Unit 1 - Positive Psychology PDF

Unit-1 Introduction Positive psychology is a branch of psychology that utilizes scientific understanding and effective interventions to help people lead a more fulfilling life. Positive Psychology is the scientific study of the strengths and virtues that help individuals, communities and organizati...

Unit-1 Introduction Positive psychology is a branch of psychology that utilizes scientific understanding and effective interventions to help people lead a more fulfilling life. Positive Psychology is the scientific study of the strengths and virtues that help individuals, communities and organizations to flourish. The origins of Positive psychology Following the two World Wars research focused more on treatment of mental disorders. This was quite successful, as many disorders can now be cured. However, due to the focus on pathology, psychology became more of a ‘victimology’ which viewed humans as passive individuals controlled by external forces. Psychology focused more on the assessment, and treatment of mental illness. Positive psychology aims to widen the focus of psychology to study not just suffering and its mitigation but human strengths as well as virtues. Since the time of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, the “good life” has been the subject of inquiry. As the field of psychology grew, the various psychological traditions contributed to our current understanding of the positive aspects of human experience. Basically there are four groups of individuals who focused on happiness and well-being before the emergence of positive psychology. They are as follows: Greeks: Aristotle’s (384–322 BCE) stated that the highest good for everyone was ‘eudaimonia’ or happiness. According to him, pleasure comes from engaging with virtuous activities. Utilitarianism : According to Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, policies of the governments should focus on achieving ‘the greatest good for the greatest number of people’. This is the principle of utility. Utilitarianism was the first field that measured happiness (Pawelski and Gupta, 2009). William James: The main contribution of William James to positive psychology is through his book, The Principles of Psychology. The chapter, ‘The Emotions’, is quite relevant for positive psychology. He linked physiology, psychology and philosophy which helped in understanding the relationship between the mind and the body. Humanistic psychology: Humanistic psychology emerged during the late 1950s as a reaction to psychoanalysis and behaviorism. It stated that these two systems of psychology look at the individual as a passive being. In this way they only depict the half picture of human nature. Humanistic psychology emphasized the study of the whole person. It believed that individuals are internally motivated to fulfill their human potential. Many psychologists see the roots of positive psychology in the humanistic psychology movement. Martin Seligman, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania initiated the positive psychology movement. After years of his research on learned helplessness, in 1998 he became the President of the American Psychological Association (APA). The field of Positive psychology Positive Psychology aims to make psychology review its illness orientation. It aims to reiterate that Psychology is not just the study of disorders and weaknesses; it is also the study of strengths and virtues. In this pursuit, Positive Psychology tries to adopt the scientific method to understand and solve problems of human behavior. During the last 100 years the question that guided the thinking of most applied psychologists was “what is wrong with people?” After World War II, psychology was mainly a science of healing and so it focused exclusively on pathology and neglected the strengths, the development of which could actually prevent mental illnesses. Hence it focused on the dark side of human nature. It directed its attention to the study of mental illness and understanding the conditions of the people suffering from these illnesses. People were looked at as passive controlled by external influences or inner conflicts. However, in the 21st century, the main question is “what is right with people?” This question addresses the main focus of positive psychology. It is now increasingly being understood that psychology is not just the study of weaknesses it is also a study of virtues and strengths. In contrast to the medical model which focuses on illness, positive psychology attempts to provide a balance by giving the brighter side of the picture also. In this it gives a complete picture of human thought and behavior. Hence, the main aim of positive psychology is to bring the study of strengths to the forefront. The field of positive psychology concerns positive subjective experience, well-being, flow, joy, happiness, hope which help individuals and communities to thrive. Positive Psychology mainly studies positive emotions, positive individual traits, and positive institutions. Therefore, it studies positive emotions related to the past, present and the future. It studies positive individual traits such as courage, compassion, resilience, creativity, wisdom etc. positive psychology also studies the strengths that foster better communities. Positive psychologists aim to improve the human condition, and hence it enables people to lead a richer and more fulfilling life. The main areas of life where positive psychology contributes are work, raising kids to make them more resilient, establishing meaningful relationships, enhancing happiness and wellbeing and balancing positive and negative emotions. Balanced view Those following the pathology model, described some people at some particular times in their lives. They were also able to provide help to certain people with select problems. But they failed to provide a complete picture of humankind. Positive psychology in contrast focuses on what is good in mankind and its environment and how these assets and strengths can be inculcated. One of the major achievements of positive psychology has been its success in giving more attention to its theories and research findings. Martin Seligman has played a key role in igniting interest in this area and giving the label positive psychology (A term earlier used by Maslow, 1954). Positive Psychology as a Science Positive psychology strives to ensure that it is seen as a science and not as pseudoscience. For any discipline to qualify as a science, it is crucial for it to employ the scientific method for seeking knowledge. In A