Maharashtra Board Class 12 Psychology Chapter 8 Positive Psychology Solutions

Choose the Correct Option and Complete the Following Statements

Question 1. ............. is the father of positive psychology.
(a) Carver
(b) Masten
(c) Seligman
Answer: (c) Seligman
In simple words: Martin Seligman is known as the father of positive psychology because he officially started this field to focus on human strengths and happiness instead of just mental illness.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that Martin Seligman shifted the focus of psychology from what is "broken" to what is "beautiful" in human life.

Question 2. Barbara Fredrickson introduced the Broaden and ………………. theory.
(a) Build
(b) Emotion
(c) Learning
Answer: (a) Build
In simple words: This theory explains how positive emotions like joy and curiosity expand our thinking and help us build useful skills for the future.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that the "Broaden-and-Build" theory is a core concept in positive psychology, so associate Fredrickson's name directly with the word "Build".

Question 3. The belief that good things will happen is called as ………………..
(a) pessimism
(b) resilience
(c) optimism
Answer: (c) optimism
In simple words: Optimism is having a positive attitude and expecting good results even when things are difficult.

🎯 Exam Tip: Do not confuse optimism with resilience; optimism is about expecting positive outcomes, while resilience is about recovering from setbacks.

Question 4. The capacity to understand what the other person is experiencing is………………
(a) sympathy
(b) empathy
(c) emotion
Answer: (b) empathy
In simple words: Empathy is the ability to put yourself in another person's shoes and feel what they are feeling.

🎯 Exam Tip: Be careful not to confuse empathy with sympathy; empathy involves actually sharing and understanding another person's internal state.

Answer the Following Questions in 35 – 40 Words Each

Question 1. Explain the theories of happiness
Answer: Happiness is a positive emotional state that is subjective to each person, for e.g., people feel happy when they are successful or surprised or loved, etc. The main theories of happiness are- These frameworks help explain how we perceive, achieve, and maintain joy in our daily lives.
In simple words: Happiness is a personal feeling of joy that differs for everyone. Psychologists use various theories to study what makes us feel satisfied and how we can maintain a positive state of mind.

🎯 Exam Tip: When defining happiness, always highlight its subjective nature and provide a simple, relatable example to secure maximum marks.

Question 2. What is mindfulness?
Answer: Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully aware of where we are and what we are doing. It means that we should not be overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. Mindfulness refers to mental awareness that helps to focus on the ‘Here and Now’. It helps to increase self-regulation, which results in growth and happiness. Mindfulness is maintaining moment by moment awareness of our bodily sensations, environment, thoughts and feelings. Practicing this daily can significantly reduce stress and improve overall mental clarity.
In simple words: Mindfulness means being completely present in the current moment. It helps us stay calm and aware of our thoughts and surroundings without getting stressed.

🎯 Exam Tip: Define mindfulness as the ability to focus on the 'Here and Now' and mention its role in self-regulation to score full marks.

Question 3. What is resilience?
Answer: According to the American Psychological Association, resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress such as family and relationships, health, work and finances, etc. It is the act of ‘bouncing back’ inspite of barriers or set backs.

Resilience helps the person to recover from setbacks with the least negative consequences. Developing a strong support system of friends and family can greatly enhance this ability. Individuals high on resilience exhibit the following characteristics:
1. they regain their confidence after a period of emotional disturbance
2. they are able to maintain their psychological well-being.

The types of resilience are physical, psychological, emotional and community resilience.
In simple words: Resilience is the mental strength to bounce back from difficult situations and setbacks. It helps people stay strong and recover quickly when things go wrong.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember to list the key characteristics and the four types of resilience (physical, psychological, emotional, and community) to secure maximum marks.

Write Short Notes On The Following In 50 – 60 Words Each

Question 1. Life above zero
Answer: Traditional psychology focused on life at and below zero. Zero is the line that divides illness form health. Hence, life below zero indicates a life that is full of problems stress, diseases, etc. Positive psychology emphasizes the study of life above zero. This perspective shifts the focus from merely surviving to truly thriving.-1 to +1 indicates neutral charactristics while below 0 indicates disorders, dysfunction or illness. Life above zero covers a large area of positive aspects of behaviour such as mindfulness, resilience, happiness, hope, trust and empathy. It acknowledges elements of living that enrich and meaningfully sustain what is referred to as “the good life” in positive psychology.
In simple words: Traditional psychology only tried to cure mental illness (below zero), but positive psychology focuses on helping people lead a happy, meaningful, and healthy life (above zero).

