Meaghan Shea Suzanne Ingram English 1103-036 25 September 2012 Annotated Bibliography

Shea 1

Ozpolat, Ahmet R., Isa Y. Isgor, and Fahri Sezer. "Investigating Psychological Well Being of University Students According to Lifestyles." Procedia 47 (2012): 256-62. Science Direct. Elsevier Ltd., 2012. Web. 19 Sept. 2012.

This article examines the well being of 570 university students based on their lifestyles. Conducted by Ataturk University during the 2010-11 school year, they used a cluster sampling method on their populationnot a very reliable method, a point that I need to either reinforce with more information or make no mention of. They predominantly used Kerns Lifestyles Inventory, which is extremely difficult to locate to prove its reliability. The test has been translated by many doctors and scholars from its original form, and uses a series of markers to judge ultimately the subjects quality of life. The results of the test indicate conflict between key aspects of well being and suggest that the overall quality of life is diminished from that of the norm. This article helps defend my argument that the way you live ultimately does impact your mental state.

Byrne, Rhonda. The Secret. New York: Atria, 2006. Print.

Shea 2 Byrne weaves a delicate tale of an age-old secret, that is really no secret at all. Positive thinking, she claims, creates a self-fulfilling prophecy where those that practice can end up winning, all the time. From love to life to relationships to work, Byrne claims that positive regard is the key to happiness and success. Even described as lifechanging, Byrne offers up a lot of radical theories to live by and practice. Rhonda Byrne hails from Australia with a background in TV writing and producing, most known for New Thought. She was one of Forbes Top 100 People That Shape the World, but has no other credentials to warrant the 19 million plus copies of The Secret that were sold.

Ehrenreich, Barbara. Bright-sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America. New York: Metropolitan, 2009. Print.

In direct opposition to the book, The Secret, Ehrenreich combats the idea of positive thinking to such an extent. As many critics point out, there is a fine line between optimism and surrealisman everything is going to be okay mentality. After recent events, like the economic crash, Ehrenreich has famously pointed out that the promotion of positive thinking has brought a taboo aura to realism. Particularly in the business world, she harps on the fact that many refuse to view the negative outcomes that are possible, a sophomoric disregard for the law. No matter if it is embezzlers ignoring the

Shea 3 promise of ultimate catastrophe in favor of getting away with it, or banks dolling out doomed mortgages, Ehrenreich argues that optimism has, in a sense, replaced realism and rational thought. Thus, positive thinking has become irrational thinking, ipso facto leading to an overall decline in not only the individuals well being, but, in this case, an entire nation.

Melendez, Juan C., Jose M. Tomas, Amparo Oliver, and Esparanza Navarro. "Psychological and Physical Dimensions Explaining Life Satisfaction among the Elderly: A Structural Model Examination." Elsevier 48.3 (2009): 291-95. Science Direct. Web. 19 Sept. 2012.

In this study, they created structural model to aid their research. The goal was to assess the effects of psychological well-being, physical functioning and socio-

demographic factors on life satisfaction. Some results include a positive correlation between education on satisfaction, a negative correlation between increasing age and satisfaction. Interestingly, they found the socio-economic variables had a low correlation with the life satisfaction, which tended to simply maintain their preexisting level. This fits my question perfectly, and physical functioning and socio-demographic factors make interesting facets to my argument.

Shea 4 Peale, Norman Vincent. The Power of Positive Thinking. New York: PrenticeHall, 1952. Print. More of a self-help book then a study, Dr. Norman Peales book deals with the process of being more mentally satisfied, which he argues will gain way to overall life satisfaction and better health. Translated into 15 languages, the book advocates that it will facilitate the changes you need in your life. While the commerciality of this book is definitely detrimental to its ethos, it is still on point with my topic. Although it may be a weaker source, the information Peale presents is still valuable in terms of cause-andeffect relationships related to my topic.

Wedge, Marilyn, PhD. "Is Psychotherapy a Placebo?" Psychology Today. Sussex Publisher, LLC, 2012. Web. 19 Sept. 2012.

In her article, Dr. Wedge argues that the basis of many aspects of psychotherapy is based on the placebo effectthe idea that if you think youre being helped, you ultimately show the desired result (or parts of it) without actually being treated. Largely used in double-blind medical studies, the placebo effect has proven to be a very real thing. However, Wedges article describes specifically the extent to which psychological help can be a placebo, examining the relationship between the expectation of a positive outcome yields a positive outcome. This gives some validity to the notion of feel good, do good. She even delves into the idea of therapeutic hypnosis as a form of placebo because it relies so heavily on the power of positive suggestion. This works nicely to support my argument because it shows the direct correlation between a mental idea or

Shea 5 disposition and a physical outcome that results, as well as the idea of the power of thinking and positive regard on the overall health of the mind.