Engage in some critical and creative thinking to suggest one specific way, for each unit, to move this field forward (examples: design a study, describe a lesson plan, suggest a clinical intervention)

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Engage in some critical and creative thinking to suggest one specific way, for each unit, to move this field forward (examples: design a study, describe a lesson plan, suggest a clinical intervention). The field is the science behind affective forecasting and happiness, how to predict someone's future happiness. There are 7 units, so 7 pages in total are needed (1 page for each unit should be enough), papers on units 2-7 will be provided as a summary, unit 1 was the intro of the topic, so do one on that, please. About 2 sources from each unit are fine, links for the sources are provided in the document about each unit. Be thorough, if not I will ask for it to be fixed.

 

Unit 6 …and they lived Happily Ever After! Romantic Love & Marital Longevity. Families struggle with a lot of issues that bring about breakups, sadness, and sorrow. It is the dream of many to see happy marriages and families. People strive so hard to find happiness in their lives. In their efforts, sometimes they miss the whole point. To better understand happiness, it is important to look at a few definitions. Merriam Webster defines the word “happy” as “enjoying or characterized by well-being and contentment." Diener and BiswasDiener(2008) gave a closely related definition of happiness, i.e., "subjective well-being." Different people can highlight many sources of their happiness, but the bottom line is that happiness entails one's contentment and well-being. In a Ted Talk "What makes a good life," Waldinger (2015) begins by posing a rhetorical question to the audience about what they would love to pursue in this life. This question opens room for the speaker to bring out some of the common ideas people have had concerning life pursuits that can bring happiness. Some would like to be famous, and some would want to be the richest in the world. But would this bring them the contentment they seek? Would they want to pursue even more? According to Waldinger (2015), a group of researchers, including the speaker himself, conducted an extensive study to determine the sources of happiness in this life. All they wanted was to open up people’s minds and let them know that there is more to life than just fame, money, or any other normal life pursuits. Waldinger (2015) states that the main lesson from the study is that good relationships keep human beings happy and healthier. From this statement, more lessons were drawn. One is that social connection boosts peoples’ happiness. The type of social network also matters. It is not enough to have a whole lot of people by one’s side. The kind of impact or contribution they have to each other matters. From the above example of a student in a school setup, one student can be smiling on the face of their fellow students but hurting from deep inside. This also happens in families. Kids may be depressed amongst their siblings and parents. Couples may live together and still be troubled. This means that the relationship between the various groups of people, whether in a school setup or a home setup, does not have a positive impact on each other. Quality social networks mean that the parties got each other. They may not have money or fame or have achieved their targets but are happy to have each other. Quality relationships also enhance people's memories. Diener and Biswas-Diener(2008) used some hilarious examples to explain the importance of human relationships. If someone were to be given the whole of the world to himself, with all its beauties and treasures, they would still be bored without anyone else to share the wealth with. It would be right to say that human beings are naturally social beings. It is not just our friends and families that make life important and worth living, but also those we term as associates and even enemies. As such, everybody is important for whatever contribution they make in our lives. Other than acquiring the normal material wealth that everybody desires, Diener and BiswasDiener(2008) argued that “psychological wealth” was far much satisfying. This form of wealth is obtained through people’s relationships. Although human beings need each other most of the time, the various forms of relationships do not always bring total happiness(Diener and Biswas-Diener, 2008). Although relationships built upon love are known to bring so much happiness to the involved parties, it is not always the case. Marriage brings so much happiness in families that the involved parties have to take time to heal in cases of breakups. Once people have formed close attachments, the chances of hurting each other intentionally or unintentionally are increased. Kids steal from their parents, leading to a lack of trust and strained relationships. Married couples go through separation and divorce processes, something that leaves wounds in their hearts. This is not to mean that relationships should be avoided. People ought to cultivate good relationships and quality interactions. When people are