Positive Psychology: Embracing Positivity for Total Well-being

1. Self-Assessment and Positive Psychology Organizational Behavior a LSS Approach to Productivity Professor Mort Anvari Project Management and LSS Chapter 1 Introduction and Outlines

2. Self-Assessment - Agenda

3. Positive Psych’s “Official” Beginning Father of Positive Psychology Martin Seligman 1998 APA Presidential address Proposed shift in focus for all of psychology: ” Positive Psychology” FROM: studying and trying to undo the worst things in life TO: studying and trying to build the best things in life Asked: Why not study courage , joy, hope, happiness instead of just anxiety, violence, addiction, pathology, conformity, prejudice?

4. Why A Positive Psychology? InsideFactors Balance: A. General Psychology: Restoring balance to psychology’s historic emphasis on the negative. Add study of positives. - Overcome negative image of human nature. - What learned about human nature in general psychology? - Neutral to negative – classical conditioning, disease model, Milgram. B. Clinical Psychology: Providing language of mental health and human strengths to complement and complete language of mental illness and disease model

5. Why A Positive Psychology? • B. Clinical Psychology: Providing language of mental health and human strengths to complement and complete language of mental illness and disease model. • Traditional Psych. - Disease Model - DSM - what’s wrong. • Positive Psych. - Strengths Model - Positive mental health - what’s right. • Traditional Psych. - life below zero. • Positive Psych. - What is life above zero? • Absence of illness isn’t health.

6. A. Restoring psychology’s original focus on the totality of human qualities and experiences, including those declared off-limits for “scientific” psychology. - Bringing back “forbidden” topics, e.g., virtue, religion. B. “Good Life” - life well-lived. - Know about a bad life - what is a good life? - Provide answers to “deathbed test.” - I wish I had devoted more of my life to________. - What matters most in life? - Medical science defined healthy lifestyle - markers of health. - Psychological science - definitions & markers of health & flourishing? Completeness

7. Why has Psychology Historically Focused on the Negative and Not the Positives in Human Experience? Disease Model & Being Useful: Psychology’s historical desire to be useful, gain status, respect as a scientific discipline by solving problems. Dominance of Disease Model - primacy of pathology as a focus. World Wars. Historical Focus of Psychology

8. Beliefs About Authenticity Beliefs About Authenticity Negatives states viewed as more real and authentic. Cynical view - Freud - underneath veneer of civility and politeness lies nasty emotions and self-serving motives. Psychology of motivation - self-serving biases, reinforcement, power, self-image protection, and promotion. Beliefs About Positive Emotions Joy, hope, optimism, happiness viewed as coping mechanisms to offset negative emotions. Not valuable in own right. E.g., Offsetting stress versus cultivating positive emotions.

9. Why negative? Power of Negative Trait Negativity Bias - Research: - Impression formation gives more weight to negative information - Relationships - One negative can undo thousand acts of kindness. Presence or absence of negative, not positive, differentiates good from bad relationships. Why negative given more weight & attention? 1.Violates general expectation of positivity in everyday life. 2. Evolutionary value of negative/threats over positive.

10. Factors Outside Psychology - Why Now? Why explosion in interest, books, articles, press coverage? Psychology and the “Zeitgeist” of 1990s & early 2000s - Measures of material well-being going north. - Measures of subjective well-being going south. - Levels of happiness flat despite dramatic gains in income/material possessions. Paradox of Affluence - affluence and emotional well-being and cultural malaise. Affluent families & kids - The Lost Children of Rockdale County. Too materialistic - Cushman “empty self.” Too disconnected from communities & family. Putnam- Bowling Alone.

11. Depression - up despite increased affluence Rates: higher than ever - “epidemic” - Over last 40 years, twice as rich but 10 times more likely to be depressed - high rates among young, affluent, educated. - 15-20% of Americans suffer bout with severe depression. - 50% deal with milder forms. - Women twice rates of men. Onset: Past - average age of onset in 30s. Today - 14 to 15 years old…10th grade girls…40-%-50% -symptoms. Other indicators: Divorce rates doubled, teen suicide tripled, juvenile crime quadrupled.

