PS 3140-UNIT 1.pptx

 Attendance/regularity Assignments- live project(30)/quiz(30): there will be 5 quiz of which best of 3 will be considered. Notes/ study material will be uploaded on teams Make a whatsapp group Activities- weekly  Week1: Three Good Things Objective: To increase positive emoti...

 Attendance/regularity Assignments- live project(30)/quiz(30): there will be 5 quiz of which best of 3 will be considered. Notes/ study material will be uploaded on teams Make a whatsapp group Activities- weekly  Week1: Three Good Things Objective: To increase positive emotions and improve well-being by focusing on positive experiences. Instructions:  Each evening, write down three things that went well that day.  For each positive event, write a brief explanation about why it happened.  Reflect on how these positive experiences made you feel. POSITIVE PSYCHOLO GY Introduction UNIT 1 Positive Psychology Introduction Perspectives on Positive Psychology: Western and Eastern How Accurate is the Image of Psychology? Think on your own… Make a list of words you would use to describe a psychologist…think about some images you have as well. Typical images of Psychologist What is Psychology? What is Psychology? The term psychology comes from the Greek roots psyche meaning soul or mind and logos meaning word or study. Psychology is the science of human behavior and mental processes. Behavior is anything we do overt actions and reactions Mental processes are our internal experiences thoughts, feelings, memories…  Why do we study Psychology? Psychology is basically the study of Who we are… Why we are that way… What we can become… Psychology helps us scientifically evaluate common beliefs and misconceptions about behavior and mental processes. Psychologists have different ways of looking at the same problem, which is why there are so many sub-fields of psychology.  Psychology Subfields Explore what Research example motivates people and contributes Positive psychology Explore the to life structural satisfaction. problems in the How autistic brain that may be Social Biological part of autism. children can learn social skills as procedures if not Study how by intuition? Type of Research cognitive and emotional Decide whether development vary traits like in autism. Developme neuroticism need Personality ntal to be measured differently in autism. Study the Cognitive cognitive variabilities in autism Focus on Research: Living Longer Through Positive Emotions—The Nun Study Do people who experience an abundance of positive emotions in their lives—emotions like cheerfulness, joy, and contentment—live longer don’t worry, be than those whose emotional lives are less positive? happy  Emergence of Positive Psychology The disillusionment of many clinical psychologists with sole reliance on the disease model has been another factor contributing to the development of positive psychology. The Emergence of Positive Psychology After world war II, two events changed the face of psychology. In 1946, the Veterans Administration was created, and practicing psychologists found they could make a living, treating mental illness. In 1947, the National Institute of Mental Health was created, and academic psychologists discovered they could get grants for research on mental illness.  But the downside was that the other two fundamental missions of psychology making the lives of all people better and nurturing "genius"-were forgotten. Psychologists treated mental illness within a theoretical framework of repairing damaged habits, damaged drives, damaged childhoods, and damaged brains.  How can we prevent Building problems a science like focused on depression, substance abuse, promoting systematically schizophrenia, the competence of individuals. AIDS, or injury inHuman young people strengths who that are the are most likely buffers against mental illness i.e., courage, genetically vulnerable or who live in worlds optimism, interpersonal skill, work ethic, that nurture hope, these problems? honesty, and perseverance. To create a science of human strength Pathologizing does whosenot move mission willusbetoto the foster these prevention ofvirtues serious disorders. in young people. There are two complementary strategies for improving the human condition: One is to relieve what is negative in life; The other is to strengthen what is positive. Mainstream psychology focuses largely on the first strategy; while Positive Psychology emphasizes the t is Positive Psychology? The scientific and applied approach to uncovering people's strengths and promoting their positive functioning. Positive psychology offers a balance to the previous weakness approach by suggesting that we also must explore people's strengths along with their weaknesses. In advocating this focus on strengths, however, in no way mean to lessen the importance and pain associated with human suffering. Going From the Negative Story The typical content of the Negative to newspaper story about such a situation probably would be very the Positive negative and filled with actions that portray people in a very unfavorable light. Assignment Describe the thoughts Positive Story and actions of people A young Army soldier just back from Iraq noticed that who are