happy, they are likely to bring positivity to other people’s lives. Speaking of human relationships as a source of happiness, Sternberg (1986) made a point. In his theory, he outlined three major components of love: "intimacy, passion, and commitment. Different people show different kinds and levels of love for each other. Siblings, couples, colleagues, etc., considering the example of a couple, especially a newly wedded. The two have passion and are intimate. The level of love they have for each other, however, depends on their commitment. Numerous possibilities exist in love(Sternberg, 1986). For instance, it is possible to have a spouse more committed to making their relationship work. It is also possible for the commitment to increase or decrease depending on circumstances. There have been cases of spouses or even friends claiming that the other party has changed over time and is no longer interested I building and investing in their relationship. This is a lack of commitment. As it was stated in earlier paragraphs, marriage contributes greatly to people’s happiness. The love, care, and concern for each other is a relationship that brings happiness. One would wish to be happy in such an institution forever. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. There are cases where couples break up months after their union. A study conducted by Carrere et al. (2000) states that couples’ interactivity is a major concern and a contributor to the lasting of the marriage. Considering marriage involves the union of two adults, probably with different interests and ambitions, brought up differently, couples need to give each other time to make the necessary adjustments. The explanations the two give each other concerning why they do things the way they do contribute to the longevity of a marriage. The attitudes each partner holds about marriage also have an impact on how long the relationship lasts. A stable marriage is likely to be experienced where couples come to a certain level of understanding. . According to Gottman (2018), how people deal with their partner's matters. The speaker gave an interesting comparison between two sets of individuals, which he named masters and disasters. While masters strive to stay positive and true to their marriage, the disasters are always seeking to establish fault and hence a reason to break up. Masters find the positive things in the marriage worth their consideration and appreciation and focus on those. On the other hand, disorders are always finding a reason to break up and someone to put all their blame on. The result is, mistakes will always be found, and if unresolved, the authentic happiness s drained off. They look down on their partners and have a false entitlement. They think they know better than their spouse. As such, there are no times to table down issues wisely. They focus on what wrongs have been done. Due to the continued intimidation and disrespect, the other party loses their sense of belonging in the family and chooses to find solace elsewhere. From the studies carried out by different researchers, it has been made possible to predict how long a marriage will last. However, the existence of conflicts and disagreements is not the endgame. Numerous strategies can be taken up to improve the quality of relationships in marriages. For example, posing thoughtful questions to your partner is a nice way to make them feel cared for and appreciated. It is an opportunity to learn from each other. The two can then come to an understanding once they know each other’s interests. Conflicts arise in daily people’s interactions, but couples who take these conflicts as opportunities to enhance their love and the bond they have always live to enjoy their marriages. They chose to adapt to the marriage challenges and easily move on(Gottman 2018). The faster people move on from a conflict, the faster they heal and get to find a common purpose to pursue. Parenting is a critical change in marriage life. Couples undergo this stage differently. While for some couples having a baby are their happiest and most satisfying moment, some experience reduced contentment in marriage soon after the first baby comes (Shapiro et al., 2000). From the established connection between happiness and marriage in earlier paragraphs, lack of satisfaction means these couples become less happy. It may take some time for couples to adjust to a new member of the family. According to the study conducted by Shapiro et al. (2000), husbands' adoration of their wives brought so much happiness to women. The realization that someone cared and was proud of them made women satisfied. Showing care and concern for each other can be a good way to go through the trying milestone. The diminished satisfaction in marriage once couples welcome their firstborn babies has been common, that people are almost normalizing the issue(Dingfelder, 2011). Is it not ironic that people wish to have babies, and once they have them, their contentment decreases?. These occurrences ought not to be normalized. Although it may appear to be an issue between the parents, it trickles down to the children and affects them in dimensions that may not be imagined. The