🎯 Exam Tip: Always draw the scale diagram showing the range from -4 to +4 to clearly illustrate the concept of life above and below zero.

Question 2. Determinants of happiness
Answer: Happiness is a positive emotional state. Factors like health, prestige, income, success, etc., contribute to only a small portion of our total happiness. Some factors are predictors of long lasting happiness- These predictors often include strong social relationships, gratitude, and a sense of purpose in life.
In simple words: True happiness does not just come from money or success, but from deeper factors like good relationships and having a positive outlook on life.

🎯 Exam Tip: Mention that external factors like money only play a small role in long-term happiness, and focus on internal predictors.

Question 3. Characteristics of an optimist
Answer: Optimism is a mental attitude that includes feelings of hopefulness and a belief that the future will be positive and favourable. It is the belief that negative events are merely setbacks that are temporary and can be overcome. Developing a positive outlook can significantly improve overall well-being.

The characteristics of optimists are:
1. they try to choose the best options available
2. they tend to be high on self confidence
3. they face difficulties positively as they view them as a challenge for a person to become strong
4. they are hopeful about the future and do not generalize present failure to future events.
In simple words: Optimism is having a positive attitude and believing that good things will happen. Optimists see problems as temporary challenges that they can overcome with confidence.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly define optimism first, then list its key characteristics using numbered lists to make your answer easy for the examiner to read.

Question 4. Methods to promote empathy
Answer: Empathy is the capacity to understand and feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference i.e. capacity to place oneself in another’s position. Practicing active listening is one of the most effective ways to build this connection.

According to Simon Baron-Cohen there are three components of empathy viz. cognitive empathy emotional reactivity and social skills. Empathy builds a sense of security and trust. It is closely related to emotional intelligence and is a key to building strong relationships.
In simple words: Empathy means putting yourself in someone else's shoes to understand their feelings. It helps build trust and stronger connections with the people around us.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember to mention the three components of empathy identified by Simon Baron-Cohen to secure full marks.

Empathy can be promoted by using the following methods:

• Increase social interactions – Especially with people who need help in order to understand their perspectives and motives.
• Connecting through similarities – With others, e.g., those having same hobbies/ work/ goals, etc.
• Understanding what you are feeling – Those who are able to accurately judge their own motives, can empathize better.
• Challenge yourself – Tasks that are challenging lead to the person struggling to achieve a goal. This lead to humility which enables empathy.
• Cultivate a sense of curiosity – This leads to open-mindedness and a better understanding of those around us.
• Widen our social circle – Contact with people of different races, cultures, viewpoints helps to increase empathy towards them at a neurological level.

4. Explain the Following Concepts

Question 1. Positive Psychology
Answer: Positive Psychology is a newly emerging branch of psychology. Martin Seligman officially introduced Positive Psychology as a subfield of psychology. It is the science of happiness, human strength and growth. Positive Psychology focuses on building of character strengths like courage, happiness, perseverance, etc., rather than on anxiety, conflict, avoidance, etc. According to Seligman, positive psychology is “the scientific study of positive human functioning and flourishing on multiple levels that include the biological, personal, relational, institutional, cultural and global dimensions of life.” This field aims to help people lead more meaningful and fulfilling lives.
In simple words: Positive psychology is the study of what makes life most worth living, focusing on human strengths, happiness, and growth instead of just mental illness.

🎯 Exam Tip: Mention Martin Seligman as the founder and define positive psychology as the science of happiness and human strengths to secure full marks.

Question 2. Half glass full and half glass empty.
Answer: Optimism is a mental attitude that includes feelings of hopefulness. It is a belief that the future will be positive and favourable and that negative events are merely setbacks that are temporary and can be overcome. Seligman explained about how people look at situations differently, where some see a glass as half full (optimists) while others see it as half empty (pessimists). This perspective determines how we react to life's challenges.
In simple words: Seeing a glass as half full means focusing on the positive side of things, while seeing it as half empty means focusing on the negative.

🎯 Exam Tip: Explain the metaphor clearly by relating "half glass full" to optimism and "half glass empty" to pessimism.

Question 3. Empathy
Answer: Empathy is the capacity to understand and feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, i.e., capacity to place oneself in another’s position. According to Simon Baron-Cohen, there are three components of empathy viz. cognitive empathy i.e., perspective taking, emotional reactivity (connecting in an intimate bond with another person) and social skills (moved to help the other). Empathy builds a sense of security and trust. It is closely related to emotional intelligence and is a key to successful relationships. Developing this trait allows us to build deeper, more meaningful connections with those around us.
In simple words: Empathy means putting yourself in someone else's shoes to understand their feelings. It helps us connect with others and build strong, trusting relationships.

