Positive Psychology

Positive Psychology Presented By: Mohammad Reza Najaf Tomaraei Mario Facio

What is Positive Psychology? • “Positive psychology is the scientific study of optimal human functioning that aims to discover and promote factors that allow individuals and communities to thrive” • It is just another way of talking about pursuit of happiness, being an effective human being, and being successful in our personal lives, relationships, and careers.

What is Positive Psychology? • Much of psychology has been considered with answering the question, what is wrong with you? Instead it asks what is right with you? • The goal of positive psychology movement is to make normal life more fulfilling. • It is sought to make individuals less miserable, to treat pathology and mental illness. • What does a positive psychologist do? • A positive psychologist would seek to improve the lives of the people in his or her community.

History • Before World War II, psychology had three distinct missions: • curing mental illness • making the lives of all people more productive and fulfilling • identifying and nurturing high talent. • Shortly after WWII, the primary focus of psychology shifted to the first priority: • treating abnormal behavior and mental illness.

History • During the 1950s, humanist thinkers such as Carl Rogers, Erich Frommand Abraham Maslow helped renew interest in the other two areas by developing theories that focused on happiness and the positive aspects of human nature. Carl Rogers Erich Fromm Abraham Maslow PsychologyToday.com Marxists.org Wikimedia.org

History • Positive psychology began as a new area of psychology in 1998 when Martin Seligman, considered the father of the modern positive psychology movement, chose it as the theme for his term as president of the American Psychological Association (APA). • He said, "the main purpose of positive psychology is to measure, understand and then build the human strengths and the civic virtues." Martin Seligman Berkeley.edu

What does Positive Psychology focus on? • Focuses on human prospering and how tomake people happier. • Positive psychologists believe we can build a buffer against unhappiness, making us better able to take life's knocks when they come. • Intends to complement, not replace traditional psychology.

Pillars of Positive Psychology • Positive subjective experiences (happiness, pleasure, gratification, fulfillment) • Positive individual traits (strength of character, talents, interests, values) • Positive institutions (families, schools, businesses, communities, societies) These three pillars are intertwined: • Positive institutions facilitate the development and display of positive traits, which in turn facilitate positive subjective experiences.

Pillars of Positive Psychology • At the subjective level, looks at positive subjective states or positive emotions (satisfaction with the past, happiness with the present and optimism in the future) such as: • Happiness • Joy • Satisfaction with life • Relaxation • Love • Optimism

Optimism • Defined as “a cognitive characteristic – a goal, an expectation, or a casual attribution”. • Seen as the way people explain the causes of events for themselves. • Optimists perceive situations in a positive light (i.e. instead of focusing on the failure of a test, they would assume that hard work and devotion would improve the next test score.

Pillars of Positive Psychology • At the individual level, looks at exploring and enhancing virtues such as: • Courage • Persistence • Honesty • Wisdom • Creative potentials • Excellence

Pillars of Positive Psychology • At the group or societal level such as positive groups, communities, and cultures, it focuses on social ecology, which is having happy and healthy communities, families, work and productive schools, which bring: • Hope • Feelings of energy • Confidence • Laughter

Basic Assumptions The good life: • Not about having wealth, power, prestige, beauty • A combination of positive connections to others, positive individual traits, and life regulation qualities. • People are highly adaptive and desire social relationships. • People can thrive and flourish/prosper by: • Being good parents • Treating others with some degree of respect • Loving those close to them • Finding ways to contribute to society and welfare of others • Living their lives with integrity and honesty

Basic Assumptions The predictors of positive emotions are unique: • Elimination of negative emotions ≠ inclusion of positive emotions, but = state of neutral emotionality • Process is needed to move from negative emotions to positive emotions • Negative emotions are still important, e.g.: • For survival • Cannot eliminate fear, pain, anxiety, etc. • Tragic elements in life enrich human experience

Basic Assumptions Importance of positive emotions to both mental and physical health • Satisfaction with life • More rewarding interpersonal relationships • More productive at work • Helpful to others • Attain goals in life • Physical healthier, more resistant to illness, may live longer

Basic Assumptions All Positive Emotions are not the same • Bodily pleasure is the good feeling from satisfying needs and meeting expectations (e.g. food). • Higher pleasures are experiences that feel good but are more cognitively complex and tend to have more lasting effect on mood; (e.g., joy, excitement). • Enjoyment involves meeting expectations of fulfilling a need and then goes beyond those expectations to create something new, unexpected, or even unimagined. Terms: • Hedonism — basic motivation force behind most human behaviors • Eudaimonic well being—being true to one’s inner self

Research Findings • People are generally happy. • Money doesn't necessarily buy well-being; but spending money on other people can make individuals happier. • Seligman believes that once we have enough to pay for life's basics such as food and a roof over our heads, more money adds little to our happiness. • Some of the best ways to combat disappointments and setbacks include strong social relationships and character strengths.

Research Findings • Crisis reveals character. • Religion matters. • The "heart" matters more than the "head." • The good life can be taught. • Work can be important to well-being, especially when people are able to engage in work that is purposeful and meaningful. • While happiness is influenced by genetics, people can learn to be happier by developing optimism(having goals), gratitude(being thankful) and altruism(being concerned for well-being of others).

Applications of Positive Psychology • Can have a range of real-world applications such as: • Education • Therapy • Self-help • Stress management • Using strategies from positive psychology, teachers, coaches, therapists, and employers can motivate others to help individuals understand and develop their personal strengths.

Applications of Positive Psychology • Improving child education by making greater use of intrinsic motivation, positive affect, and creativity within schools. • Improving psychotherapy by developing approaches that emphasize hope, meaning, and self-healing. • Improving family life by better understanding the dynamics of love, generativity, and commitment.

Applications of Positive Psychology • Improving work satisfaction across the lifespan by helping people to find authentic involvement, experience states of flow, and make genuine contributions in their work. • Improving organizations and societies by discovering conditions that enhance trust, communication, and altruism between persons. • Improving the moral character of society by better understanding and promoting the spiritual impulse within humans.

Exam Question • What is Positive Psychology? The scientific study of happiness, excellence, and optimal human functioning.

Resources Used • http://www.ppc.sas.upenn.edu/akumalmanifesto.htm • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_psychology • http://whsahutches.edublogs.org/files/2009/02/social-cognitive-period-3-part-2.ppt • http://psychology.about.com/od/branchesofpsycholog1/a/positive-psychology.htm • http://thoughtsonlifeandlove.com/positive-psychology/ • http://www.dswfitness.com/feature/dsp_posPsy.cfm • http://eprints.jcu.edu.au/25951/1/25951_Foo_2008.pdf

Positive Psychology