PSY 220 Week 1 Basic Concepts in Positive Psychology

Instructions

Post a 200- to 300-word response about the following:

• What do researchers mean by ‘subjective well-being’? How is this construct measured?
• On p. 18 of your textbook, the authors present the hypothetical possibility of being hooked up to an ‘experience machine’ that would guarantee a constant state of happiness and positive emotion. Would you choose to be hooked up to such a machine? Why or why not? In your response, differentiate between hedonic and eudaimonic concepts of happiness.

PSY 220 Week 2 Relationship Characteristics

Instructions

Choose one close relationship in your life; it does not have to be a romantic love relationship.

Post a 200- to 300-word response describing the defining characteristics of this close relationship. Use the information presented in Ch. 11 to formulate your response.

PSY 220 Week 2 Attachment Style and Relationships

Instructions

Robert Sternberg created his triangular theory of love based on three dimensions: passion, intimacy, and commitment. The degree to which a relationship demonstrates these three dimensions determines the type of love relationship. People begin love relationships with those who care for them as children. These early relationships can have a great effect on their adult relationships.

Part I

Write a350- to 700-word response summarizing the three dimensions of love and how they interrelate to identify a specific type of love relationship.

Part II

Write a 700- to 1,050-word response explaining how you believe an individual’s attachment style can affect the types of love relationships he or she has.

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

PSY 220 Week 3 Goal Selection

Instructions

Using the information presented in Ch. 7, explain the matching hypothesis. Give an example of a well-matched and a poorly-matched goal that you have pursued in your own life. Discuss the relationship between goal selection and well-being.

Post a 200- to 300-word response.

PSY 220 Week 4 Human Virtues and Character Strengths

Instructions

Examine one human virtue and the associated character strengths that are important to you, as listed in Ch. 10 of Positive Psychology.

Select someone who you know or is a public figure who you feel encompasses at least one of these virtues.

Discuss why this virtue is important to you. How does the person you selected encompass this virtue and the associated character strengths?

Post a 200- to 300-word response.

PSY 220 Week 4 Reflecting on Wisdom

Instructions

Using the information presented in Ch. 10 of your text and other scholarly sources, describe the attributes that are commonly associated with wise people. Identify a person (past or present) who you believe to be wise. This can be a person you have known in your life or someone you have never met.

Write a 700- to 900-word paper addressing the following:

• What characteristics of wisdom does this individual possess?
• What makes him or her wise?
• Which of these attributes do you believe you have developed most fully?
• Which do you believe you need to develop more fully in the years to come? Explain.

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

PSY 220 Week 5 Paradox of Affluence

Instructions

Using the information presented in Ch. 6, explain what researchers mean by the paradox of affluence. Explain how the research on happiness and wealth relates to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

Post a 200- to 300-word response.

PSY 220 Week 6 Positive and Negative Emotions

Instructions

Using the information in Ch. 3, 5, and 6, describe some of the benefits associated with the experience of positive emotions. Do men and women differ with respect to their experience of negative emotions? How do researchers explain these differences?

Post a 200- to 300-word response.

PSY 220 Week 6 Pursuit of Happiness

Instructions

The authors of your textbook describe the American emphasis on the pursuit of happiness. Write a 700- to 900-word paper explaining the cultural and historical factors that contribute to this perspective. Contrast the traditional American perspective on happiness with the traditional Asian perspective on happiness.

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

PSY 220 Week 7 Self-Esteem

Instructions

Define self-esteem, including contingencies of self-worth. When might the pursuit of self-esteem be harmful to individuals? When might threats to self-esteem be helpful?

Post a 250- to 350-word response.

PSY 220 Week 8 Exploring Optimism

Instructions

Compare and contrast the concepts of optimism and hopefulness. Under what circumstances might optimism be harmful? What is defensive pessimism and under what circumstances might this be beneficial?

Post a 200- to 300-word response

PSY 220 Week 8 Optimism and Health Paper

Instructions

Find a peer reviewed article which discusses the effects of optimism on physical and psychological health. (You may need to find two articles in order to cover both the physical and the psychological areas).

Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper summarizing the article(s) and stating your opinion on the validity of the study or studies.

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

PSY 220 Week 9 Well-Being Action Plan

Instructions

• Develop an action plan for increasing well-being in your life by addressing the following:

  • Identify at least four areas of potential personal growth and create strategies for self-improvement in these areas.
  • For each of the four areas you select, describe the change you would like to make and the strategy you would use to achieve your goal. For example, you may seek greater concordance between your professional life and your personal characteristics. Self-concordant goals have been shown to increase well-being. To meet this goal, you may need to pursue education in a particular area, become a volunteer at a particular agency, increase networking efforts with people in your field of interest, etc. This is but one example of a strategy for increasing well-being. Many others are presented in your textbook
  • Spend some time considering how you can move closer to ‘life above zero.’ Be sure that the goals you select (for example, increased physical activity) have been shown through research to be associated with greater levels of reported well being.

• Submit a 10-slide power-point that summarizes your action plan.
• Include detailed speaker notes.
• Format your presentation consistent with APA guidelines.

PSY 220 Week 9 Capstone Discussion Question

Instructions

As a review to close out our course.  In what ways has the information in this course changed your life? Has it changed your personal belief system? Has it changed your understanding of your fellow human beings? How have you implemented the concepts from this course in your life?

*Please note that there is an assignment this week asking you to answer this Discussion starter, to recieve those points you must post your own answer to the above questions in response to this post.

Responses to this discussion starter will count toward your weekly participation grade.