🎯 Exam Tip: To score full marks, remember to mention the three components of empathy defined by Simon Baron-Cohen: cognitive empathy, emotional reactivity, and social skills.

Question 4. Mindfulness
Answer: Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully aware of where we are and what we are doing. It means that we should not be overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. Mindfulness refers to mental awareness that helps to focus on the ‘Here and Now’. It helps to increase self-regulation, which results in growth and happiness. Mindfulness is maintaining moment by moment awareness of our bodily sensations, environment, thoughts and feelings. Practicing this regularly can significantly reduce daily stress and improve overall mental clarity.
In simple words: Mindfulness is about living in the present moment without worrying too much about the past or future. It helps us stay calm and focused on what we are doing right now.

🎯 Exam Tip: Highlight the phrase 'Here and Now' and mention 'self-regulation' as these are key terms examiners look for when grading mindfulness definitions.

Question 5. Social resilience
Answer: According to the American Psychological Association, resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress such as family, health, etc. It is the act of ‘bouncing back’ inspite of barriers or set backs. This psychological strength helps individuals maintain stability during challenging life events.
In simple words: Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from difficult situations or hardships. It is like a spring that bounces back to its original shape after being stretched.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use the key phrase 'bouncing back' and cite the 'American Psychological Association' to make your definition highly authoritative.

Answer the Following Question in 150 – 200 Words Each

Question 1. What are the essential building blocks of resilience?
Answer: According to the American Psychological Association, resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress such as family, health, etc. It is the act of ‘bouncing back’ inspite of barriers or set backs. Resilience helps the person to recover form setbacks with the least negative consequences. Individuals who are resilience tend to-
1. regain their confidence after a period of emotional disturbance
2. they are able to maintain their psychological well-being.

The types of resilience are physical, psychological, emotional and community resilience.

According to Ann Masten, building blocks is ‘ordinary magic’, which involves behaviour that can be easily learnt. Developing these positive behaviors helps individuals face challenges more effectively. The 7 C’s of reilience are-
1. Competence – Competence is the ability or know-how to handle situations effectively. Competence is acquired through actual experience.
2. Confidence – True confidence is a strong belief in one’s own abilities. Confidence is gained by demonstrating competence in real life situations.
3. Connection – Family is the central force in an individual’s life. Connections with other people, schools and communities gives the individual a sense of security that allows him/her to be independent and develop creative solutions.
4. Character – It refers to a clear sense of right and wrong and a commitment to integrity. An individual with character has a strong sense of self-worth
In simple words: Resilience is the ability to bounce back from difficult times. Its main building blocks include developing competence, building confidence, connecting with others, and maintaining a strong moral character.

🎯 Exam Tip: To score full marks, make sure to list and explain the key components of resilience, such as competence, confidence, connection, and character, using clear definitions.

Question 2. Recollect the most challenging situation you faced in your life till now and the way you dealt with it. With reference to the 7 C’s of Resilience, which qualities helped you to overcome the challenge? For each of the C’s write the process you adopted to deal with the situation.
Answer: [Students are expected to answer this question by themselves. Personal reflection on these qualities helps in building self-awareness.]
In simple words: Think about a tough time in your life and write down how you used different strengths to get through it.

🎯 Exam Tip: When answering self-reflection questions, relate your personal experiences directly to each of the 7 C's of resilience to show a clear understanding.

7. Find Out the Positive Aspects of Behaviour From the Example Given Below and Answer in One Word.

Question 1. Mahesh studies so attentively that he never gets distracted.
Answer: Mindfulness. This focused attention helps him stay completely present in his studies.
In simple words: Mindfulness means paying full attention to what you are doing right now without getting distracted.

🎯 Exam Tip: For one-word answers, ensure your spelling is absolutely correct to avoid losing easy marks.

Question 2. Sujata lost her hands in an accident. Now she has learned to write with her leg.
Answer: Resilience. This ability to adapt shows her strong determination to overcome physical limitations.
In simple words: Resilience is the ability to bounce back and find new ways to succeed when bad things happen.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identify the core theme of the scenario—adapting to a major life challenge is a classic example of resilience.

Question 3. Vasanta’s daughter died by cancer. He has opened a rehabilitation center for cancer patients.
Answer: Empathy. His personal grief inspired him to understand and support others facing the same pain.
In simple words: Empathy is when you understand how someone else feels and want to help them through their pain.