stranded one he had lost his girlfriend's ring, the people working at Friday evening at a the airport and all of us in the waiting area large airport because of immediately began to search for it. In a short period of bad weather. time, the ring was located, and a cheer went out in the crowd. Later, the announcer told that there would be yet longer delays on several of the flights. But surprisingly travelers offered their supplies to the fellow travelers. Decks of playing cards came out, and various games were started. The airline people handed out snacks. There were scattered outbreaks of laughter. Reaction to this positive story For some people, it Not a single person made them feel better among the responses I for the rest of that day Why would people Some recounted how it and even for several Several probably received had anything people saidwant tonegative reminded them of times People see to say about react so uniformly they had witnessed days afterward. they wished there were and hear more about the thisgoodcolumn. people behaving at their more such news stories very best. and warmly to this in in theothers. paper A collective sentiment was, "Enough of all short story about a this negativity about people!" night at the airport? Where We Are Now? Positive psychology presently is in a period of expansion, not so much in terms of the relative percentage of the entire field that it represents but rather in terms of the influence of these ideas in gaining the attention of the psychology community, particularly and society in general. A notable accomplishment of the positive psychology movement in its first decade has been its success in increasing the amount of attention given to its theories and research  University of Pennsylvania psychologist Martin Seligman should be singled out for having ignited the recent explosion of interest in positive psychology, as well as for having provided the label positive psychology. Abraham Maslow coined the term positive psychology when he used it as a chapter title in his 1954 book, Motivation and Personality). Martin Seligman Seligman has worked tirelessly to initiate conferences and grant programs for research and applications of positive psychological research. Without question, therefore, we owe a debt of gratitude for Martin Seligman’s continued efforts to see that positive psychology Abraham Positive Psychology and the PERMA In order to Model better explain and define well-being, which is a primary focus in positive psychology, Seligman created the PERMA model. PERMA is an acronym for the following five elements of well-being: P – Positive emotion (Experiencing optimism as well as gratitude about your past, contentment in the present, and hope for the future) Positive emotions include hope, interest, joy, love, compassion, pride, amusement, and gratitude. Positive emotions are a prime indicator of flourishing, and they can be cultivated or learned to improve well-being (Fredrickson, 2001). Increasing positive emotions helps individuals build physical, intellectual, psychological, and social resources that lead to this resilience and overall wellbeing. Ways to build positive emotion may include:  Spend time with people you care about (Kok et al., 2013).  Do hobbies and creative activities that you enjoy (Conner et al., 2018).  Listen to uplifting or inspirational music (Juslin & Sakka, 2019).  Reflect on things you are grateful for and what is going well in your life  E – Engagement (achieving "flow" with enjoyable activities and hobbies) According to Seligman (2012), engagement is “being one with the music.” It is in line with Csikszentmihalyi’s (1989) concept of “flow.” Flow includes the loss of self- consciousness and complete absorption in an activity. In other words, it is living in the present moment and focusing entirely on the task at hand. Flow, or this concept of engagement, occurs when the perfect combination of challenge and skill/strength is found (Csikszentmihalyi & LeFevre, 1989). People are more likely to experience flow when they use their top character strengths. Research on engagement has found that individuals who try to use their strengths in new ways each day for a week were happier and less depressed after six months (Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005). Ways to increase engagement: Participate in activities that you really love, where you lose track of time when you do them (Bonaiuto et al., 2016). Practice living in the moment, even during daily activities or mundane tasks (Belitz & Lundstrom, 1998). Spend time in nature, watching, listening, and observing what happens around you (Petersen et al., 2021). Identify and learn about your character strengths and do things that you excel at (Lai et al., 2018). R – Positive Relationships (forming social connections with family and friends) Relationships encompass all the various interactions individuals have with partners, friends, family members, colleagues, bosses/mentors/supervisors, and their community at large. Relationships in the PERMA model refer to the feeling supported, loved, and valued by others. Relationships are included in the model based on the idea that humans are inherently social creatures (Seligman, 2012). The social environment has been found to play a critical role in preventing cognitive decline, and strong social networks contribute to better physical health among older adults (Siedlecki et al., 2014). Many people have a goal of improving relationships with those they are closest to. Research has demonstrated that sharing good news or celebrating success fosters strong bonds and better relationships (Siedlecki et al., 2014). Additionally, responding enthusiastically to others, particularly in close or intimate relationships, increases intimacy, wellbeing, and satisfaction. How to build relationships:  Join a class or group that interests you.  