Introduction to Positive Psychology

Introduction to Positive Psychology

• Martin Seligman championed positive psychology
• Seligman wanted to focus on joy, hope, and happiness instead of sadness
• Positive psychology is used to balance positivity and negativity in the field
• It integrates previously neglected topics into psychology for completeness
• Psychology has focused on the negatives out of a desire to be useful, respected, and solve problems

Factors Impacting Happiness

• A factor outside psychology is the lack of increased happiness despite more material possessions
• Depression, divorce, and crime rates have increased due to the stagnation of happiness
• Current culture sees millions seeking direction to find a happy, meaningful life
• Positive psychology scientifically studies personal qualities, life decisions, and sociocultural conditions
• Baumgardner/Crothers' definition promotes happiness, meaningfulness, and virtue

Views of Well-Being

• The hedonic view involves living a life of pleasure to avoid pain and gain satisfaction
• The eudaimonic view involves looking inward for deeper meaning
• Subjective Well-Being is measured through life satisfaction and affect, both positive and negative
• Research methods measuring well-being are considered mostly reliable
• Eudaimonic measures assess psychological well-being and the mental health continuum

Money and Motivation

• Deiner and Kahneman found a positive correlation between money and happiness
• More money doesn't always guarantee more happiness
• Higher income nations report high satisfaction, but also stress from wanting more and comparing
• The hedonic treadmill, social comparison, stress, and anxiety are associated with higher income
• People with intrinsic motivation tend to be happier than those with extrinsic motivation

Traits and Optimism

• A trait is an internal characteristic that influences perception and feelings
• Positive traits increase Subjective Well-Being, physical and psychological health, and virtue
• Positive and Negative Affectivity is a characteristic experience of positive and negative emotions
• Affectivity helps measure happiness
• Temperament-wise, reactives tend to be introverted, less reactives being more extroverted
• The Big Five personality traits are Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism
• The Behavioral Activation System is an incentive system based on doing something that guarantees a reward
• The Behavioral Inhibition System : Incentive to avoid doing something out of fear of being punished
• Dispositional optimism is viewing optimism as a personal trait
• Optimism as an explanatory style describes how people explain negative events
• The broaden-build theory explains that optimism increases flexibility and attention allocation
• Optimism improves coping strategies
• Healthy or positive illusions create good feelings, but aren’t real
• Depressive realism: Realistic thoughts do not invoke positivity, but keep people grounded
• Optimism develops from authoritative parental attachment
• Authoritative parenting involves parental support and good treatment of the child
• Authoritarian parenting involves parental control and poor treatment of the child
• Uninvolved parenting involves parental neglect
• Permissive parenting involves parental spoiling and lack of discipline

Achieving Goals

• Three steps to success: Resources, Goals (Right Goals/Motives), and Self-regulation over time
• Requirements for Successful Self-Regulation to Goal include a clear standard/goal
• Requirements include a monitoring system, motivation, and self-discipline
• Important questions one has to ask themselves in order: Can I succeed? Do I want to do it? Why do I want to do it? What do I need to do?
• "Do I want to do it?" involves subjective task value, attainment value, and costs
• Subjective task value includes interest and utility value
• Costs include psychological, financial, and lost opportunities
• Goals research explains why planning helps achieve goals
• "Why do I want to do it?" employs self-determination theory and the motivation continuum
• Amotivation signifies zero motivation
• Extrinsic motivation is divided into externally regulated, introjected, identified, and integrated motivations
• Externally regulated motivation is driven by outside forces
• Introjected motivation is driven by guilt
• Identified motivation is driven by future benefits
• Integrated motivation is driven by insight and personal value
• Intrinsic motivation is driven by personal interest or desire
• "What do I need to do?" considers the resources required to complete the goal
• Implementation intentions, planning and concrete versus abstract goals are needed
• Also mastery versus approach versus avoidance goals

Explore the basics of positive psychology, championed by Martin Seligman, to focus on well-being, joy, and happiness. Learn about the factors impacting happiness, the stagnation of happiness despite material gains, and different views of well-being, including the hedonic view.