Deck 1: Welcome to Positive Psychology

Question 1

Viewing children as decision-makers is most likely to have the result of

A) predisposing them to depression resulting from unrealistic pressure.
B) making them stronger and more productive.
C) increasing levels of stress and indecision.
D) making them happier and more carefree.

Answer 1

making them stronger and more productive.

Question 2

The goals of your textbook include all of the following except

A) promoting the idea that the greatest good can come from a positive psychology that is built on research methodology.
B) increasing our level of understanding about the physiological, narrow biological, and evolutionary factors in human functioning
C) emphasizing the continuing importance of theorists such as Freud and Skinner.
D) orienting students to the potential benefits of focusing on positive in daily life and in psychological research.

Answer 2

emphasizing the continuing importance of theorists such as Freud and Skinner.

Question 3

Until recently, human beings were largely seen as

A) passive products of their environment.
B) victims of childhood conflict.
C) a collection of damaged habits and drives.
D) all of the above.

Answer 3

all of the above.

Question 4

One of the authors of your textbook recounts the story of flights delayed at an airport. The purpose of this story was to illustrate that

A) modern life is full of stressors.
B) stress brings out the worst in people.
C) people tend to make the best of a bad situation.
D) being in large groups creates a sense of isolation.

Question 5

According to Martin Seligman, children are now seen as

A) decision makers.
B) similar to adults, but less mature.
C) overwhelmed by modern society.
D) unable to control their own lives.

Question 6

According to Martin Seligman viewing children as decision-makers can have the effect of

A) helping them become masterful.
B) helping them become efficacious.
C) making them feel helpless and hopeless.
D) Any of the above could result, depending on the circumstances.

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT one of human strengths that is most likely to help people buffer against mental illness, according to Martin Seligman?

A) courage
B) work ethic
C) perseverance
D) intelligence

Question 8

Developing an enduring philosophy of positive psychology is best served by

A) building the field on scientific principles.
B) building the field on humanistic concepts such as unconditional positive regard.
C) focusing more on interpersonal factors than on biology.
D) focusing on the positive side of human nature, rather than the negative side.

Question 9

When considering topics such as gratitude, forgiveness, and the development of hope and optimism,

A) findings consistently show that there is little to no biology involved in the development of these processes.
B) scientists have been unable to determine what effect biology might have on the study of positive psychology.
C) underlining neurobiological forces play a much greater role than earlier theorists had believed.
D) underlining neurobiological forces play a role in many of the concepts discussed in the textbook.

Question 10

What are two benefits of focusing on "what is wrong with people"?

A) Differentiating between normal and abnormal people and documenting the number of abnormal people
B) Development of reliable descriptors of strengths and discovery of effective heath promotion strategies
C) Encouraging research on "what is right with people" and discovery of effective treatments of mental illnesses
D) Development of reliable psychiatric diagnoses and discovery of effective treatments of mental illnesses

Question 11

Traditional views of human nature have suffered from which of the following biases?

A) What are the positive aspects of human nature?
B) What are the negative aspects of human nature?
C) Why are people so selfish?
D) What are the biological foundations of personality?

Question 12

According to Martin Seligman, the work of the Presidential Task Force on Prevention is to

A) increase secondary rates of prevention.
B) increased the number of professionals involved in prevention programs.
C) identify the best practices in prevention.
D) increase the availability of prevention programs to poor people.

Question 13

The largest strides in prevention have largely come from

A) increasing the funding offered by the National Institute of Mental Health.
B) identifying the genetic vulnerabilities underlying the majority of mental illnesses.
C) building a science focused on systematically promoting the competence of individuals.
D) the establishment of reporting protocols by medical and mental health professionals.

Question 14

The study of the development of mental illness has been greatly aided by which of the following events?

A) The Veterans Administration was created in 1946.
B) The American Psychological Association created a research wing in 1950.
C) The American Psychiatric Association published the DSM in 1942.
D) The National Institute of Mental Health was created in 1947.

Question 15

Which of the following has NOT been an emphasis of psychology since the Second World War?

A) curing mental illness
B) making the lives of people more fulfilling
C) improving the productivity of the work environment
D) identifying and nurturing high talent

Question 16

Until recently, two of the fundamental missions of psychology have been largely forgotten. These two were

A) nurturing "genius" and conducting research into the causes of mental illness.
B) making the lives of all people better, and nurturing "genius."
C) nurturing "genius" and understanding and treating mental illness.
D) making the lives of all people better, and understanding and treating mental illness.

Question 17

Robert Kennedy's 1968 speech at the University of Kansas focused on which of the following points?

A) the importance of achievement to well-being
B) the things in life that make it worthwhile
C) an emphasis on more positive ways to raise children
D) the value of encouraging racial harmony

Question 18

After the National Institute of Mental Health was created,

A) research into the cause and treatment of mental illnesses was increased.
B) more beds were made available for inpatient treatment of mental illness.
C) an increase in pharmaceuticals helped improve the quality of life of patients in mental hospitals.
D) people with mental illness began to feel less stigmatized than they had previously.

Question 19

According to your authors which of the following best describes the role of evolution and neurobiology in the development of positive psychology?

A) Evolution is a mechanistic view of human nature that is counterproductive to developing a positive psychology.
B) Evolution is an unproven view of human development and should be approached with great caution.
C) Evolution is an important consideration in the context of a variety of topics.
D) The role of evolution and human psychology is minimal at best.

Question 20

With regard to the mental health well-being of various subcultures,

A) most cultural groups are roughly equivalent in their mental well-being.
B) there exist wide variations in the mental health well-being of various cultural groups.
C) mental health measures of some groups have been tainted by investigating constructs found only in power-holding groups.
D) minority group members often suffer psychological impairment as a result of prejudice and discrimination.