🎯 Exam Tip: Look for actions where someone helps others based on shared personal experiences to identify empathy.

8. Case Study

Anurag was a software engineer working in one of the leading company’s in the USA for almost 5 years. He was in a stable relationship and he had plans to start a family and to settle there. Unfortunately due to the poor economy in USA he lost his job and had to return back to India. He felt distressed as he realized that he had lost everything he had worked so hard to build. This made him feel like a failure.

Question 1. How do you think Anurag can apply the 7 C’s of resilience to overcome the difficult situation he is in?
Answer: According to the American Psychological Association, resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress such as family, health, etc. It is the act of ‘bouncing back’ inspite of barriers or setbacks. Resilience helps the person to recover from setbacks. Individuals who are resilient tend to-
(i) regain their confidence after a period of emotional disturbance
(ii) maintain their psychological well-being.

Anurag can apply the 7 C’s of resilience as follows:
He has already worked in a reputed firm successfully. Hence he has the Competence and Confidence in his own abilities. Although he is feeling a sense of hopelessness and failure, he must live in the ‘Here and Now’ by taking stock of the situation. Character will provide Anurag self worth and provide a sense of purpose and motivation, i.e., Contribution. When he realizes that he can still succeed in life by applying for a similar job here and accepting the situation, i.e., Control he can use effective Coping mechanisms. Besides, he should not forget social support of family and friends, i.e., Connection. Developing these traits will help him rebuild his career and personal life with renewed strength.
In simple words: Resilience is the ability to bounce back from tough times. Anurag can use his past success to build confidence, stay positive in the present, seek support from family, and take control of his job search to recover.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly define resilience first, then systematically map each of the 7 C's (like Confidence, Connection, Control) directly to Anurag's situation to score full marks.

Question 2. As Anurag’s friend how will you empathise with him and help him deal with this challenge?
Answer: As Anurag’s friend, I can understand and feel what he is going through, from his frame of reference. Since, he is feeling distressed and like a failure due to loss of job, I will empathize with him by being encouraging and supportive. I will try to listen to him without judgment, validate his feelings, and remind him of his past achievements to boost his morale. Additionally, I will assist him in updating his resume and looking for new job opportunities in India.
In simple words: As a friend, I would listen to Anurag, support him emotionally, and help him look for new job opportunities to show him he is not alone.

🎯 Exam Tip: Emphasize active listening and emotional support as key components of empathy when answering questions about helping a friend in distress.

Question 3. Anurag has developed a very pessimistic approach after these setbacks, how will you guide him to stay happy and optimistic?
Answer: To guide Anurag to stay happy and optimistic, I would encourage him to practice cognitive reframing, which involves identifying negative thoughts and replacing them with positive, realistic ones. I would suggest he focus on things within his control, establish a daily routine, and practice mindfulness or meditation. Encouraging him to engage in hobbies and spend quality time with loved ones will also help shift his focus from his losses to new possibilities. Taking small, positive steps every day can significantly improve his mental outlook.
In simple words: I would guide Anurag to focus on positive thoughts, establish a healthy daily routine, and spend time doing things he enjoys to rebuild his optimism.

🎯 Exam Tip: Suggest practical, actionable steps like cognitive reframing, mindfulness, and focusing on controllable factors to demonstrate a structured approach to fostering optimism.

Activity (Textbook Page. No. 99)

Question. Activity 4
(a) Meera scored poor marks in the examination.
(b) Suresh’s scholarship application got rejected.
(c) Mahesh lost his job.
Imagine yourself in their position and answer the following questions-
(i) How does being in their situation make you feel?
(ii) What do you think about yourself and your future being in their position?
Answer:
(i) You may feel:
• Hopeless and so you might think that your future is dark. This feeling can temporarily cloud your judgment and make it hard to see a way forward.
• Helpless and so you might think that you cannot do anything to get out of the situation.
• Worthless and so you might think that you are a failure.

(ii) In contrast you may also feel:
• Hopeful and think that the current adverse situation can change in the future.
In simple words: Facing setbacks can make us feel helpless and sad at first. However, keeping a positive mindset helps us stay hopeful that things will improve in the future.

🎯 Exam Tip: When answering activity-based questions, clearly distinguish between negative and positive emotional responses to show a balanced psychological perspective.

