimism

  3. The Optimism Test http://www.stanford.edu/class/msande271/onlinetools/LearnedOpt.html

  4. How do you react to bad events?

  5. Permanence (bad events) • Pessimist • Optimist • Persist forever • Temporary • My boss is in a bad mood today • My boss is a bastard

  6. Permanence Score • PmB: Permanence Bad (7) • 0-1 very optimistic • 4 average • 7-8 very pessimistic • PmG: Permanence Good (4) • 7-8 very optimistic • 4-5 average • 0-1 very pessimistic

  7. Pervasiveness • Pessimist Optimist • Universal • Specific • Good event • All teachers are unfair. • Bad event • Teacher x is unfair.

  8. Pervasiveness • PvB: Pervasiveness Bad (4) • 0-1 very optimistic • 4 average • 7-8 very pessimistic • PvG: Pervasiveness Good (3) • 7-8 very optimistic • 4-5 average • 0-1 very pessimistic

  9. Hope • PvB + PmB • 0-2 very hopeful • 12-16 severely hopeless (11)

  10. The Hopeless • People who make permanent and universal explanations for their troubles • tend to collapse under pressure

  11. Personalization • When bad things happen, do we blame ourselves? • If so, do we lose self-esteem when bad events strike?

  12. Responsibility for our actions • “I’m stupid” vs • “You’re stupid”

  13. Responsibility for our actions • Depressives tend to take way more responsibility for bad events than is realistic Depressives Realistic High Low

  14. PsB = Personalization Bad • 0-1 very high self esteem • 4 average (4) • 7-8 very low self esteem

  15. PsG = Personalization Good • 7-8 very high self esteem • 4-5 average • 0-1 very low self esteem (2)

  16. Total Score • Good-Bad • Above 8 very optimistic. • 6 – 7 optimistic • 3-5 average • 0 or below very pessimistic (-6) prone to depression

  17. Benefits of Pessimism • Pessimists see reality !

  18. Reality • Non-depressed people • Believe they have more control than they do • Overestimated their performance

  19. Pessimism works • Companies need pessimists to survive • Finance • Compliance • Pessimism keeps you alive • airlines

  20. if you are pessimistic…. But...

  21. May be depressed

  22. May be achieving less Your talent Effort Achievement

  23. Your health • May have weakened physical health • and it gets worse with age.

  24. Life may not be as pleasurable

  25. Bad life events • Children may suffering bad life events (divorce, family deaths, etc) • will do worst

  26. Pessimism in children’s life • But also children who see bad events as permanent, pervasive and personal • Will over time get depressed and do badly

  27. At School • Explanatory style is • as much of a predictor of success • as SAT’s or IQ tests

  28. At Work: Met Life study • Group A: Regular force • Pass Career Profile, insurance industry test • Group B: Special Force • Failed Career Profile • Would not usually be hired anywhere else • But scored top half of the optimism test.

  29. Special force At Work • 1st year • Outsold the pessimists in the regular force by 21% • 2nd year • Outsold the pessimists by 57%

  30. Health: Nursing home study • The First Floor • Extra control and choice in their lives • Have to choose omeletes or scrambled eggs for breakfast the night before • Have to choose the film to watch before • Pick plants if you want and you have to water it.

  31. Health: Nursing home study • The Second Floor • The same added extra good things but… • Omelettes on Mon, Wed, and Fri. • Scrambled eggs on the other days • Residents from left corridor go Wednesday for the film. • Those from right corridor Thursday. • Nurse waters plants in the room

  32. Eighteen months later… • The First Floor • With choice and control • More active and happier • Lived longer

  33. I am pessimistic. • And I think I’m born with it. • Really?

  34. Children are … • From 9 to 12 years old boys and girls • Total average is 13.5

  35. But they are open to • Adults’ criticism • Teacher and parents • Life crises

  36. And mother’s explanatory style • Mummy, there’s a dent on my side of the car. • Damn, Bob will kill me. • Daddy told you to always park his new car far away from the other cars • Damn, things like this always happen to me. I’m so lazy, I just want to carry groceries a few feet, not a hundred yards. I’m so stupid.

  37. How to become more optimistic

  38. ABC • Adversity • Beliefs • Consequences

  39. Identify ABC • A: Someone cuts you off while you are driving • B: You think “______________” • C: You get pissed off and honk your horn

  40. Record your ABC • A: I broke the build. Int. server is not working this morning. • B: Why didn’t I notice it yesterday. I am careless and stupid. I have fix it now, and We lost half-day. • C: I feel stupid and unprofessional. I’m depressed

  41. Dispute your beliefs • Argue with yourself • Look for alternative explanations,de-catastrophize

  42. Change your Belifes • A: I broke the build. Int. server is not working this morning. • B: I was working very hard and got exhausted in the afternoon. I learned that maintanable pace is important. I know what’s broken, so I can fix it very quickly. • C: I feel relieved. I learn a lesson and am a better developer now.

  43. Homework • Record your ABC • Evaluate your ABC and dispute it

More Related