Ask questions of the people you don’t know well to find out more about them.  Create friendships with people you are acquainted with. M – Meaning (finding a purpose in life larger than you) Another intrinsic human quality is the search for meaning and the need to have a sense of value and worth. Seligman (2012) discussed meaning as belonging and/or serving something greater than ourselves. Having a purpose in life helps individuals focus on what is really important in the face of significant challenges or adversity. Having meaning or purpose in life is different for everyone. The meaning may be pursued through a profession, a social or political cause, a creative endeavor, or a religious/spiritual belief. It may be found in a career or through extracurricular, volunteer, or community activities. A sense of meaning is guided by personal values, and people who report having a purpose in life live longer and have greater life satisfaction and fewer health problems (Kashdan et al., 2009). Ways to build meaning:  Get involved in a cause or organization that matters to you (Tang et al., 2022).  Try new, creative activities to find things you connect with.  Think about how you can use your passions to help others.  Spend quality time with people you care about. A – Accomplishments/Achievements Accomplishment in PERMA is also known as achievement, mastery, or competence. A sense of accomplishment is a result of working toward and reaching goals, mastering an endeavor, and having self-motivation to finish what you set out to do. This contributes to well-being because individuals can look at their lives with a sense of pride (Seligman, 2012). Accomplishment includes the concepts of perseverance and having a passion to attain goals. But flourishing and well-being come when accomplishment is tied to striving toward things with an internal motivation or working toward something just for the sake of the pursuit and improvement (Quinn, 2018). Achieving intrinsic goals (such as growth and connection) leads to larger gains in well-being than external goals such as money or fame (Seligman, 2013). Ways to build accomplishment:  Set goals that are SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time- bound (Falecki et al., 2018).  Reflect on past successes.  Look for creative ways to celebrate your achievements.  Dimensions of positive Subjective level psychology Individual level Group Level focuses on feelings of a combination of positive interaction happiness, well-being, feelings on the with your community, and optimism, and how subjective level and including virtues like these feelings virtues such as altruism and social transform your daily forgiveness, love, and responsibility that experience. courage. strengthen social Positive subjective the aim is to identify bonds. states include the constituents of a In this, positive constructive thoughts ‘good life’ and the psychology about the self and the personal qualities that concentrates on issues future, such as are necessary for being such as the optimism and hope. a ‘good person’. development of civic This level is about virtues, the creation of feeling good, rather healthy families, and than doing good or positive communities. being a good person. Civic virtue is the cultivation of habits of personal living that are Basic Themes and Assumptions of Positive Psychology Good Life: Positive psychology focuses on the elements and predictors of the good life. The term “good life” is familiar to all. The only connection that some people have with this phrase comes from its popular use of the term as a reference to having extreme wealth, power, prestige, and beauty. That use of the phrase “the good life” is quite incorrect, however.  The idea of the good life comes from philosophical speculations about what holds the greatest value in life or what is the nature of the highest or most important “good.” When we apply this idea to human life, “the good life” refers to the factors that contribute most to a well-lived and fulfilling life. Elements of Good In positive Life psychology, the good life has been seen as a combination of three elements: positive connections to others, positive individual traits, and life regulation qualities.  