bitter part is that sometimes children may hurt in silence. The effects will only be reflected in their performance of different tasks. Parents, therefore, should find ways of adjusting to the changes in their lives, such as having a new member in the family. Participation in various groups is an initiative that can work. Parents share their experiences in these groups, and new parents may pickups a few tips or lessons. Having each other's back is a great way to help each other pull through. Conclusion People have had all sorts of imaginations bout what can bring them happiness. Some think of material wealth, others think of jobs, while others think of fame as their dream source of happiness. Life is, however, full of uncertainties. One may not achieve these dreams and ambitions. But would that mean they frown for the rest of their lives? Would they ever have a taste of happiness?. Of course, yes. Life is more than just money. Interpersonal relationships are the backbone of happiness. It is the friendships we build that determine the quality of life we lead. How we spent time with each other, the kind of attitude we hold towards each other, and the sacrifices we are willing to make for each other determine how valuable our relationships are. We must always be committed to impact lives positively. A happy community preaches happiness and a happy society. A happy society is a more productive society, which impacts not just families, but nations at large. References Carrere, S., Buehlman, K., Gottman, J., Coan, J., &Ruckstuhl, L.(2000). Predicting marital stability and divorce in newlywed Couples. Journal of Family Psychology, 42 – 58. Diener, E. and Biswas-Diener, R.(Eds.).(2008). Happiness: Unlocking the mysteries of psychological wealth. Blackwell publishing. Dingfelder, S.(2011). Must babies always breed marital discontent? Monitor on Psychology.50 – 52. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/10/babies Gottman, J. (2018, April 25). Making marriage work. [lecture]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=AKTyPgwfPgg Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Happy. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved April 15, 2021, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happy. Shapiro, A., Gottman, J., & Carrere, S. (2000). The Baby and the marriage: Identifying factors that buffer against decline in marital satisfaction after the first baby arrives" Journal of Family Psychology 14(1) 59 – 70. DOI:10.1037//0893-3200.14.1.59 Sternberg, R. (1986). A Triangular Theory of Love. Psychological Review 93. 119 – 135. Waldinger, R. (November 2015) “What Makes a Good Life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness” [lecture] Ted Beacon street. https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_waldinger_what_makes_a_good_life_lessons_from_th e_longest_study_on_happiness 1 Unit 7 Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Course Instructor Date 2 How Do Happiness & Proficiency at Affective Forecasting Change with Age? It is common to hear people say the phrase “change is inevitable” every time they witness a substantial change. The circumstances necessitate some life changes people find themselves in, while others happen. For example, a student may need to transfer from one institution to another due to allergic reactions to the climate or various other conditions. Age is one factor that necessitates change. It is common for kids to shout, "I would like to be a doctor when I grow up." They may have these thoughts due to doctor characters in movies or cartoons they admire. But as they grow up, they acquire more information concerning various disciplines. They explore and realize their interests lie elsewhere. By the time they get to college, they may pursue careers unrelated to the medical field. Similar changes have been observed in psychology. What makes kids happy may not make grownups as delighted. These changes have opened room for research. Numerous studies have been carried out, as will be discussed in the paragraphs after this. As people continue aging, their tastes, preferences change. The music one enjoys at 20 may not be the same that they want at 80. The age gap is wide enough for one to have changed their music tastes over and over. They may have seen a lot in life, enabling them to predict how happy or unhappy they will be in the future. These predictions, however, may not always hold due to the existence of uncertainties and unforeseen occurrences. One may predict how happy they will depend on the circumstances they wish or hope to be in, in the future. 