A General Overview of Positive Psychology
Definitions and Explanations:
The Goal
The purpose of Positive Psychology is to understand and promote the human strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive.
The Rationale
During its first century, psychology justifiably focused most of its attention on understanding and alleviating human suffering. Great progress has been made in the successful treatment of numerous mental illnesses - depression, anxiety, and phobias, to name a few. While healing what is worst in life, however, psychology has neglected the positive side of life - what makes life most worth living.
Western civilization has achieved unprecedented technological and economic advances, yet our understanding of how to lead fulfilling lives has not kept pace with material prosperity. Times of relative peace and prosperity have enabled cultures of the past to promote the highest qualities of life. Fifth century Athens cultivated philosophy and democracy. Fifteenth century Florence nurtured great art. Victorian England enshrined honor, duty, and valor.
We are creating a more positive psychology - a psychology that not only heals psychological damage but also builds strengths and virtues to enable people to achieve the best things in life. Positive Psychology is founded on the belief that people want more than an end to suffering. Individuals want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within ourselves, to enhance our experiences of love and work.
The Strengths and Virtues
There are three pillars of the strengths and virtues - positive experiences, the positive individual, and positive institutions. The positive experiences pillar is about positive subjective experiences - contentment with the past, happiness in the present, and hope for the future.
At the individual level, the strengths include the capacity for love and work, courage, compassion, resilience, hope, creativity, curiosity, social skills, integrity, self-knowledge, moderation, impulse control, and wisdom.
At the level of community, it is about the civic virtues that cultivate better communities, such as responsibility, justice, civility, parenting, nurturance, work ethic, leadership, teamwork, purpose, volunteerism, and tolerance.
Landmark Studies and Suggested Readings:
Massimini, F., & Delle Fave, A. (2000) Individual development in a bio-cultural perspective. American Psychologist, 55, 24-33.
McGuire, P. A. (1998, October). Seligman touts the art of arguing with yourself. APA Monitor, 29: http://www.apa.org/monitor/oct98/talk.html
Salovey, P., Rothman, A. J., Detweiler, J. B., & Steward, W. T. (2000) Emotional states and physical health. American Psychologist, 55, 110-121.
Saroyan, S. (1998). Happy days are here again. Elle magazine: http://www.apa.org/releases/days.html
Seligman, M.E.P.(1998).Positive psychology network concept paper: http://www.positivepsychology.org/ppgrant.htm
Seligman, M. E. P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 55, 5-14.
Sheldon, K., Frederickson, B., Rathunde, K., Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Haidt, J. (2000). Positive psychology manifesto: http://www.positivepsychology.org/akumalmanifesto.htm
Taylor, S. E., Kemeny, M. E., Reed, G. M., Bower, J. E., & Gruenewald, T. L. (2000) Psychological resources, positive illusions, and health. American Psychologist, 55, 99-109.
Vaillant, G. E. (2000) Adaptive mental mechanisms: Their role in positive psychology. American Psychologist, 55, 89-98.
Williamson, G. (1998) The central role of restricted normal activities in adjustment to illness and disability: A model of depressed affect. Rehabilitation Psychology, 43, 327-347.
Williamson, G. (2000) Extending the activity restriction model of depressed affect: Evidence from a sample of breast cancer patients. Health Psychology, 19, 339-347.
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