Positive Positive Life regulation connections to individual traits abilities others Ability to A sense of a sense of love integrity individuality or Ability to Ability to be autonomy forgive creative a high degree of the presence of the presence of a healthy self- altruistic altruistic control concerns concerns the presence of the presence of wisdom to guide spiritual virtues such as behaviour connections courage and humility  Eastern and Western Perspectives On Positive Psychology  Both Western and Eastern history and philosophies have the concept of the “good life”. The eastern search for spiritual transcendence parallels the westerner’s hopeful pursuits for a better life on earth. Westerners: Emphasize optimal functioning and hopeful pursuit for a better life. Easterners: Optimal life is a spiritual journey involving others and results in experiencing transcendence and enlightenment.  Western Perspective Happiness in Western society is defined as gaining self-esteem, self-confidence, being materially, and financially comfortable, being successful, being attractive, being equal, being treated with respect, being able to assert one’s rights, and enjoying the pleasure and comforts of life. Two constructs: hope and need for uniqueness.  1. Hope Hope has been a powerful underlying force in Western civilization. Hope—the agentic, goal-focused thinking that gets one from here to there. the belief in a positive future is reflected in many of our everyday ideas and words. In the middle ages, the period from 500 to 1500 AD; sometimes called the Dark Ages, social, physical, and intellectual immobility and various forms of oppression mark this period During Renaissance, of time. the period Hope from wasto 1450 tied to approximately 1600, produced many prosperity changes inand the happiness in the customs that afterlife.Europe. During this period, people analyzed the dominated past to move forward and advance the future. Hope was now tied to prosperity and happiness in the here and now. Hopeful thoughts were accompanied by motivation for action in this life instead of preparing for the afterlife. In the age of Enlightenment, the period from 1700 to the late 1800s, brought the idea that people could use their own reason, knowledge, and intellect instead of relying on superstition or the authority of the Church and government. The Enlightenment included the Scientific Revolution. Hope was reflected in the belief that people had the  2. Need for uniqueness The pursuit of individualistic goals to produce a sense of specialness has been termed the need for uniqueness. This need is posited to have a strong appeal to many, as people often seek to maintain some degree of difference from others (as well as to maintain a bond with other people). People are punished when they deviate from normal or expected behaviors in society. How, then, are people to show their specialness? Fortunately, each society has some acceptable attributes whereby its citizens can show their differences, and these are called uniqueness attributes. There are a number of attributes (physical, material, informational, experiential, etc.) that are valued because they define the person as different from members of his or her reference group and  Western Approaches Judeo Athenia Christiani n ty Islamic  1. Athenian Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle 11 moral virtues Courage: Emotional strengths that involve the exercise of will, to accomplish goals in the face of opposition, external or internal. Moderation: harmony between reason, spirit, and desire. Generosity: giving to another person something of yours as an act of free will, without obligation. Munificence: this relates to money spending at an appropriate level. Magnificence: described as “greatness of soul”. Even temper: respect for anger Friendliness: being a friend, through good times and bad Truthfulness: to speak the truth habitually Wit: an ability to laugh and have fun at an appropriate level. Justice: Civic strengths that underlie healthy community life  Government should take responsibility for the development of virtue in society through early education (i.e., in childhood) and training. Polis (political community) is essential for helping the average individual to self-actualize with regard to virtue. Life of order ensures that one could rise above hedonistic desire and become truly virtuous. Good human virtue creates a community and provides a good model for others so that the masses also develop such human excellence.  2. Judeo Christianity The virtues of faith, hope, and charity are highlighted and encouraged and were later discussed as part of the “Seven Heavenly Virtues” by Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas lists these virtues as: Fortitude (courage): a steadiness of the will in the pursuit of the good despite any difficulties. Justice: Civic strengths that underlie healthy community life Temperance: Strengths that protect against excess Wisdom: Cognitive strengths that entail the acquisition Cardinal virtue (The term cardinal comes from the and use of knowledge Latin cardo (hinge); regarded as Faith: by which we believe in God and believe all that the basic virtues required for a he has said and revealed to us. virtuous life) Hope: by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and Theological virtue Associated in Christian beliefs and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's philosophy with salvation resulting promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the from the grace of God.  