Question 21

Your authors cite which historical periods as illustrations of positive psychology in action.

A) 15^th century Florence, Victorian England, and the Industrial Revolution.
B) 15^th-century Florence, Victorian England, and the rise of colonialism
C) fifth century Athens, 15^th century Florence, and the Industrial Revolution.
D) fifth century Athens, 15^th-century Florence, and Victorian England

Question 22

Which of the following statements concerning our everyday thoughts is correct?

A) The thoughts that regulate our daily lives are largely the result of conditioned responses.
B) Our everyday thoughts are largely a reflection of the world around us.
C) Our everyday thoughts are largely outside the realm of personal control.
D) We are the authors of daily scripts that largely determine our actions.

Question 23

The characteristics of love, work, and play our normal tasks associated with

A) human growth.
B) normalcy.
C) mental health.
D) all of the above.

Question 24

Positive psychology takes the position that

A) it is important to focus only on the good in the world.
B) we should focus on both the good and the bad equally.
C) those who focus on the negatives are poor scholars and scientists.
D) focusing on only the good or the bad is an incomplete way to portray humankind.

Question 25

Which of the following is a possible use of the principles of positive psychology, according to your authors?

A) Parents can use positive psychology techniques to bring out the best in their children.
B) Positive psychology can be used to reduce the incidence of severe psychiatric disturbances such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
C) Society will be able to increase the ratio of people who are effective rather than ineffective.
D) positive psychology can help reduce unfair competition that results in wastefulness.

Question 26

One of the difficulties in developing the practice of positive psychology lies in the fact that

A) positive qualities are difficult to measure.
B) researchers have not yet developed the science of studying positive psychology
C) weaknesses are easier to identify the strengths.
D) positive psychology is a nice concept, but not very scientific.

Question 27

Which of the following best describes the situation in the United States in the 21^st century?

A) The country is unstable and economically devastated.
B) The country is prosperous, stable and poised for peace
C) The country is economically prosperous, but full of conflict.
D) the country has put its best days behind it, and uncertainty lies ahead.

Question 28

Which of the following Proverbs best illustrates the suggestion made by your authors for effectively living your life?

A) Haste makes waste.
B) A winning effort begins with preparation.
C) The early bird gets the worm.
D) Good things come to those who wait.

Question 29

The goal of "personal mini experiments" is to

A) learn how to think like a scientist.
B) develop an attitude of healthy skepticism.
C) conduct experiments that mirror the research that psychologists do.
D) create a method which will allow you to generate "to do" lists.

Question 30

Professional psychotherapists consider which of the following to be of greatest importance in the process of change?

A) love
B) work
C) play
D) all of the above play role in the process of change.

Question 31

The concept of reality negotiation posits that

A) our understanding of reality improves as science improves.
B) in most situations, there is an objective reality, even though some people deny it.
C) people negotiate over how to build meaningful systems for understanding our world.
D) those who have the greatest power in our society are the ones who determine the reality of people's lives.

Question 32

Which of the following are considered to be the three greatest realms of life, according to Seligman?

A) love, work, and play
B) normalcy, love, and work
C) work, play, and self-sufficiency
D) normalcy, self-sufficiency, and self-worth

Question 33

Which of the following is NOT listed as one of the possible uses of positive psychology?

A) We can create an atmosphere in which people strengths are routinely considered along with their weaknesses.
B) we can implement a culturally competent psychology that balances positive approaches against pathological orientations.
C) we can create an environment when school-age children and youth are valued as much for their personal strengths as for their scores on exams.
D) We can help reduce the amount of stress that people experience in their everyday lives.

Question 34

The current drive towards developing the field of positive psychology has been largely due to the efforts of

A) Martin Seligman.
B) Abraham Maslow.
C) Carl Rogers.
D) Karen Horney.

Question 35

Which of the following statements about positive psychology is true?

A) The positive psychology movement has been active in growing for nearly 50 years.
B) Positive psychology movement is well-established as a field and psychology.
C) Positive psychology's real test is whether students will be drawn to the area.
D) Positive psychology is an area that has seen little growth in recent years.

Question 36

Robert Kennedy's words open the chapter and challenge us to think about quantifying those things that make life worth living. Describe three ways in which knowledge of national well-being could affect your daily life.

Question 37

Which of the following is a bias in the field of psychology?

A) the Western perspective.
B) focusing only on the negative.
C) focusing only on the positive.
D) all of the above are potential areas of bias.

Question 38

Who was the first theorist to coin the term "positive psychology"?

A) Martin Seligman
B) Robert Kennedy
C) Abraham Maslow
D) Mahatma Gandhi

Question 39

Which of the following statements is true, as discussed in your textbook?

A) Full engagement in love work and play is necessary but not sufficient to guarantee a good life.
B) the concepts of love, work, and play are largely relevant to Western culture.
C) positive psychology plays an important role in the areas of love and play, but is of less importance in the area of work.
D) love, work, and play are most effective when equal time is given to each.

Question 40

Positive psychology is best defined as

A) the application of positive thought processes to alleviate human suffering.
B) the study and application of that which is good in people.
C) thinking only of the positive, and ignoring the negative.
D) a combination of humanistic, experiential, and phenomenological psychology.

Question 41

Discuss the advantages of looking at BOTH the negative and positive characteristics of human nature. Include a discussion of what we gain by examining each.

Question 42

Some U.S. colleges and universities are no longer requiring the SAT or the ACT for admissions and are beginning to rely on other forms of data to make determinations about applicants' readiness for college and fit with their school. How could colleges use positive psychology to help them make admissions decision? Please elaborate.

Question 43

Discuss the psychological and behavioral characteristics of people who are finding the positive in everyday life.