PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology Zuzana Petrovičová Masaryk University, Faculty of Social Studies Fall 2012 01/10/2012 — —What is Happiness? / Life satisfaction / Well-Being — —How can we measure such phenomena? — — — PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology — —Hedonistic approach – positive affect —Eudemonic approach – actualization of oneself, living well — —Happiness – meaning, psychology, sociology, —Pleasure – neurobiology — PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology —What does Prefrontal cortex do??? ◦Responsible for complex cognitive behavior, personality expression, decision making and moderating social behavior ◦Simulate experience ◦ — PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology Impact bias —Tendency to overestimate the hedonic impact of future events — ◦Ending relationship, college acceptance, job interviews,…etc. —Simulator (experience simulator) works badly… PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology Synthesized vs. Natural Happiness —NH – is what we have when we do get what we wanted —SH – is what we make when we don’t get what we wanted — —Daniel T. Gilbert – agues that SH is as valuable as NH — —Free-choice paradigm PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology Synthesized vs. Natural Happiness —Rank the objects from most to least liked: — — PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology 1. 2. 4. 5. 3. 6. Synthesized vs. Natural Happiness —Rank the objects from most to least liked: — — — — — —We have some extra prints for you to take home, we have no. 3 & 4: — PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology 1. 2. 4. 5. 3. 6. 1. 2. 4. 5. 3. 6. Synthesized vs. Natural Happiness —Rank the objects from most to least liked: — — — — — —We have some extra prints for you to take home, we have no. 3 & 4: — PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology 1. 2. 4. 5. 3. 6. 1. 2. 4. 5. 3. 6. Synthesized vs. Natural Happiness —Some time later…. — —Rank the objects from most to least liked: — — — — — — — — —The owned painting was liked more than before, the one people didn’t own was liked less than before — — PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology 1. 2. 4. 5. 3. 6. 1. 2. 4. 5. 3. 6. Synthesized vs. Natural Happiness — —Sample? – People remember which one they chose, so they tend to respond that they like the one they have better. — PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology Synthesized vs. Natural Happiness — —Sample? – People remember which one they chose, so they tend to respond that they like it better — —People with Anterograde Amnesia ( no new memories) — — —1) Which one do you own? ◦Control group (no memory problems) – do remember very well ◦Amnesia patients – just guess (about 45% of correct answers) PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology Synthesized vs. Natural Happiness —Some time later…. — —Rank the objects from most to least liked: — — PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology 1. 2. 4. 5. 3. 6. 1. 2. 4. 5. 3. 6. Synthesized vs. Natural Happiness —People with Anterograde amnesia like the one they own better, but they don’t know they own it — — PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology 1. 2. 4. 5. 3. 6. 1. 2. 4. 5. 3. 6. Synthesized vs. Natural Happiness —What does this mean? — —Seems like people have “psychological immune system” – capacity to synthesize happiness — —Some people synthesize happiness more effectively than other poeple —Some situations allow people to synthesize happiness more effectively, than other situations PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology Synthesized vs. Natural Happiness —FREEDOM (ability to make up your mind, and to change it) —Freedom to choose ◦ good for natural happiness ◦bad for synthesized happiness ◦ ◦ ◦…real life situations… PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology Experiment 2 —Gilbert at al. —Photography class for university students —Take 12 pictures of favourite things, develop 2 —Asked to give one up (one of the two developed) —2 conditions : — — PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology Experiment 2 —Gilbert at al. —Photography class for university students —Take 12 pictures of favourite things, develop 2 —Asked to give one up (one of the two developed) —2 conditions ( 2 groups of students): — — PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology 2 week period to change one’s mind about the picture “You chose one picture and the other one is being sent away, so there is no way for you to change your mind” Experiment 2 —Gilbert at al. —Photography class for university students —Take 12 pictures of favourite things, develop 2 —Asked to give one up (one of the two developed) —2 conditions ( prediction/ reported liking): — — PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology Half of students: No questions after given the picture, but 3 and 6 days later asked how much do they like the picture Experiment 2 — — — PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology Experiment 2 —If you could choose the photography class, which one would it be?: —You will learn how to make and develop photographs and at the end of the class, you will be able to take: ◦One picture home,, however you can come back anytime within 4 days and swap that picture for another. ◦One picture home. (no option of changing your mind) PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology Experiment 2 —If you could choose the photography class, which one would it be?: —You will learn how to make and develop photographs and at the end of the class, you will be able to take: ◦One picture home,, however you can come back anytime within 4 days and swap that picture for another. ◦One picture home. (no option of changing your mind) ◦ ◦In Gibert’s experiment : 66% of students choose the reversible option PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology — — —What can we derive from all this??? PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology — — —What can we derive from all this??? — —Boundaries in decision making — —Our expectations ( of good or bad outcomes) are disproportionate… PSY268 Contemporary Issues in Psychology