12. Outside & Inside - Pop Psychology: Oprah & Dr. Phil Millions looking for guidance & direction to find happy and meaningful life. - What does psychology have to offer? - Mostly negative. Diener: 17 studies of negative states to 1 of positive. Seligman: last 30 years - 54,000 articles on depression, only 14 on joy. 2% of NIMH budget of 1 billion spent on human strengths. 19,00 articles on bias and error to 7,500 articles on strength and virtue. Current Culture Vs. Traditional Psychology

13. Defining Positive Psychology Orientation & Goals 1. Balance & Completeness Restore balance to field of psychology…positives and negatives. Just as important to know how most teens maintain health and happiness (majority) as to now why some get depressed, use drugs, etc. 2. Positive – life above zero Psychology should be more than a bicycle repair shop for broken lives. Absence of misery not same thing as health or happiness. 3. Health & Strengths What is life like on the other side of zero? Positive mental health. Focus on positive: emotional health, strength, virtue, happiness, joy, satisfaction, etc. Develop classification of positive mental health, strengths & virtues equivalent to DSM.

14. Definition Agenda Seligman: Positive Psych. - study of what makes life worth living: 1. The Pleasant Life: happiness - more positive than negative emotions. 2. The Engaged Life: active involvement, absorption in work, play, community, family, relationships. 3. The Meaningful Life: purpose, direction, personal expressiveness, religion, spirituality, nature, transcendent beliefs beyond self-interest.

15. Measuring a good life Positive Psych. Research – good life measured by: Happiness - life satisfaction, positive emotions. Health - physical & emotional well-being & positive mental health. Meaningfulness - purpose, transcendent , beyond self. Virtue - “good” behavior - wisdom, forgiveness, courage. DVs = 1-5 = good life IVs = all aspects of our personal qualities & life circumstances that contribute to 1-5. Baumgardner/Crothers definition: Positive psychology is the scientific study of the individual traits, life goals, circumstances, and social conditions that contribute to a happy, a meaningful, a virtuous, and a healthy life, defined by flexible criteria that allow for individual and cultural differences in the particular features and meanings of a life well-lived.

16. without imposing a “one size fits all”? Potential Sources of Bias 1.Western cultural bias universal or culturally relative? support for both - Values in Action Project Asian emotional moderation 2. Middle-class liberal psychologists’ bias Poor? College students 3. Developmental Bias (last) Young versus elderly? Research: same level just different basis Can a good life be defined

17. Power of the Positive The Nun Study - Danner, Snowdon, & Friesen JPSP 01 Prior Research: - Emotions, health & immune system - Genetics & temperament - Labrador effect - Temperament, + & - emotions, coping - Writing about significant life events - outlook Hypothesis: Cheerful people shown in autobiographical sketches will live longer than sourpusses. Sample: 180 nuns - 1930s (ideal sample) IV: Emotions shown in autobiographical statements DV: Mortality & longevity

18. Results Compare upper 25% to lowest 25% in expressions of positive emotion in words & sentences. - 90% of most cheerful nuns alive at 85 yrs. of age. - Only 34% of least cheerful alive at 85. - 54% of most cheerful still going at 94 yrs. - Only 11% of least cheerful. “Early” deaths in 50s & 60s mostly least cheerful.

19. One Final Issue - Myers Does it make sense to study happiness and health when the world is full of of much misery? Isn’t happiness a self-focused, self-absorbed, and selfish state that has no enduring value beyond the pleasure of the individual? What are people like when they are happy & content versus when unhappy or depressed? When we’re happy are we more likely to be: Self or other focused? Selfish or compassionate? Unhelpful or helpful to others? Hold a grudge or forgive? Intolerant or tolerant? Unkind or kind to others? Research conclusions.

20. History and Context within Psychology History- the “positive” in psychology. Drawing together positive research and theory. Quality of Life Surveys - subjective well-being. Objective circumstances don’t matter much: 10-15%. Humanistic psychology (theory, no data). Actualizing inner potentials - moving up need hierarchy. Optimal functioning - peak experiences - personally expressive life. Current theory & research picked up humanistic ideas.