3 According to a study conducted by Belanger et al. (2014), children's preferences change with age. Due to limited knowledge, however, children can hardly predict what their future will be like. They can only make generalizations such as "good future" or "best life." These are simply what everyone hopes for. But for the specific ambitions and goals, children can hardly tell. The importance of acknowledging the changes likely to happen in the future is decisionmaking. One should have all the facts before committing themselves to a deal that will jeopardize the rest of their life. The dissatisfaction that comes with one pursuing something they are not interested in may cost them their happiness and that of their loved ones. Consider the example of a child who focuses all their energy on becoming a police officer or a detective simply because their parents are detectives too. It is a decision they make out of influence but not from their hearts and interests. Once they join, they realize the work is not attractive as they imagined. Having committed their time, money, and emotions to this task, they may feel be disappointed. Regrets flood in, and the result is an unhappy youth and family at large. Being a detective may be an excellent opportunity to serve the country and its people, but it may not fit everybody in the family. Therefore, there is room for children to explore and determine their interests when they are of age. Another example is getting married at a tender age. For instance, in the traditional African communities, there were "arranged" marriages. Parents would organize to have their daughters married to wealthy older men. The result was that by the time the girl was of the right age to be married, they would have no option other than the condemnation to live in an unhappy, miserable marriage for the rest of their lives. 4 While still studying the various changes that occur with age changes, some research was conducted on adolescents. While boys and girls may experience specific changes at this stage, some changes are common to all regardless of their cultures and upbringing. According to Arnett (1999), adolescents' most common changes are; conflicts with parents, mood swings, or disruptive behaviors. At this age, girls want to defy curfew, attend night parties, etc., not because they would like to but because some force inside them controls them. Boys are not an exception. Some, against their parents' advice, sneak into girls' schools, organize school demonstrations and strikes, while others find their way to the garage, steal car keys and drive off during odd hours simply to satisfy themselves. These conflicts and struggles with their families cost them their happiness. Mood swings are common with girls. They may want to spend time alone. Some, however, experience very acute emotions like anger, sorrow, etc. In some cases, one minute, they are laughing, and the next, they are sobbing. Any efforts to comfort them only worsen. All they want at that particular time is to be left all alone. The truth is, they need good relationships to overcome this stage. They need their mothers to be there for them. They need friends to be there with them. As Arnett remarked, the adolescent stage is not all bad news. It is a normal stage of development. Some people go through it smoothly without even noticing. Some, however, go through tough times and need a firm grasp of their arms and a whisper that everything is going to work out perfectly. Sometimes it is crucial to monitor the youth at this stage because they may make decisions they will regret in the future. 5 It is common knowledge that most people change their behaviors when they realize they are under observation. Steinberg (2013) gives an exciting analogy through a Youtube video. Young people playing some video games seem to be more careful when they do it alone. In one instance, the realization that friends are watching them makes them ignore some safety rules they would have adhered to if nobody was watching. As such, more accidents occur when these players are being observed. When asked whether this behavior was only familiar to the youth, Steinberg argued that even adults had the same challenge. It is so even on various gangs or groups of friends. Many people commit multiple crimes due to influence from friends and not necessarily that they want to. For example, most students who traffick drugs in schools and on the streets do so as groups. They influence each other into bad habits. Another example is an escape from prison. It is hard for anybody to do it alone. Criminals escape as a group. Whenever we compare ourselves to other people, it is common for us to create "second thinking." For example, two people walk into a shoe shop, and each gets a pair different from the other. If one person brags about how fitting and comfortable their pair is, the other may wonder why they did not go for a similar option. Sometimes it is not possible to make similar choices as people operate under different circumstances. For example, different levels of income, different tastes, and preferences, etc. Crucet (2018) gives a story of a student who wonders whether they made the right choice concerning the college they joined. This is because she analyses the kind of satisfaction that her friends enjoy from the colleges they enrolled in and 6 feels like she may not get the same pleasure. This comparison may deny families the happiness they deserve. As people advance in age, they begin to reflect on their lives and the choices they have been making. Some of these choices may have had bad outcomes. As an adult, one has lived long enough and made both achievements and losses. However, some people have lived so recklessly that they have nothing to be proud of at their old age. With so much time on their