Negative Psychology
Negative psychology is the study of human tendencies to prioritize and consider negative information more heavily than positive information, commonly referred to as negativity bias and most often observed during decision-making through loss aversion. People regularly prioritise negative consequences over positive ones when making decisions and undertaking stressful physical challenges such as carbon dioxide challenge tasks (Feldner, Zvolensky Eifert Spira 2003), frustrating image tracing tasks or contemplating potential outcomes of action plans; people consistently favor negative over positive aspects when making these calculations.
For further insights into this subject, watch these incredible TED talks by Rick Hanson – author of Buddha’s Brain and Just One Thing (two books that cover core positive psychology concepts). Additionally, visit his Greater Good Science Center to gain more knowledge.
Positive Psychology
Positive psychology is an area of psychology focused on developing mental strengths and virtues such as self-esteem, optimism, and the ability to deal with adversity. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of articles and books on the topic are published annually – not to mention it’s growing popularity within schools, corporations and medical communities worldwide. Although positive psychology may have many fans today, its critics can be heard.
One criticism of positive psychology research is its tendency to favor wealthy and white people and to prioritize pleasure over character development. Another critique is its heavy reliance on self-reporting; to mitigate this shortcoming techniques such as receiving feedback from others can help strengthen confidence in results and help build more certainty around them. Regardless, researchers conducting positive psychology research must keep this limitation in mind when reviewing their work as there will always be some limitations to any study conducted by positive psychologists.
Cognitive Biases
Cognitive biases are mental shortcuts used by the brain to simplify information processing, but can lead to irrational interpretations and judgments. A few common examples include clustering illusion (where your mind sees a pattern where there actually is none), confirmation bias (our tendency to favor notifications that confirm our beliefs), and gambler’s fallacy (the mistaken belief that after multiple wins by one team they must now “due” for losses).
To reduce cognitive bias when betting, develop and adhere to a structured plan based on objective criteria and review past bets regularly in order to spot patterns or identify any biased decision-making that might influence future choices. Other ways of mitigating cognitive bias include encouraging diverse perspectives in the workplace, open communication channels and consistent external feedback – these strategies can all help minimize its effect. It’s also crucial that individuals become aware of their own biases while seeking impartial opinions from others.
Self-Awareness
Self-awareness refers to your ability to recognize your emotions and thoughts, as well as how they impact others, including how these affect yourself and those around you. Self-awareness is one of the core components listed by Daniel Goleman’s model of emotional intelligence (EQ), making it essential to both individual and professional growth.
Self-aware people understand their strengths and challenges, can recognize when their actions don’t align with their values, as well as being mindful of how their choices impact others – all qualities essential for effective leadership. They reflect upon these actions with empathy and honesty when considering potential consequences of their choices or behaviors.
Being self-aware is key to successful relationships and leadership, yet many of us struggle with self-awareness to some degree. You may benefit from learning how to enhance our awareness skills; try asking yourself these questions: “What are my strengths and challenges?” “How do I perceive myself compared with how other people see me?” “Am I aligned with my values?” and “Am I engaging in harmful habits?.”