21. History Clinical Psychology Disillusionment with disease model - prevention of illness & promotion of public mental health. Curing illness not same as enhancing health. PTSD versus PTG - over “therapizing.” Developmental & Lifespan Psychology Amazing resilience/strength among children, teens, adults, and elderly in face of major life traumas and changes. Normal or enhanced functioning in face of threats. Successful Aging - most elderly not depressed, or in ill-health. Socio-emotional Selectivity Theory - positive spin to previous negative interpretations of change.

22. Mind-body connections, power of positive beliefs & emotions. Hope, optimism and will show “real” effects. Social support from others. Social/Personality Psychology & Psych. of Religion Relationships, health, and happiness. Self-esteem, positive view of self, positive illusions. Critiques of materialistic beliefs and values. History Psychology

23. The Meaning and Measure of Happiness How should we evaluate the well-being of a society, a community, an individual life? What measurable qualities should we use? I. Traditional Measures of Well-Being Economic Indicators - income, unemployment, inflation, poverty, inequality, home ownership, job growth, etc. Mental Health - depression, stress, suicide, autism, etc. Physical Health - cancer, heart disease, obesity, etc. Quality of Life - best cities, services, jobs, environment. II. Positive Psychology - Critique 1. What is not measured . 2. Misleading assumptions. 3. Limits of objective measures & importance of subjective judgments.

24. 1. Assess negatives not positives of life - Misery index - do not directly measure health & happiness. Problem: Surveys - happiness & life satisfaction important life goal. Part of most American culture - Declaration of Independence . Cory Keyes: positive health vs. only illness rates. 2. Infer health & happiness - Assumes: well-being/happiness = absence of misery or negative functioning - if not unhappy or ill must be ok - doing better when misery index goes down. Problem: absence of misery (e.g.depression) not same as health and happiness. 3. Objective measures not same as subjective experience - Assumes: money/material possessions primary factor in “good life.” Happier - when income, jobs go up, etc. Problem- faulty assumption - objective life circumstances, money, income very weakly related to happiness - threshold effect. Limitations of Traditional Measures

25. 1. Measure happiness directly, not indirectly - No inferences - are we happy or not? Do objective facts make a difference or not? E.g., Large-scale national and world surveys. 2. Define and measure aspects of positive functioning directly. What is a good life beyond absence of misery? What is on the other side of zero? Millions “languishing” but not mentally? How many show positive mental health, optimal functioning, flourishing? 3. Give primacy to subjective nature of health & happiness. People’s interpretation of their life matters as much as facts. Positive Psychology’s Alternative Measures

26. Make a Difference? National Subjective Well-Being Index – Ed Diener. Psychological equivalent to GNP – make widely available (Eurobarometer). Complement economic and social indicators. Quality of life that includes subjective factors Sense of community, happiness, beauty, promotion of positive behaviors.

27. Two Views of Happiness and Well-Being 1. Hedonic View – Happiness & Satisfaction (SWB) - Happiness is person’s own subjective judgment of the overall balance of “good” and “bad” in their life. From own point of view how satisfied are you, are positive emotions and events running ahead of negative? Satisfaction + abundance of positive emotions (happiness). Research-driven approach Are people happy? To what degree? What is happiness related or correlated with? Profile of happy and unhappy people. Basis of happiness is empirical question. What Is Happiness & Well-Being?

