Module 44 REVIEW

• 44-1 What are the links among basic outlook on life, social support, and stress and health?

• Studies of people with an optimistic outlook show that their immune system is stronger, their blood pressure does not increase as sharply in response to stress, their recovery from heart bypass surgery is faster, and their life expectancy is longer.
• Social support promotes health by calming us, by reducing blood pressure and stress hormones, and by fostering stronger immune functioning. We can significantly reduce our stress and increase our health by building and maintaining relationships with family and friends, and by finding meaning even in difficult times.

• 44-2 How effective is aerobic exercise as a way to manage stress and improve well-being?

• Aerobic exercise is sustained, oxygen-consuming activity that increases heart and lung fitness.
• It increases arousal, leads to muscle relaxation and sounder sleep, triggers the production of neurotransmitters, and enhances self-image. It can relieve depression and is associated with longer life and better cognitive functioning in later life.

• 44-3 In what ways might relaxation and meditation influence stress and health?

• Relaxation and meditation have been shown to reduce stress by relaxing muscles, lowering blood pressure, improving immune functioning, and lessening anxiety and depression. Mindfulness meditation is a reflective practice of attending to current experiences in a nonjudgmental and accepting manner. Massage therapy also relaxes muscles and reduces depression.

• 44-4 What is the faith factor, and what are some possible explanations for the link between faith and health?

• The faith factor is the finding that religiously active people tend to live longer than those who are not religiously active. Possible explanations may include the effect of intervening variables, such as the healthy behaviors, social support, or positive emotions often found among people who regularly attend religious services.

• 44-5 What is the feel-good, do-good phenomenon, what is the focus of positive psychology research, and what are the factors that affect our happiness levels?

• A good mood brightens people’s perceptions of the world. Happy people tend to be healthy, energized, and satisfied with life, which makes them more willing to help others (the feel-good, do-good phenomenon).
• Positive psychologists use scientific methods to study human flourishing, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive.
• Subjective well-being is your perception of being happy or satisfied with life.
• The moods triggered by good or bad events seldom last beyond that day. Even significant good events, such as sudden wealth, seldom increase happiness for long.
• Happiness is relative to our own experiences (the adaptation-level phenomenon) and to others’ success (the relative deprivation principle).

• 44-6 What predicts happiness, and how can we be happier?

• Some individuals seem genetically predisposed to be happier than others. Cultures, which vary in the traits they value and the behaviors they expect and reward, also influence personal levels of happiness.
• Tips for increasing happiness levels: Take charge of your schedule, act happy, seek meaningful work and leisure, buy shared experiences rather than things, exercise, sleep enough, foster friendships, focus beyond the self, and nurture gratitude and spirituality.

Multiple-Choice Questions

1. Which of the following has shown effectiveness in improving sleep, reducing depression, and increasing heart and lung fitness?
   1. Meditation
   2. Aerobic exercise
   3. Religious involvement
   4. Subjective well-being
   5. Social support
2. Seligman’s positive psychology seeks to
   1. enable people to be happy all the time.
   2. treat stress with medication.
   3. enable people to flourish.
   4. examine the biological systems affected by stressful events.
   5. reduce daily hassles in people’s lives.
3. Which of the following is an example of the feel-good, do-good phenomenon?
   1. Anagha tries to keep her 2-year-old son from becoming upset for any reason.
   2. Niko is praised by his teacher and later volunteers to help his mother clean the garage.
   3. Carson feels satisfied after helping the ecology club pick up trash around the school.
   4. Maggie’s parents double her allowance when she is nice to her sister all day.
   5. Rowen is glad to finally be over the flu so he can return to his volunteer work.
4. Which of the following accurately represents the relationship between income and happiness?
   1. Rapidly increasing income is associated with a slight decrease in happiness because of relative deprivation.
   2. Increased income increases happiness equally for almost everybody.
   3. There is no relationship between income and happiness.
   4. Gradually increasing income is associated with a slight decrease in happiness because of the adaptation-level phenomenon.
   5. Increased income increases happiness for people who don’t have enough money to meet their basic needs.

Practice FRQs

1. Sarah has just joined a new faith community. Describe three long-term benefits that she might experience as a result of her membership.

Answer

1 point: Sarah may exhibit healthier behaviors and live longer. People who attend religious services smoke and drink less and have greater longevity. Page 471

1 point: As a part of a faith community, Sarah may have a greater support network than those who do not regularly attend religious services. Page 472

1 point: Sarah may experience more positive emotions than those who do not attend services, and she may see life more optimistically. Page 472

2. TJ wishes to live a happy and fulfilling life. How might the following hinder his happiness?
   • Adaptation-level phenomenon
   • Relative deprivation

(2 points)