PSY1APP Week 2 Application of Positive Psychology Principles PDF

Application of Positive Psychology Principles Dr Katja Petrovic [email protected] PSY1APP Week 2  Acknowledgement of country In the spirit of reconciliation, La Trobe University acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea an...

Application of Positive Psychology Principles Dr Katja Petrovic [email protected] PSY1APP Week 2  Acknowledgement of country In the spirit of reconciliation, La Trobe University acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past, present and emerging, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples joining us today. Intended Learning Objectives Explain what positive psychology is Understand and apply the PERMA model of wellbeing and the Values in Action Classification model Describe how positive emotions, gratitude, and trait mindfulness can be used to promote wellbeing and resilience. What do you think of when you hear “Psychology” What is Positive Psychology? Psychology has traditionally focused on reducing maladaptive emotions and behaviours and treating mental illness. Positive psychology shifts this focus and instead explores what makes people thrive. Specifically, “it is the study of the conditions and processes that contribute to the flourishing or optimal functioning of people, groups, and institutions.” (Gable & Haidt, 2005)  Brief History of Positive Psychology While it is often thought of as a new branch of psychology, the principles of positive psychology have been around for decades. Martin Seligman – the founder of Positive Psychology – first introduced the movement in the late 1990s as a way to correct the trajectory of modern day “pathologically focused” psychology. Historical background ▪ ‘Healthy Mindedness’ (William James) ▪ Humanistic psychology (Carl Rogers) ▪ Hierarchy of Needs (Abraham Maslow) What is Wellbeing? Wellbeing is a vague concept in the literature. It is sometimes used interchangeably with the terms: “the good life” and “authentic happiness”. While there are many theories and perspectives of what wellbeing is, it typically is thought to be a mix of: ▪ Hedonic wellbeing or subjective wellbeing, which centers on positive emotions, life satisfaction, and happiness. ▪ Eudemonic wellbeing, which centers on meaning, purpose, and autonomy. Wellbeing goes beyond just “feeling happy”. Positive Emotion The PERMA model suggests that pursuing positive emotions about the present, past, and future is one path towards overall wellbeing. This element has the most apparent connection to the overall concept of happiness. This is not about “putting on a happy face” regardless of actual feelings but instead is about learning skills that promote an optimistic, constructive and positive outlook. These emotions are learnable and can buffer against stress, depression, and poor health.  Positive emotions include: Past: Present: Future: satisfaction joy hope contentment gratitude optimism fulfillment amusement faith pride awe trust serenity inspiration confidence Positive Emotions Broaden-and-build theory: Positive emotions prompt people to consider novel solutions to their problems (Fredrickson, 2001) Positive emotions (e.g. happiness, interest, anticipation) broaden one's awareness and encourage novel, varied, and exploratory thoughts and actions. Over time, this broadened behavioural repertoire builds skills and resources. Positive emotions are contrasted with negative emotions, which prompt narrow survival-oriented behaviours. ▪ For example, the negative emotion of anxiety leads to the specific fight-or- flight response for immediate survival. The Broaden- and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions Adapted from Fredrickson and Cohn (2008, Fig. 48.1) Engagement The second element engagement refers to being able to fully deploy your skills and strengths. It involves engaging in activities that balance strength with challenge and result in absorption in the task or that promotes the experience of “Flow”. It is completing tasks for their own sake rather than for a particular outcome.  Flow (Csikszentmihalyi) State of absorption where one's abilities are perfectly matched to the demands at-hand (eustress, state of challenge) Nine indicator elements of flow: 1. Clear goals exist every step of the way, 2. Immediate feedback guides one's action 3. Balance between challenges and abilities 4. Action and awareness are merged 5. Distractions are excluded from consciousness 6. Failure is not worrisome 7. Self-consciousness disappears 8. Sense of time is distorted 9. The activity becomes an end in itself, done for its own sake  Relationships In the PERMA model relationships refer to feeling supported, valued and loved by others. They encompass all the interactions individuals have, for example with friends, family, romantic partners, colleagues, and the community. Relationships are fundamental to wellbeing – they promote positive emotions, accomplishment and a sense of meaning. From an evolutionary perspective, being part of social groups has been key to our survival. Developing strong relationships is associated with better outcomes, for example, preventing cognitive decline and better physical health Photo by Duy Pham on Unsplash  Social Support and Health Social interaction is beneficial