28. - Happiness and well-being more than emotion and satisfaction. - Happiness machine – More to life than subjective pleasure. Deeper meanings + mental/emotional health. A. Self-realization & meaning: Eudaimonic – daimon = true self Happiness and well-being result from expressing our inner potentials, self-realization of talents and values, and healthy positive functioning. Satisfaction from overcoming challenge. Deserve our happiness and satisfaction because of abilities and effort. B. Optimal functioning - Can you be happy and mentally ill, i.e., not healthy? Eudaimonic view thinks should be able to tell the difference. Health involves doing the hard things - not necessarily happy. Eudaimonic view – Definition/measure of well-being should define basis of happiness and health. Theory-driven approach, i.e., theory of happiness first, then studies to evaluate/refine theory. Eudemonic View – Self-Realization & Optimal Functioning

29. Hedonic & Eudemonic • 1. List three activities that bring you pleasure and make you feel good. • 2. List three activities that bring a feeling of accomplishment, express your interests, talents, or passions and give you a sense that this is who you are. • 3. How much do your two lists overlap? • 4. What are the psychological differences between activities on list 1 and list 2 that do not overlap?

30. Waterman: If you wanted another person to know about who you are and what you are like as a person, what four activities of importance to you would you describe? List four activities. 1,2,3,4. Rate each activity twice (using 3 PE and HE criteria) 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Strongly Agree Slightly uncertain Slightly Disagree Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Disagree PE 1. This activity gives me my strongest feeling of really being alive and expressing my best potentials. 2. When I engage in this activity I feel this is what I was meant to do. 3. When I engage in this activity I feel more intensely involved than I do in most activities, a feeling of special fit or meshing, high concentration, challenge, and effort. HE 1.This activity gives me the strongest sense of enjoyment and pleasure. I’m relaxed and content. 2. When I engage in this activity I forget about my problems and lose track of time. Easy to do…go with the flow. 3. When I engage in this activity I feel happier and more excited than I do in other activities. Found: PE & HE r =.70 to .80 50 to 66% overlap. Comparison: Overlapping but Different

31. Traditional opposition of pleasure and meaning - shallow vs. deeper King: How positive affect/emotion may contribute to meaning Positive emotions enhance meaning - fun with friends, scenery - think of larger context, appreciation of life, what’s important Positive emotions as markers of meaningful events Personally expressive/meaningful events also pleasant e.g., Christmas - childhood memories Six studies: Diary study: Each day – found something purposeful & meaningful -reason for being here rated positive affect Expt. Manipulate mood All showed meaning and positive emotions strongly related Two-way street - each contributing to other Laura King - Positive Affect and Meaning

32. Differences Hedonic View: Happiness = Positive Emotions + Satisfaction Basis of happiness to be discovered through research - empirically. Why we are happy not answered by theory or definition. Quick and easy measures - easy to assess. Research-driven approach. Eudaimonic View - Personal Expressiveness, Optimal Functioning, Positive Mental Health, and Meanfulness Definition specifies basis for well-being, i.e., why/what makes us healthy. Likely to also make us happy but maybe not in the short-term..e.g., strength to end bad relation, confront conflicts, say “no.” Complicated, lengthy & involved assessment. Theory-driven…define well-being in way that includes why. I.e., criteria for healthy, fully functioning person. Simiarities Moderate to strong correlations of r =.6. Tapping similar dimensions. Differences & Similarities

33. Subjective Well-Being – (self-reported) (dominates research) Colloquially - happiness. Relatively stable and pervasive sense that life is “good.” Initially conceived as three major components: 1. Life satisfaction - global judgment about one’s life 2. Positive affect - experiencing many positive emotions and moods 3. Negative affect - experiencing low levels of negative affect (low negative emotion & mood) (independence of pos. & neg.) Hedonic View: Subjective Well-being (SWB)

34. Life Satisfaction - single and multiple item scales - “Taking all things together, how would you say things are these days? Would you say you are very happy, pretty happy, or not too happy?” - “How satisfied are you with your life as a whole these days? Very satisfied. Satisfied. Not very satisfied. Not at all satisfied?” Rate on 7-point scale from delighted to terrible: - “Which face comes closest to expressing how you feel about your life as a whole?” Choose face: smile through neutral to frown Lyubormirsky - Subjective Happiness Scale Global Measures

35. 7 Strongly agree 6 Agree 5 Slightly agree 4 Neither agree nor disagree 3 Slightly disagree 2 Disagree Strongly agree _____1. In most ways my life is close to my ideal. _____2. The conditions of my life are excellent. _____3. I am satisfied with my life. _____4. So far I have gotten the important things in life. _____5. If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing. Add item ratings divide by 5 - Satisfaction ranges from 1 to 7 Life Satisfaction Scale - Ed Diener

