HP 441 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Nun Study, Life Satisfaction, Neocortex

• School: USC
• Department: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Studies
• Course: HP 441
• Professor: Milam Joel

Document Summary

Study of positive subjective experience, individual traits, institutions. Studies what"s working in people"s lives as opposed to what isn"t working. Satisfaction with life, well being, hope, optimism, etc. Focuses on helping us get less of what we don"t want. Focuses on helping us get more of what we want (if happy, get happier) Lower blood pressure, strong immune system, high pain endurance, lower mortality. Nun study: women entered convent and wrote essays/diary entries about moods. Majority of americans say happiness is extremely/very important. Life hack and health advice = huge industry, but not everything works. Science has largely neglected the study of what can go right with people. Neocortex: high-order thinking, brakes, self control, rider (rider on elephant) *have red alert system in brain that can detect threats, easier to find something that will go wrong vs. something that will go well. Tend to ask questions when things are going wrong but not necessarily when they are going right/ok.