Ten commandments were given by Moses as directives toward cultivating certain strengths within the Jewish tradition. (for more details about Moses, visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/history/moses_1.shtml) 1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me 2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image 3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain 4. Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy 5. Honour thy father and thy mother 6. Thou shalt not kill 7. Thou shalt not commit adultery 8. Thou shalt not steal 9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour 10.Thou shalt not covet anything that is thy neighbour's Peterson and Seligman (2004) interpret these that the commandments prohibit as failing under the category of particular values: “Justice” is implied in prohibitions against murder, theft, and lying; “temperance” in those against adultery and covetousness;  The Talmud (the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (halakha) and Jewish theology) also provides instructions about living a virtuous life. In the Pirke Avot, or Ethics of the Fathers, directives are given on how to live life as an ethical follower of Judaism. The lessons here include being a hospitable host, particularly to the poor, being fair in decision-making and judgments, and seeking peace in everyday life (Bokser, 1989). In addition, the Talmud states, “You shall administer truth, justice, and  3. Islam Islam is practiced by both Western and Eastern individuals and groups, and thus its virtues and practices may be influenced by more than one context. Islam incorporates virtues as moral obligations. Among others, gratitude (e.g., to Allah for His benevolence), love (of Allah because of His forgiveness), kindness (especially toward parents), justice (emphasizing fraternity and equality of all), and courage (acts of bravery) are valued (Farah, 1968). In addition, there is a strong component emphasizing altruism. Giving to the poor is a requirement in the Islamic faith reflected in the  Eastern Perspective In Eastern cultures, Happiness is defined as an internal state of mind being in peace doing one’s duties keeping others happy being responsible and respectful to oneself, family, and society and enjoying life as it goes with oneself, family, and others. The Eastern view of life involves a desire for balance for optimal functioning. The Eastern view encompasses moving with the cycle of life and moving towards enlightenment. Key constructs: Compassion and Harmony.  1. Compassion In Confucian teachings, compassion is discussed within the concept of jen (humanity) and is said to encapsulate all other virtues. Within the Taoist belief system, humanity also reflects behaviors that must occur naturally, without premeditation. The Buddha often is described as “perfectly enlightened, and boundlessly compassionate” (Sangharakshita, 1991). The idea of compassion, or karuna, also is woven throughout Buddhism as a virtue on the path toward transcendence. Finally, within the Hindu tradition, compassion is called for in good actions  In positive psychology, Physician Eric Cassell (2009) proposes the three following requirements for compassion: (1) the difficulties of the recipient must be serious, (2) the recipient’s difficulties cannot be self-imposed, and (3) we, as observers, must be able to identify with the recipient’s suffering. Compassion is described as a “unilateral emotion” (Cassell) that is directed outward from oneself. The ability to possess feelings for something completely separate from our own suffering allows us to transcend the self and, in this way, to be closer to the achievement of the “good life”. Transcendental compassion is said to be the most significant of the four universal virtues, and it often is called Great Compassion (mahakaruna) to distinguish it from the more applied karuna (Sangharakshita, 1991) Compassion may come more naturally to a person from a collectivist culture than to someone from an individualist culture, in the form of its members’ prosocial behaviors (Batson, 1991; Batson, Ahmad, & Lishner, 2009).  2. Harmony In Eastern philosophy, happiness is described as having the “satisfactions of a plain country life, shared within a harmonious social network” (Nisbett). In this tradition, harmony is viewed as central to achieving happiness. In Buddhist teachings, when people reach a state of nirvana, they have reached a peacefulness entailing “complete harmony, balance, and equilibrium” (Sangharakshita, 1991).  