36. Life satisfaction as total of satisfaction in important areas of life. More informative than global measure. How satisfied are you with: Work Finances Friends Marriage Direction country is going Packer’s season Brett Favre Hobbies, etc…. Satisfaction in Life Domains

37. General Emotional State During the past few weeks have you ever felt: Particularly excited or interested in something? Proud of an accomplishment? On top of the world? That things are going your way? Calm & peaceful? Extremely happy? During the past few weeks have you ever felt: So restless you couldn’t sit long in a chair? Very lonely or remote from people? Bored? Depressed or unhappy? Upset because someone criticized you? Hopeless? Worthless? Specific Emotions PANAS Emotional Component of SWB

38. Duchene versus Pan-Am Smile: Harker & Keltner JPSP - 01 Participants: 141 women graduates from Mills College DV: Senior class photo from 1960s- Coded as Duchene (genuine) or Pan-Am (forced). 50% coded as Duchene - natural. IV: Contacted at age 27, 43, & 52 yrs. old Measures happiness, satisfaction in life, marriage, health. Results: 1. Likelihood of stable & happy marriage versus single or divorced. 2. Higher personal well-being, satisfaction, & happiness. 3. Better mental & physical health. Future in Your Smile?

39. - Specify a time period - last week, this month, today. - Compute separate scores for positive and negative emotions. Positive affect & negative affect largely independent for given time period versus at one point in time. -Subtract negative from positive or divide positive by negative. -Happiness defined as lots of positive and few negative emotions. Finding: Happiness best predicted by frequency, not intensity, of positive emotions. Intense moments of joy/ecstasy rare. Summary: SWB = happiness - 3 parts (combined/separated in research) Life Satisfaction Positive Affect Negative Affect Scoring & Interpretation

40. Global self-report measures susceptible to several sources of distortion. Asking to integrate experiences over long time periods. 1. Current mood - Schwartz & Strack Finding money, my team wins, dirty & hot & smelly, sunny day. 2. Memory - selectivity & weighting a. Peak-end-rule - Kahneman - peak intensity & ending intensity given most weight in emotional experiences - not duration. How bad/good and how it ends...not how long it lasts. Ice water, aversive sounds. b. State-dependent memory: mood = recall cue happy - remember good things unhappy - remember all bad Global Self-Report Measuresversus Experience Sampling

41. 1. On-line measures Beeper studies (hand computer, etc.) – report mood & what. Doing random times throughout day over period of weeks or months. Sample emotional experiences “on-line” as they happen. Less chance for memory errors & emotional distortions. 40% of daily fluctuations related to days of week. Good mood on Friday & weekends…Monday = bummer. 2. Retrospective measures (easier, less disruptive) - Diary – record feelings and day’s events over time. - Day Reconstruction Method - Kahneman Global measures versus ESM (eg., Packers) Global - maximal sensitive to traits & meaning. ESM - max sensitive to states & short-term reactions. Correlated but unless ESM long-term not larger. Naturalistic Experience Sampling MethodsOn-line Assessment of Emotions

42. 1. Reliability: -Most measures show moderate to strong inter-correlations. ESM moderate correlations with global measures. -Multi-item scales of life satisfaction and positive and negative emotions typically exceed r = .80; single item scales less. Moderate stability & consistency over time - i.e., reliable. Sensitive to changes in life circumstances but also stable over long periods. As good or better than other measures in psychology. 2. Validity: Measures of SWB correlate with other traits & behaviors. Happy people act happy. -Confirmed by reports of friends, family, & co-workers. - Outgoing, smile, laugh, work satisfaction, mental health. Longevity, etc….. Validity & Reliability of SWB Measures

