Reference no: EM132283373

Assignment

Optimism is a significant personality characteristic associated with well-being. Both optimism and hope are positive emotions that deal with perceptions regarding the future. Studies have shown these emotions are directly related to good physical health, reduced depression and mental illness, a longer life, better work performance and heightened happiness. More importantly, optimism and health are both character traits that can be developed.

To prepare for this assignment, visit the Positive Psychology Center

To review research on optimism and happiness, traits that are extensively studied and form much of the basis for the field of positive psychology. Then, you will complete a self-assessment on this personality characteristic of optimism.

To take the Optimism Test you will visit the Authentic Happiness Web site.

 Under Questionnaires, click on Optimism Test and follow the directions found under the login section to complete the registration process (i.e., click on "register").

Take the self-assessment - Optimism Test and review the feedback provided.

Compare your level of optimism to others who share your gender, age, and line of work.

You will write a 2 page (minimum- longer is OK) reaction paper discussing your Optimism Test results. In your paper reflect upon a minimum of three past experiences from your life, and explain how and why you believe these experiences impacted your Optimism Test scores. Essentially, you will discuss what this self-assessment means to you, and how you might be able to apply this information to your daily life, should you choose to do so.

You are required to incorporate at least one scholarly resource from one of the websites listed above or located within the MState Library to support your reflections and reactions to the optimism assessment.

The following excerpts from Authentic Happiness a book written by Martin E. P. Seligman will assist you in writing your paper:

Permanence: "People who give up easily believe the causes of the bad events that happen to them are permanent - the bad events will persist, are always going to be there to affect their lives. People who resist helplessness believe the causes of bad events are temporary...If you think about bad things in terms of always and never and abiding traits, you have a permanent, pessimistic style. If you think in terms of sometimes and lately, using qualifiers and blaming bad events on ephemera, you have an optimistic style...The optimistic style for good events is just the opposite of the optimistic style for bad events. People who believe good events have permanent causes are more optimistic than those who believe they have temporary causes. Optimistic people explain good events to themselves in terms of permanent causes such as traits and abilities. Pessimists name transient causes, such as moods and effort." (Seligman M.E.P., 2002, p. 88-89).

Pervasiveness: "Permanence is about time. Pervasiveness is about space...Some people can put their troubles neatly into a box and go about their lives even when one important aspect of it-their job, for example or their love life-is crumbling. Others let one problem bleed all over everything. They catastrophize. When one thread of their lives breaks the whole fabric unravels. It comes down to this: People who make universal explanations for their failures give up on everything when a failure strikes in one area. People who make specific explanations may become helpless in that one part of their lives, yet march stalwartly on in the others...Now for the converse. The optimistic explanatory style for good events is opposite that for bad events. The optimist believes good events will enhance everything he does, while the pessimist believes good events are caused by specific factors." (Seligman M.E.P., 2002, p. 90-91).

Hope. "...Whether or not we have hope, depends on two dimensions taken together. Finding permanent and universal causes of good events along with temporary and specific causes for misfortune is the art of hope; finding permanent and universal causes for misfortune and temporary and specific causes of good events is the practice of despair...People who make permanent and universal explanations for good events, as well as temporary and specific explanations for bad events, bounce back from troubles briskly and get on a roll easily when they succeed once. People who make temporary and specific explanations for success, and permanent and universal explanations for setbacks, tend to collapse under pressure-both for a long time and across situations-and rarely get on a roll." (Seligman M.E.P., 2002, p. 92-93).

Assignment Requirements

Written Communication: Written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.

APA Formatting: Resources and citations should be formatted according to APA (6th edition) style and formatting.

Font and Font Size: Times New Roman, 12 point, double-spaced. Use Microsoft Word to complete the assignment.

Length: 2 page minimum.

Reference
Seligman, M.E.P. (2002). Authentic Happiness. New York City: Simon & Schuster.

Attachment:- Assignment.rar