PS440 Abnormal Psychology All Units Discussions With Sample Answers

PS440 Unit 6 Discussions – The Science of Happiness

Part 1

The science of happiness is relatively new. In the past, researchers have focused on studying negative mood or thoughts and its relation to mood disorders, but a new interest has influenced researchers to study the effects of happiness on mental health. Being happy and positive can act as a protective barrier to mental illness.

People who are happy tend to have better relationships, careers, and physical and mental health than unhappy people. People are constantly pursuing happiness, but they also equate happiness to different things that may not bring ultimate lifelong happiness. For instance, some people equate happiness to money or material possessions; however, some people who win the lottery are no happier after winning. For this Assignment, you will be discussing how one’s thinking can influence his or her happiness.

Proceed with this week’s Discussion by addressing the following about a relationship between happiness and mood or mental illness:

  1. Explain in your own words what happiness is.
  2. According to studies and/or the textbook, explain how thinking is believed to influence one’s level of happiness as well as the development of depression and maintaining of its symptoms?

Part 2

I think that the ways in which people think about their drug or alcohol experience plays a role in addiction as well. For example, if a person ingests a substance and likes the experience and believes that it makes him/her feel better or escape from stress and pain, he/she is more likely to do it a second time and another time…and the person believes that this will help him/her to feel better. If a person doesn’t like the experience or believes that the experience doesn’t benefit him/her, the individual may decide not to do it again. What do you think?

PS440 Unit 7 Discussions

If pleasure is experienced and dopamine is released in the brain when we doing somethings that are pleasurable, the person can become vulnerable to an addiction, right? Having said that, can people can become addicted to any of the following?

  • Cell phones
  • Chocolate or food
  • Shopping
  • Video games
  • Other people

Maybe you can think of something that people can develop an addicted for. And, do you think there is a genetic link to an addiction to cell phones?

 

Scroll to Top