Back Positive Psychology
What is Positive Psychology?
Positive psychology is one of the newest branches of psychology to emerge. This particular area of psychology focuses on how to help human beings prosper and lead healthy, happy lives. While many other branches of psychology tend to focus on dysfunction and abnormal behavior, positive psychology is centered on helping people become happier.
Positive psychology is designed to "complement and extend the problem-focused psychology that has been dominant for decades," explained the late Christopher Peterson, author of "A Primer in Positive Psychology" and professor at the University of Michigan, in a 2008 article published in Psychology Today.
"Positive psychology is...a call for psychological science and practice to be as concerned with strength as with weakness; as interested in building the best things in life as in repairing the worst; and as concerned with making the lives of normal people fulfilling as with healing pathology," Peterson wrote.
According to leading authorities in the field, Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, positive psychology will help achieve "scientific understanding and effective interventions to build thriving in individuals, families, and communities."
In order to understand the field of positive psychology, it is essential to start by learning more about its major theories, applications, and history.
Levels
Positive psychology is often referred to as having three different levels:
Positive Psychology and the PERMA Model
In order to 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:
Uses
Positive psychology can have a range of real-world applications in areas including education, therapy, self-help, stress management, and workplace issues.
Some of the major topics of interest in positive psychology include:
Contact therapists & counselors now.
Source: Psychology Today. What is positive psychology, and what is it not?. May 2008; Seligman ME, Csikszentmihalyi M. Positive psychology. An introduction. Am Psychol. 2000; Cherry K., What is positive psychology. Updated March 2021; Joseph S. Positive Psychology in Practice: Promoting Human Flourishing in Work, Health, Education, and Everyday Life. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons; 2015; Ciarrochi J, Atkins PW, Hayes LL, Sahdra BK, Parker P. Contextual positive psychology: Policy recommendations for implementing positive psychology into schools. Front Psychol. 2016
Positive psychology is one of the newest branches of psychology to emerge. This particular area of psychology focuses on how to help human beings prosper and lead healthy, happy lives. While many other branches of psychology tend to focus on dysfunction and abnormal behavior, positive psychology is centered on helping people become happier.
Positive psychology is designed to "complement and extend the problem-focused psychology that has been dominant for decades," explained the late Christopher Peterson, author of "A Primer in Positive Psychology" and professor at the University of Michigan, in a 2008 article published in Psychology Today.
"Positive psychology is...a call for psychological science and practice to be as concerned with strength as with weakness; as interested in building the best things in life as in repairing the worst; and as concerned with making the lives of normal people fulfilling as with healing pathology," Peterson wrote.
According to leading authorities in the field, Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, positive psychology will help achieve "scientific understanding and effective interventions to build thriving in individuals, families, and communities."
In order to understand the field of positive psychology, it is essential to start by learning more about its major theories, applications, and history.
Levels
Positive psychology is often referred to as having three different levels:
- Subjective level: focuses on feelings of happiness, well-being, and optimism, and how these feelings transform your daily experience
- Individual level: a combination of the feelings in the subjective level and virtues such as forgiveness, love, and courage
- Group level: positive interaction with your community, including virtues like altruism and social responsibility that strengthen social bonds
Positive Psychology and the PERMA Model
In order to 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:
- Positive emotions, or experiencing optimism as well as gratitude about your past, contentment in the present, and hope for the future
- Engagement, or achieving "flow" with enjoyable activities and hobbies
- Relationship, or forming social connections with family and friends
- Meaning, or finding a purpose in life larger than you
- Accomplishments, or goals and successes
Uses
Positive psychology can have a range of real-world applications in areas including education, therapy, self-help, stress management, and workplace issues.
Some of the major topics of interest in positive psychology include:
- Character strengths and virtues
- Flow
- Gratifications
- Gratitude
- Happiness/pleasures
- Helplessness
- Hope
- Mindfulness
- Optimism
- Positive thinking
- Resilience
Contact therapists & counselors now.
Source: Psychology Today. What is positive psychology, and what is it not?. May 2008; Seligman ME, Csikszentmihalyi M. Positive psychology. An introduction. Am Psychol. 2000; Cherry K., What is positive psychology. Updated March 2021; Joseph S. Positive Psychology in Practice: Promoting Human Flourishing in Work, Health, Education, and Everyday Life. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons; 2015; Ciarrochi J, Atkins PW, Hayes LL, Sahdra BK, Parker P. Contextual positive psychology: Policy recommendations for implementing positive psychology into schools. Front Psychol. 2016
