Psychology 2035A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Headon, National Wealth, Active Listening

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 2035A/B
• Professor: Doug Hazelwood

Document Summary

The paradox of progress: despite tech advances in transportation, energy, communication, agriculture, med, soc & personal problems more prevalent than before, modern tech has provided countless time-saving devices, people still complain about not having enough time. Majority of people feel they have less time for themselves. Modern society work follows people home through the same instruments of liberation (cell-phones/email/pagers) More people cutting back on sleep to juggle work/family/home. Decision dilemmas deplete mental resources and undermine self-control. When decisions become more complex, errors become more likely. More alternatives increases potential for rumination, postdecision regret, anticipated regret and undermine happiness leading to depression. Depressive disorders have increased over past 50 years and anxiety levels have gone up in recent decades increased choices haven"t improved mental health. Schwartz choice overload leads to waste-less hours of weighing trivial: modern technology has gradually provided unprecedented control over world around decisions and ruminating about if decisions were optimal.