43. Positive Functioning and Positive Mental Health - How define opposite of psychopathology? I.e., mental illness. - Create language, definitions of health equivalent to language & definitions in DSMIV. - Mental Health = emotional well-being and positive functioning. Not enough to feel good…..be happy or satisfied. Also need psychological & social competence. - SWB/Happiness is only one component of mental health. Comprehensive Model – empirical support Carol Ryff, Corey Keyes & Jeanna Magyor-Moe Eudaimonic Measures of Well-Being

44. Operational Definitions of Symptoms of Mental Health 1. Emotional well-being: Positive Feelings 2. Psychological well-being: Positive Functioning 3. Social well-being: Positive Social Functioning Combines measures of emotional well-being and positive functioning. Criteria of Flourishing, Psychological Well-BeingComplete Mental Health. Optimal Functioning.

45. Validated in major study in 1995: “MacArthur Foundation Study of Successful Midlife” (MIDUS Study) - 3,200 adults 25 to 74 DSM - presence/absence Flourishing Positive Mental Health - Internal reliability .80 or higher. - Good factor structure: each component statistically distinct. - Positive measures negatively correlated with negative measures (e.g., depression) . Keyes - definitions & scale items.

46. Emotional Well-Being Positive Affect - experience of positive emotions like joy & happiness. During the last 30 days, how much of the time did you feel cheerful, in good spirits, extremely happy, calm and peaceful, satisfied and full of life? Negative Affect - absence of emotions suggesting life is unpleasant. During the last 30 days, how much of the time did you feel so sad nothing could cheer you up, nervous, restless or fidgety, hopeless, that everything was an effort, worthless? Complete Mental Health

47. Life Satisfaction • Life Satisfaction – sense of contentment and satisfaction with life. • During the last 30 days, how much of the time did you feel satisfied, full of life? • Overall these days, how satisfied are you with your life? • Happiness– having a general feeling and experience of contentment and joy. • Overall these days, how happy are you with your life? • How frequently have you felt (joy, pleasure, happiness) in the past week, month, or year?

48. 1. Self-Acceptance - Positive attitude towards oneself; accepts varied aspects of self; feel positive about past life. In many ways I feel disappointed about my achievements in life. (-) 2. Personal Growth - Feelings of continued development & effectiveness; open to new experiences & challenges. I think it is important to have new experiences that challenge how I think about myself and the world. 3. Purpose in Life - Possessing goals and beliefs that give direction to life; feel life has meaning and purpose. I live life one day at a time and don’t really think about the future. (-) 4. Environmental Mastery - Feel competent and able to manage complex environment; able to create personally suitable living situation. The demands of everyday life often get me down. (-) 5. Autonomy - Comfortable with self-direction; possess internal standards; resist negative social pressures from others. I have confidence in my own opinions, even if they are different from the way most other people think. 6. Positive Relations with Others - Warm, satisfying, and trusting relationships with others; capable of empathy and intimacy. -- Maintaining close relationships has been difficult and frustrating for me.(-) Psychological Well-Being

49. 1. Social Acceptance - Positive attitudes towards others while understanding their complexities. - People who do a favor expect nothing in return. 2. Social Actualization - Cares about and believes that people have potential. Society can evolve in a positive direction. - The world is becoming a better place for everyone. 3. Social Contribution - Feel one’s life is useful to society and valued by others. - I have something valuable to give to the world. 4. Social Coherence - Has interest in society and believes it is intelligible and somewhat logical, predictable, and meaningful - I cannot make sense of what’s going on in the world.(-) 5. Social Integration - Feels sense of belonging to a community; feels comfort and support from community. - I don’t feel I belong to anything I’d call a community. (-) Social Well-Being

50. Degrees of Mental health -Flourishing – High positive mental health and low mental illness. -Moderate Mental Health – Moderate positive mental health and low symptoms of mental illness. Degrees of Mental Illness -Mental Illness – Low positive mental health and high symptoms of mental illness. -Moderate Mental Illness – Low/moderate positive health and moderate illness (e.g., depressive episode). -Languishing – Low positive mental health and low mental illness symptoms. Not happy but not suffering from mental disorder. Degrees of Mental Health & Illness