Activity 5 (Textbook Page. No. 100)

Question 1. What would your feeling be in the following situations?
(i) After a long struggle your friend got a job.
(ii) You see a person who just met with an accident and is bleeding profusely.
(iii) Your cousin is awarded a PhD. degree.
Answer: In all the above examples I would feel empathy i.e., feel what these persons are experiencing. This emotional connection helps us understand others better.
(i) I will also feel happy and hopeful.
(ii) I will also feel concerned and helpless.
(iii) I will feel elated and proud.
In simple words: Empathy means sharing and understanding the feelings of others. In these situations, we naturally feel happy for our friends' success or worried when someone is hurt.

🎯 Exam Tip: When describing feelings, use precise emotional vocabulary like 'elated', 'concerned', or 'empathy' to secure full marks.

Activity 8 (Textbook Page. No. 104)

Question 2. Think of someone you know who has faced a challenging situation in their life and were successfully able to deal with it. This situation may have been emotionally difficult to deal with like death of a loved one, loss of a job, dealing with chronic illness, failure etc. Answer the following questions and discuss the answers in class.
1. How did they handle the adverse situation?
2. Which obstacles did they have to overcome?
3. In your opinion which specific attitudes and skills helped them cope with the situation?
4. Do you think they received help and support from others?
Answer: Sundari, a professor in a reputed college was diagnosed with cancer at age 35 years.
1. Initially, she was overcome by feelings of intense fear and hopelessness. However, she decided that she would not give up the fight against cancer. She maintained a positive outlook and strictly followed her medical treatment.
2. She had to overcome physical pain, exhaustion from chemotherapy, and the mental stress of dealing with a life-threatening illness.
3. Her strong determination, resilience, optimism, and patience helped her cope with the situation.
4. Yes, she received immense love, care, and emotional support from her family, friends, and colleagues, which played a crucial role in her recovery.
In simple words: This story shows how a person named Sundari faced cancer with courage and positivity. With determination and the support of her loved ones, she successfully overcame this difficult challenge.

🎯 Exam Tip: When answering personal response or case-study questions, structure your points clearly to match each sub-question asked.

Question. Answer the following questions based on the text:
Answer:
2. She had to overcome obstacles such as intense pain, fear of chemotherapy, pity shown by some ‘well wishers’, financial constraints, etc.
3. Specific attitudes that helped her to cope with this trauma were Resilience, fighting spirit interacting with other cancer survivors and good coping skills.
4. Yes, she received immense support from family, colleagues, friends and support groups like CPAA and Cancer Aid Foundation.
In simple words: This shows how she faced difficult challenges like pain and money issues, but overcame them with a strong attitude and support from family and friends.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always list specific examples of support systems and personal attitudes when describing how someone overcame a major life crisis.

Activity 9 (Textbook Page. No. 105)

Question. Read about the life of Indian boxer Mary Kom. Discuss in class the struggles she faced and how she overcame them to win multiple medals for the country.
Answer: Mary Kom was born in Kangathei in the north-east state of Manipur. She grew up in a humble surroundings in an agricultural family. She is the eldest of three siblings. Her father had been a keen wrestler. Since a young age, Mary exhibited an inclination towards sports, like athletics and football. She was inspired by Dingko Singh, (a fellow Manipur who won a gold medal in 1998 Asian games ) to take up boxing. She was unable to pass her matriculation exam but still cleared X Std., from NIOS, Imphal. When she was 15, she left home to study at the Sports Academy in Imphal.

Her first coach K. K. Meitei recalls her as being hard working, dedicated, a quick learner with a strong will power. She has won many accolades such as 6 World Championships, Bronze medal at London Olympics (2012), 1 gold medal each at Asian Games (2014) and at Commonwealth Games (2018). She has been awarded the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padam Vibushan.

Her life story exhibits how Mary overcome obstacles of poverty, family opposition, gender bias to become the undisputed Queen of Boxing. Even at age 37, she still has the hunger to compete and win medals for India. Mary showed resilience as she has returned to the very demanding sport of boxing, after the birth of each child and has exceeded all expectations. Her journey serves as an extraordinary inspiration for young athletes worldwide.
In simple words: Mary Kom came from a poor family in Manipur but worked extremely hard to become a world-champion boxer. She overcame many challenges, including poverty and family opposition, to win Olympic and World Championship medals for India.

🎯 Exam Tip: When writing a biographical answer, highlight key achievements like Olympic medals and national awards to secure maximum marks.

Question. Activities 1, 2, 3, and 6
Answer: [These are personal response questions.]
In simple words: These questions ask for your personal opinions and experiences, so you can write them in your own words.

🎯 Exam Tip: For personal response questions, express your own thoughts clearly and ensure your grammar is correct to score full marks.