Similarly, in Confucian teachings, harmony is viewed as crucial for happiness. Confucius had high praise for individuals who were able to harmonize; he compared this capacity to “a good cook blending the flavors and creating something harmonious and delicious”. The balance and harmony that one achieves as part of an enlightened life often are thought to represent the ultimate end of the good life. In Hindu teachings, one also can see that, as all humans are interconnected by a “single unifying principle” (Stevenson & Haberman, 1998), harmony must be pursued. Clifton and colleagues (Buckingham & Clifton, 2001; Lopez, Hodges, & Harter, 2005) include a harmony theme in the Clifton Strengths Finder, they describe this construct as a desire to find consensus  Eastern Approaches Confuciani sm Taoism Buddhis Hinduis m m  1. Confucianism Confucius (the Sage), held that leadership and education are central to morality. He emphasized morality as a potential cure for the evils (Soothill, 1968). One of Confucius’s most famous sayings can be translated as, “You would like others to do for you what you would indeed like for yourself” (Ross, 2003). In some ways, these are parallel to thoughts put forth by Aristotle and Plato regarding the responsibility of leaders to take charge of the group. The attainment of virtue is at the core of Confucian teachings. The five virtues deemed central to living a moral existence are: Jen (humanity, the virtue most exalted by Confucius) Yi (duty to treat others well) Li (etiquette and sensitivity for others’ feelings) Zhi (wisdom), and Xin (truthfulness).  2. Taoism Lao-Tzu (the creator of the Taoist tradition) states in his works that his followers must live according to the Tao (pronounced “dow” and roughly translated as “the Way”). The Chinese character portraying the concept of the Way is a moving head and “refers simultaneously to direction, movement, method, and thought” (Peterson & Seligman, 2004). Tao is the energy that surrounds everyone and is a power that “envelops, surrounds, and flows through all things”. According to Taoist traditions, both good and bad experiences can contribute to a greater understanding of the Way. The difficulty in understanding the Way- One cannot teach another about it. Achieving naturalness and spontaneity in life is the most important goal in Taoist philosophy. The virtues of humanity, justice, temperance, and propriety must be practiced by the virtuous individual without effort  3. Buddhism The Buddha teaches that suffering is a part of being and that this suffering is brought on by the human emotion of desire. In the Buddhist philosophy, Nirvana is a state in which the self is freed from the desire for anything (Schumann, 1974). Like the other Eastern philosophies, Buddhism gives an important place to virtue. Buddhists speak of the Brahma Viharas, those virtues that are above all others in importance, described by Peterson and Seligman as “universal virtues” (2004). These virtues include love (maitri), compassion (karuna), joy (mudita), and equanimity (upeksa) (Sangharakshita, 1991). The paths to achieving these virtues within Buddhism  4. Hinduism It does not have a specific founder, and it is not clear when this tradition began in history (Stevenson & Haberman, 1998). The Hindu tradition emphasize the interconnectedness of all things. One’s goal within this tradition would be to live life so fully and so correctly that one would go directly to the afterlife without having to repeat life’s lessons in a reincarnated form (Stevenson & Haberman, 1998). Hindu teachings are very clear about the qualities one must embody to avoid reincarnation: “To return to this world is an indication of one’s failure to achieve ultimate knowledge of one’s self”. The search of one’s life is to attain ultimate self-knowledge and to strive for ultimate self-betterment. Individuals are encouraged to be good to others as well as to improve themselves; the Upanishads state, “A man turns into something good by good action and something bad by bad action”. “Good action” is also encouraged in the sense that, if one does  The common differences between Eastern and Western views on positive psychology  Value system Western Eastern Individualistic i.e., Collectivistic i.e., the individual is the the group is valued main focus. above the Competition and individual. achievement are Cooperation is valued. valued. Values autonomy Sharing and duty and personal towards the group is freedom. highly rewarded. Many stories also Emphasis is also involve seeking given on “going personal gain rather with the flow and than the gain of avoiding conflict” Orientation to time Western Eastern Oriented to the Greater focus on future, emphasis and respect for on future-oriented the past, thinking. recognizing the some of the wisdom of their strengths that are elders, etc. valued most (e.g., This past-oriented hope, optimism, focus is revealed self-efficacy) in the ancient reflect future- Chinese proverb, oriented thinking. “To know the road ahead, ask  Thought process Western Eastern In most western cultures The easterners have a more priority is given to the right circular thinking style, best to life, liberty, and pursuit of exemplified by the Taoist happiness. figure of the yin and the A Westerner whose goal is yang. happiness draws a straight This figure represents the line to that goal, looking circular, constantly changing carefully for obstacles and nature of the world as finding possible ways around viewed by Eastern thought. them. The dark part of the symbol represents the feminine and passive, and the light side represents the masculine and active. the Easterner might have the goal of balance, trusting in the fact that, although great unhappiness or suffering may occur in one’s life, it would be equally balanced  Focus Western Eastern Focus more Focus more on the on group or individual community goal. goals. Focus more Focus more on hope and on uniqueness. compassion and