Positive Psychology Presented By: - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Positive Psychology

Presented By:

Mohammad Reza Najaf

Tomaraei

Mario

Facio

Slide2

What is Positive Psychology?

“Positive psychology is the scientific study of optimal human functioning that aims to discover and promote factors that allow

individuals and

communities to

thrive

”

It is just another way of talking about pursuit of happiness, being an effective human being, and being successful in our personal lives, relationships, and careers.

Slide3

What is Positive Psychology?

Much of psychology has been considered with answering the question,

what is wrong with you?

Instead it asks

what is right with you?

The goal of positive psychology movement is to make

normal life more fulfilling

.

It is sought to make individuals

less miserable

, to

treat pathology

and

mental illness.

What does a positive psychologist do?

A

positive psychologist would seek to improve the lives of the people in his or her community

.

Slide4

History

Before World War II, psychology had three distinct missions:

curing mental illness

making the lives of all people more productive and fulfilling

identifying and nurturing high talent.

Shortly after WWII,

the primary

focus of

psychology shifted

to the first priority

:

treating

abnormal behavior and

mental illness

.

Slide5

History

During the 1950s, humanist thinkers such as Carl Rogers, Erich Fromm and Abraham Maslow helped renew interest in the other two areas by developing theories that focused on happiness and the positive aspects of human nature.

Carl Rogers Erich Fromm Abraham Maslow

PsychologyToday.com

M

arxists.org Wikimedia.org

Slide6

History

Positive psychology began as a new area of psychology in 1998 when Martin Seligman, considered the father of the modern positive psychology movement, chose it as the theme for his term as president of the American Psychological Association (APA).

He said, "the main purpose of positive psychology is to measure, understand and then build the human strengths and the civic virtues."

Martin Seligman

Berkeley.edu

Slide7

What does Positive Psychology focus on?

Focuses on

human

prospering

and how to

make people

happier

.

P

ositive

psychologists believe we

can build

a buffer against unhappiness

, making

us better able to take

life's knocks

when they come

.

Intends

to

complement

, not

replace traditional psychology.

Slide8

Pillars of Positive Psychology

Positive

subjective experiences

(happiness, pleasure, gratification, fulfillment)

Positive

individual traits

(strength of character, talents, interests, values)

Positive

institutions

(families, schools, businesses, communities, societies)

These three pillars are intertwined

:

Positive

institutions facilitate the development

and

display of positive traits, which in turn

facilitate

positive subjective

experiences.

Slide9

Pillars of Positive Psychology

At the

subjective level

, looks at

positive

subjective

states

or

positive

emotions

(

satisfaction with the past, happiness with the present and optimism in the

future)

such as:

Happiness

Joy

Satisfaction with life

Relaxation

Love

Optimism

Slide10

Optimism

Defined as “

a cognitive characteristic – a goal, an expectation, or a casual attribution

”.

Seen as the way people explain the causes of events for themselves.

Optimists

perceive situations in a positive light (i.e. instead of focusing on the failure of a test, they would assume that hard work and devotion would improve the next test

score.

Slide11

Pillars of Positive Psychology

At the individual

level, looks at

e

xploring

and enhancing virtues

such

as:

Courage

Persistence

Honesty

Wisdom

Creative potentials

Excellence

Slide12

Pillars of Positive Psychology

At the group or

societal

level

such as positive

groups, communities, and

cultures,

i

t

focuses on social

ecology, which is having

happy and healthy communities, families, work and productive

schools, which bring:

Hope

Feelings of energy

Confidence

Laughter

Slide13

Basic Assumptions

The

good life:

Not

about having wealth, power, prestige, beauty

A

combination of positive

connections

to others,

positive individual

traits, and life regulation

qualities.

People are

highly

adaptive

and

desire

social relationships.

People can thrive and

flourish/prosper by:

Being good parents

Treating others

with some degree of

respect

Loving

those close to

them

Finding

ways to contribute to society and welfare of

others

Living their lives

with integrity and honesty

Slide14

Basic Assumptions

The

predictors

of

positive

e

motions

are

unique:

Elimination

of negative emotions ≠ inclusion

of positive

emotions, but = state of neutral emotionality

Process

is needed to move from negative emotions to

positive

emotions

Negative

emotions

are still

important, e.g.:

For survival

Cannot

eliminate fear, pain, anxiety, etc.

Tragic

elements in life enrich human experience

Slide15

Basic Assumptions

Importance of

positive emotions

to both

mental

and

physical

h

ealth

Satisfaction

with life

More

rewarding interpersonal relationships

More

productive at work

Helpful

to others

Attain

goals in life

Physical

healthier, more resistant to illness, may live

longer

Slide16

Basic Assumptions

All

Positive Emotions are not the same

Bodily

p

leasure

is the good feeling from satisfying needs and

meeting expectations (e.g

.

food).

Higher

pleasures are experiences that feel good but are more

cognitively

complex and tend to have more lasting effect on mood; (e.g., joy,

excitement).

Enjoyment involves meeting expectations of fulfilling a need and then goes beyond those expectations to create something new, unexpected, or even unimagined.

Terms:

Hedonism

— basic

motivation force behind most human

behaviors

Eudaimonic

well being

—being true to

one’s

inner

self

Slide17

Research Findings

People are generally

happy.

Money

doesn't necessarily buy well-being; but spending money

on other

people can make individuals happier

.

Seligman

believes

that once

we have enough to pay for life's basics such as food and

a roof

over our heads, more money adds little to our happiness

.

Some

of the best ways to combat disappointments and

setbacks include strong

social relationships and character

strengths.

Slide18

Research Findings

Crisis reveals character.

Religion matters.

The "heart" matters more than the "head."

The good life can be taught.

Work can be important to well-being, especially when people are able to engage in work that is purposeful and meaningful.

While happiness is influenced by genetics, people can learn to be happier by developing

optimism

(having goals),

gratitude

(being thankful)

and

altruism

(being concerned for well-being of others)

.

Slide19

Applications of Positive Psychology

Can have a range of real-world applications such as:

Education

Therapy

Self-help

Stress management

Using strategies from positive psychology, teachers, coaches, therapists, and employers can motivate others to help individuals understand and develop their personal strengths.

Slide20

Applications of Positive Psychology

Improving child education by making greater use of intrinsic motivation, positive affect, and creativity within

schools.

Improving psychotherapy by developing approaches that emphasize hope, meaning, and

self-healing.

Improving family life by better understanding the dynamics of love,

generativity

, and

commitment.

Slide21

Applications of Positive Psychology

Improving work satisfaction across the lifespan by helping people to find authentic involvement, experience states of flow, and make genuine contributions in their

work.

Improving organizations and societies by discovering conditions that enhance trust, communication, and altruism between

persons.

Improving the moral character of society by better understanding and promoting the spiritual impulse within humans.

Slide22

Exam Question

What is Positive Psychology?

The scientific study of happiness

, excellence, and optimal human

functioning.

Slide23

Resources Used

http://

www.ppc.sas.upenn.edu/akumalmanifesto.htm

http://

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_psychology

http://

whsahutches.edublogs.org/files/2009/02/social-cognitive-period-3-part-2.ppt

http://

psychology.about.com/od/branchesofpsycholog1/a/positive-psychology.htm

http://thoughtsonlifeandlove.com/positive-psychology

/

http://

www.dswfitness.com/feature/dsp_posPsy.cfm

http://eprints.jcu.edu.au/25951/1/25951_Foo_2008.pdf