side and diminished energy, they look back and see all the wrong choices they have made. They start regretting, wishing they had been wiser at the time, or at least they would have made a single, brilliant choice. These regrets may not be of value to someone at an old age. All they do is rip off their happiness. They start spending time alone. They distance themselves from everybody else as they feel judged. However, dwelling on the past does not add value to life(King & Hicks, 2007). Continuous self-blame affects not only the physical body but also the mental health of an individual. There are cases where people relive the past in their present, keep playing the traumatic events that happened to them, and the burden becomes too much. They decide to end their lives through suicide because they cannot live with such guilt all their days. King and Hicks(2007) suggested a solution to all this. People need to accept their situations and admit that they made mistakes, and then they can find means to heal. However, the first step to healing is to acknowledge that someone has messed up, and even though they cannot take back what they did, they have an opportunity to find happiness by making the right choices. 7 Conclusion Decision-making is a daily process. People have to choose from the available alternatives regardless of their circumstances, such as age, income levels, etc., speaking of age, and small kids have to decide which game they will play or which toys they want to play with. Young boys and girls have to choose friends, companies, and traits that will impact their lives. Parents have to decide how or even where to raise their families. All these choices have consequences. For instance, if the youth engage in bad friendships, their behavior is affected, which may affect the achievement f their important goals such as academic excellence. To avoid regrets from bad decision-making, people should gather all the facts and relevant information before making any decisions. Being accountable for the choices we make is a good show of responsibility. People should also invest in good relationships that enable them to make it through the most demanding situations. If people hold each others’ hands, better choices are made, better results are achieved, and the social network is maintained, which is the sole source of happiness. 8 References Arnett, J. (1999). Adolescent storm, and stress, reconsidered. American Psychologist. 54(5); 317 – 326. DO I:10.1037//0003-066X.54.5.317 Belanger, M., Atance, C., Varghese, A., Nguyen, V., & Vendetti, C.(2014). What will I like best when I’m all grown up? Preschoolers’ understanding of future preferences.Child Development 85(6)2419 – 2431. Crucet, J.C. (April 29, 2018)Did I Choose the Wrong College? In New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/28/opinion/sunday/college-debt-choices.html King, L. and Hicks, J.(2007). Whatever happened to 'What might have been'? Regrets, happiness, and maturity. American Psychologist.62(7)625 – 636. DOI:10.1037/0003066X.62.7.625 Steinberg, L.(2013, September 25). Peer Influence and Adolescent Behavior[Video].Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt9MyNo65eI plag unit by Plag Unit Plag Unit Submission date: 06-May-2021 03:47AM (UTC-0400) Submission ID: 1579426248 File name: developmental_psychology_seminar.docx (33.58K) Word count: 2964 Character count: 18183 25 22 16 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 35 6 6 4 4 6 24 30 36 23 19 18 21 10 9 13 14 32 5 3 26 37 3 7 18 12 8 27 31 5 29 39 38 20 28 17 33 34 15 11 plag unit ORIGINALITY REPORT 26 % SIMILARITY INDEX 16% INTERNET SOURCES 18% PUBLICATIONS 16% STUDENT PAPERS PRIMARY SOURCES Michael Hoerger, Stuart W. Quirk, Richard E. Lucas, Thomas H. Carr. "Immune neglect in a?ective forecasting", Journal of Research in Personality, 2009 4% Ragnhild Bang Nes. "Happiness in Behaviour Genetics: Findings and Implications", Journal of Happiness Studies, 05/26/2009 2% 3 Submitted to University of Aberdeen 2% 4 www.tandfonline.com 1% 5 onlinelibrary.wiley.com 1% Susanne Scheibe, Rui Mata, Laura L. Carstensen. "Age di?erences in a?ective forecasting and experienced emotion surrounding the 2008 US presidential election", Cognition & Emotion, 2011 1% 1 Publication 2 Publication 6 Student Paper Internet Source Internet Source Publication 7 8 www.brianlukeseaward.com 1% April R. Trees, Jody Koenig Kellas. "Telling Tales: Enacting Family Relationships in Joint Storytelling About Di?cult Family Experiences", Western Journal of Communication, 2009 1% Submitted to University of Northumbria at Newcastle 1% Submitted to Collin County Community College 1% Hamid, P. Nicholas. "OPTIMISM AND THE REPORTING OF FLU EPISODES", Social Behavior and Personality An International Journal, 1990. 1% Sybil Carrère, Dan Yoshimoto, Angela Mittmann, Erica M. Woodin et al. "The Roles of Marriage and Anger Dysregulation in Biobehavioral Stress Responses", Biological Research For Nursing, 2016 1% vm-pas.livejournal.com 1% Internet Source Publication 9 Student Paper 10 Student Paper 11 Publication 12 Publication 13 Internet Source 14 Submitted to Aspen University 1% 15 archive.org 1% 16 researchspace.auckland.ac.nz 1% 17 www.mdpi.com