Primer in Positive Psychology (2006), Christopher Peterson acknowledges the usefulness of controlled experiments in psychology. However believes in using evidence to evaluate theories. Data from other sources such as case studies, interviews, surveys should also be considered. Many of the findings of positive psychology appear to be common sense. However, many of the findings within positive psychology are contrary to common sense. For example, many people believe that to be happy the two things required are physical attractiveness and great wealth. Research within positive psychology reveals that this is not true. Positive psychology attempts to follow the four main pillars of science: accuracy, objectivity, skepticism and open-mindedness. Nature & Dimensions of Positive Psychology Positive psychology is not simply the focus on positive thinking and positive emotions. It‘s much more than that. Indeed, the area of positive psychology focuses on what makes individuals and communities flourish, rather than languish. Flourishing is defined as “a state of positive mental health; to thrive, to prosper and to fare well in endeavors free of mental illness, filled with emotional vitality and function positively in private and social realms”. It simply studies different topics and asks slightly different questions, such as “what works?” rather than “what doesn‘t?” or “what is right with this person?” rather than, “what is wrong?”. Three Levels of Positive Psychology. Positive psychology does not end to feeling a sense of individual well-being itself. Rather proponents of this science often refer to the “Three Levels of Positive Psychology”: ▪ Subjective level.: The subjective level centers around feelings of happiness, well- being, optimism, and similar emotions or feelings as they relate to your daily experience. ▪ Individual level.: The individual level combines the subjective level feelings of well-being with the qualities or virtues that make you a well-rounded person. For example forgiveness, love, and courage. ▪ Group level.: The group level focuses on positive interaction with your community, and includes traits like altruism, social responsibility, and other virtues that strengthen social bonds. Positive psychology has led to the development of several key concepts. These have proven to be highly therapeutic for people with depression and anxiety. Some studies show that a lack of positivity may contribute to a low or depressed mood. However, depression does not develop solely because of this lack. Positive psychology does not solely target negative symptoms. It also seeks to enhance character strengths and positive emotions. All in all it can benefit people who wish to develop in these areas. It focuses on the positive events and influences in life, including: 1. Positive experiences (like happiness, joy, inspiration, and love). 2. Gratitude, resilience, and compassion included in Positive states and traits 3. Positive institutions (applying positive principles within entire organizations and institutions). As a field, positive psychology spends much of its time thinking about topics like character strengths, optimism, life satisfaction, happiness, wellbeing, gratitude, compassion (as well as self-compassion), self-esteem and self-confidence, hope, and elevation. The scope of Positive psychology Subject matter of positive psychology can be classified into three domains (Seligman 2002): The first domain is the pleasant life which deals with positive emotions about the past, present, and future. It aims to maximize positive emotions and minimize negative emotions. Next is the engaged life which deals with positive individual traits and engaging with interesting activities. The meaningful life deals with positive institutions and refers to having meaning and purpose in one’s life. Some of the major topics of interest in positive psychology include: Happiness Optimism and helplessness Mindfulness Flow Character strengths and virtues Hope Positive thinking Resilience Wisdom Emotional intelligence Positive psychology is a young field. Even in its short history it has focuses on many aspects of happy and healthy living. However, there are some areas that have yet to be explored in depth. One of such areas is the intersection between culture and positive psychology. Positive psychology is often criticized for taking a Western perspective. It is also said that the concepts and theories of positive psychology apply more to developed countries who are now in a post-materialistic era. Hence, positive psychology must take in from other cultures, concepts of good life and the factors affecting happiness.. Important People in Positive Psychology Many eminent scholars and researchers are associated with the growing field of positive psychology. However, some of the eminent figures in positive psychology are: Martin Seligman Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Christopher Peterson Ed Diener Carol Dweck Daniel Gilbert Kennon Sheldon Albert Bandura C. R. Snyder Seligman’s PERMA model: The PERMA model is Seligman’s framework for understanding and measuring wellbeing. It is evidence-based and a valuable and powerful tool for further research and application within therapy and our personal and working lives (Seligman, 2011). The PERMA model proposes we can break down wellbeing into five key elements: Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. Each is vital because it can be pursued for its own sake and built upon. When combined, they provide an essential path to flourishing. The individual pursuing these elements becomes more able to deal with life’s challenges. It becomes possible to create more meaningful lives with a powerful positive impact on increasing wellbeing while at the same time reducing psychological distress. Taking each one in turn (Seligman, 2011, 2019): Positive emotions refer to the experience of positive feelings and emotions, such as satisfaction, awe, joy, and contentment Engagement relates to our experience of flow and being consumed in an activity and environment Relationships refer to the quality and quantity of social connections inside and outside our immediate group Meaning brings importance to having a sense of purpose or meaning in life. Accomplishment is based on the experience of achievement and progression toward goals. The PERMA model provides a helpful framework for understanding and measuring psychological wellness. Psychotherapists can use it to help individuals identify areas of their lives where they may lack in wellbeing and work on strategies to increase wellbeing in those areas.