for physical and mental health: ▪ Ill people who are socially isolated are likely to die sooner than well-connected ill people (House, Landis, & Umberson, 1988). ▪ Social support is linked to lower inflammation, which is one mechanism in the development of disease (Bert et al. 2018). ▪ A large meta-analysis found a moderate relationship between social support and improved mental health, particularly for women, the elderly, patients, workers and students (Harandi et al., 2017). Social support (tangible, emotional) reduces overall stress Stress Buffering Hypothesis: Emotional support helps recipients cope with stressful events (Cohen & Wills, 1985) Social Support Stressor Ill Health Meaning Pursuing meaning or a sense of purpose in life is the fourth component of wellbeing. It involves using your strengths and talents. It can be derived from belonging to and serving something bigger than the self. This can include, religion, family, science, politics, work organizations, justice, the community, social causes (e.g., being green) as well as many others. Photo by David Iskander on Unsplash  Contribution of Spiritual Belief to Well-Being People who have religious beliefs report greater feelings of well-being than do people who are not religious ▪ People may achieve and maintain well-being from faith communities through social and physical support (mediation) Social & Physical Support Belief Well-being ▪ Benefits may come from a sense of spirituality (our lives are “something more than just a momentary blip in the universe”) Sense of Spirituality Belief Well-being  Contribution of Spirituality to Health Some religious groups engage in fewer unhealthy behaviors (mediation by drinking & smoking less, eating certain foods) Reduced HRBs Belief Health Religious belief may act as a buffer (moderator) of stress Belief Stress Health  Accomplishment Accomplishment in the PERMA model refers to the sense of accomplishment from working towards and reaching a goal, mastering an endeavor, and self-motivation. It is also known as achievement, mastery or competence. It can promote positive emotions such as pride, but its pursuit can occur even when it may not lead to positive emotions, meaning, or relationships. Accomplishment can mean success in a number of domains, such as sport, education, reaching a particular employment level, but could also be simply, setting a goal and progressing towards it.  Benefits of Goal Setting Setting goals can promote a number of outcomes. Students who set performance and mastery goals in a psychology course had better end of course performance. Setting goals were argued to promote student motivation Students worked harder to process the course material at a deep level and do what was necessary to learn the material well enough to obtain a good grade (Barron & Harackiewicz, 2003). Goals can also help direct attention, promote persistence and reduce stress (Merritt & Berger, 1998). Character Strength and Virtues Peterson and Seligman (2004) identified 24-character strengths that are organized into 6 virtues. Character Strengths are the positive parts of a person’s personality that impact how they think, feel and behave. Strengths differ from skills, interests, and talents. They are generalizable across contexts and are morally valued in their own right. Research suggests that using and following strengths in daily life is associated with enhanced wellbeing, optimism, resilience, confidence, and sense of vitality  The Values in Action Classification of Strengths and Virtues The VIA Classification of Strengths and Virtues has become known within the positive psychology world as the ‘un-DSM’ It is a guide that serves to classify the 24- character strengths proposed by Peterson and Seligman and be used to recognize strength and positive functioning. The VIA Classification of Strengths and Virtues Wisdom Courage Humanity Curiosity Valour Intimacy, reciprocal attachment Love of learning Perseverance Kindness, generosity, nurturance Judgement, critical thinking, open- Integrity, honesty, authenticity Social intelligence, personal mindedness Zest, enthusiasm intelligence, emotional intelligence Perspective Justice Temperance Transcendence Citizenship, duty, loyalty, teamwork Forgiveness, mercy Awe, wonder, appreciation of beauty Equity, fairness Modesty, humility and excellence Leadership Prudence, caution Gratitude Self-control, self-regulation Hope, optimism, future-mindedness Playfulness, humour Spirituality, faith, religiousness  Using and Developing Strengths Once your top 5 strengths are identified, you can begin actively incorporating them into your lives. ▪ For example, if your top strengths are love of learning and curiosity, a strength-based day may include a trip to a museum. Strengths can also be developed. If there is an area you would like to improve, you can implement strategies to promote that strength on a day- to-day basis. ▪ For example, to improve on emotional intelligence, practice active listening with family and friends, note and compliment the positive gestures or others, or write five personal feelings daily for four weeks and look for patterns.  Have you ever practised Mindfulness Meditation? Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash  Mindfulness Mindfulness refers to the ability to purposefully bring your attention to the present moment. It is to be aware of your current internal and external experiences whether positive, negative, or neutral without judgement and with a sense of openheartedness, curiosity and kindness. Mindfulness meditation is the practice of being mindful. Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen on Unsplash The Science Behind Mindfulness Mindfulness has gained a lot of popularity both in the media and in the research community. And while it is not the “cure-all” it is sometimes made out to be, it does have many benefits. Being more mindful can: ▪ Increase optimism ▪ Better Emotional and ▪ Enhance social ▪ Enhance self-esteem behavioural regulation relationships ▪ Increase resilience ▪ Better decision making ▪ Better mental and ▪ Improve performance physical health ▪ Help strength-use and productivity ▪ Reduced Stress ▪ More flexible and less automatic thinking ▪ Improved immunity How to Implement Mindfulness Formal Practice Informal Practice Set time aside to complete a formal Bring mindfulness into your daily routine by meditation, (typically) sit with your eyes focusing your full attention to what you are closed and practice focusing your attention doing in the present moment. on one thing, usually your breath or bodily Many everyday activities can be done whilst sensations. being mindful, Use a guided meditation to help you get For example: doing the dishes, eating, going started and improve on your mindfulness for a walk or working, showering meditation ability Even short meditations 10-30 minutes or one- off sessions have shown to have benefits Build on your practice – begin with shorter sessions and extend these over time  Gratitude Gratitude has been conceptualized as an emotion, a virtue, a moral sentiment, a motive, a coping response, a skill, and an attitude. Put simple it is “the appreciation of what is valuable and meaningful to oneself and represents a general state of thankfulness and/or appreciation” (Sansone & Sansone, 2010) Benefits of Gratitude Gratitude is associated with a number of benefits and is a key construct within positive psychology. Gratitude is associated with: ▪ Enhanced wellbeing ▪ Reduction in stress ▪ Deeper Relationships ▪ Decreases symptoms of ▪ Increased optimism depression and anxiety ▪ Better self control ▪ Better physical health  How to Implement Gratitude There are a number of ways you can practice gratitude in your day-to-day life. Gratitude practice is about focusing on more grateful thoughts, while eliminating ungrateful thoughts (e.g., perceptions of apathy, boredom, self-criticism). Some simple ways include: ▪ Before going to sleep, thinking of the positive things that happened during the day ▪ Keeping a gratitude journal ▪ Acts of kindness ▪ Send a gratitude letter or a note of appreciation Applying Positive Psychology Therapy In part, traditional approaches to therapy utilize some positive psychology principles, for example, they aim to instill hope and build strengths There are also positive therapies, for example: ▪ Rationale emotional behavioural therapy – aim of this intervention is to promote the strength of rationality, i.e., improved positive emotions, a decreased in dysfunctional negative emotions, active problem solving, and goal directed behaviour. ▪ Wellbeing therapy – use self-observation to target aspects of psychological wellbeing including mastery, personal growth, purpose in life, autonomy, self-acceptance and relationships. Applying Positive Psychology Education Positive psychology principles being applied in school and higher education is on the rise. This is in part due to an increase in the number of children and adolescents experiencing high levels of depressive symptoms or depressive disorders and the impact this has on academic and interpersonal difficulties. A number of programs have been developed to promote wellbeing and resilience, and reduce mental health concerns. Bounce Back! program in Australia (McGrath and Noble, 2003) have provided evidence that the teaching of social competence, resilience and optimism can offer benefits to children through reducing psychological disorders. A number of programs have also been used to go beyond just preventing psychological disorders and focus on helping children flourish, (for example, Making Hope Happen and Strength-based development programs).  Applying Positive Psychology The Workplace Positive organizing is the term used to describe the link between positive psychology and organizations. It refers to the dynamics in workplaces that promote flourishing in individuals, groups, and the organization. While many workplaces still adopt a weakness troubleshooting approach, adjusting this focus can lead to greater productivity and wellbeing within the workplace. Some positive psychology approaches include: ▪ Participatory working practices – allowing employees to decide how they work e.g., through job crafting ▪ Team building – fostering positive relationships ▪ Job variety – allowing employees to build new skills to promote engagement ▪ Strengths work – taking a strength-based approach during staff development, interventions such as mindfulness-based programs to develop strengths ▪ Flow – providing clear goals, feedback and appropriate challenge in the work Questions?