Positive Psychology Research and Practice:

Old Wine in New Bottles?

Danny Singley, Ph.D.The Center for Cognitive Health

& Positive Psychology

Symposium Presented at the Fall 2009 Conference of the San Diego Psychological Association

Tongue Breaker

1. Sonja Lyubomirsky? \Loo-bu-MEER-ski\

2. Shigehiro Oishi?\She-jay-HE-ro\

3. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi?\Cheek-sent-ME-high-ee\

OverviewPast, Present, and Future of the Field

Current Research in Positive Psychology

Evidence-Based Best Practices• Models of Positive Functioning• Assessment• Interventions/Consultation

DO NOT HOLD YOUR QUESTIONS UNTIL THE END

Roots of Positive PsychologyAristotle- (354 B.C.E.) “Everything we do, we think will make us happy.”

Abraham Maslow (1954) “Fully functioning person”-optimal human

development

Donald Super (1955)”Hygiology”

Martin Seligman (1998)“Scientific pursuit of optimal human functioning.”

Focus on the Negative“The science of psychology has been far more successful on the negative than on the positive side; it has revealed to us much about man’s shortcomings, his illnesses, his sins, but little about his potentialities, his virtues, his achievable aspirations, or his psychological height. It is as if psychology had voluntarily restricted itself to only half its rightful jurisdiction, and that the darker, meaner half.”

-Abraham Maslow

Evidence-Based Branches1. Models of Positive Functioning2. Assessment3. Clinical Interventions/Consultation Subjective Well-Being – Ed Diener Psychological Well-Being – Carol Ryff Flourishing/Complete Mental Health – Corey

Keyes Quality of Life – Michael Frisch Values in Action – Martin Seligman StrengthsQuest/Finder – The Gallup

Organization Broaden and Build – Barbara Fredrickson

What is Positive Psychology?What comes to mind for you? Happiness Fluffiness/Praise “Wellness Myopathy” Invalidates negative experiences

Medical Model Pathology Remediate Deficits

Positive TerminologyPositive Psychology is a political movement

Well-Being describes an outcome variable

Wellness in Recovery is all Mary Ellen Copeland

Optimal Functioning means achieving potential

Strengths Development is identifying and growing

Positive Psychology

“The social science of what’s

right with people.”

Models of Positive Functioning

Which experiences relate to optimal functioning?

And more importantly- how??!!

Positive Functioning - SWBSubjective Well-Being (SWB) – Ed Diener

Hedonic Balance – Tripartite Perspective: High Positive Affect Low Negative Affect High Life Satisfaction

Well-Being = Happiness

Positive Functioning - PWBPsychological Well-Being (PWB) – Carol Ryff

Eudaimonic Meaning- Autonomy Environmental Mastery Personal Growth Positive Relations Purpose in Life Self-AcceptanceWell-Being = Meaning/Actualization

Well-Being = Being WellSWB and PWB are related but distinct

Complete Mental Health ModelCorey Keyes (Keyes, 2007; Keyes & Lopez, 2002)

Mental health is defined by The absence of mental illness The presence of well-being

“Flourishing” defined by the presence of

Emotional Well-Being (SWB) Psychological Well-Being (PWB) Social Well-Being

Complete Mental Health Model (Keyes & Lopez, 2002)

Low Strengths

Struggling

High Strengths

Low SymptomsHigh Symptoms

FlounderingLanguishing

Flourishing

Prevalence of Mental Disorders by Level of Mental Health (Keyes, 2007)

Broaden and Build Theory (Fredrickson, 2001)Theory of positive emotions

Rooted in evolutionary psychology

Posits that positive emotions broaden thoughts and behaviors which helps to build durable personal resources

Broaden and Build

Broaden “momentary thought-action repertoires”

Positive emotions broaden by increasing: Cognitive flexibility Creativity Integrative processing Openness to information More efficient thought patterns

“Takes the blinders off”

The Losada Line

The “tipping point” is at the 3/1 ratio People with 3/1 have been shown to

flourish Below this ratio, positive emotions may

be inert and do not build resources Above this ratio, people appear to build

resources and trait resilience

Quality of LifeMichael Frisch – Quality of Life

CASIO model of life satisfaction

• C is for Circumstances • A is for Attitude• S is for Standards• I is for what’s Important• O is for Other areas

Life Domains and Goals

Positive AssessmentWell-Being (PWB and SWB)

Quality of Life

Strengths

Subjective Well-BeingSatisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS)

“So far, I have gotten the important things I want in life.”

Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS)PA - attentive, interested, alert, excited,

enthusiastic, inspired, proud, determined, strong, and active

NA- distressed, upset-distressed; hostile, irritable-angry; scared, afraid-fearful; ashamed, guilty; nervous, and jittery

SWB = SWLS + PA - NA

Psychological Well-Being

Full-Scale Score

Sub-Scale Scores Autonomy Environmental Mastery Personal Growth Positive Relations Purpose in Life Self-Acceptance

Quality of Life InventoryMichael Frisch

Combines SWB and PWB

32 items in 16 life domains

Yields concrete information

Strengths- VIASeligman – www.authentichappiness.org

Values in Action Survey of Character

6 Virtues and 24 Character Strengths (Peterson & Seligman, 2004)

240 items – character and top 5 “signature strengths”

Free vs. $40 report options

Strengths- VIAVirtues and StrengthsVirtue- Wisdom and Knowledge - Cognitive

strengths that entail the acquisition and use of knowledge

Strengths- Creativity, Curiosity, Open-mindedness, Love of learning, Perspective

Examples of Virtues and Strengths:Courage - AuthenticityHumanity - Social IntelligenceJustice - FairnessTemperance - ForgivenessTranscendence - Gratitude

My Top 3 Signature Strengths

GratitudeYou are aware of the good things that happen to you, and you never take them for granted. Your friends and family members know that you are a grateful person because you always take the time to express your thanks.

Humor and PlayfulnessYou like to laugh and tease. Bringing smiles to other people is important to you. You try to see the light side of all situations.

Hope, Optimism, and Future-MindednessYou expect the best in the future, and you work to achieve it. You believe that the future is something that you can control.

Strengths- StrengthsFinderwww.strengths.gallup.com

Strengths- The ability to consistently produce a nearly perfect positive outcome in a specific task

34 themes reflect the most prevalent human talents

Focused on academics and business

My Strengths- StrengthsFinder

Achiever- Great deal of stamina and work hard. Take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.

Individualization- Intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. Gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively.

Woo- Love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. Derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person.

Strategic- Create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues. 

Maximizer- Focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. Seek to transform something strong into something superb.

Clinical InterventionsStrengths

Quality of Life Therapy

Positive Psychology Interventions

(Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005)Internet-Based Study

The Interventions – 1 weeks Three Blessings** Using signature strengths in a new way* Identifying signature strengths Gratitude visit*

Three Blessings(Guided) Journaling

“Each evening before bed, write down 3 things that went well that day. They can be small things or be relatively large in importance.

“Next to each positive event in your list, answer the question: What role did you play that made this happen?”

Personal examples

“I caught up with several friends on the phone and had some good conversations. It felt good to catch up. I called them.”

“I had a good workout. I felt tired after work and didn’t feel like going but did it anyways and felt more energized afterward. I stayed dedicated to the routine and made it a priority.”

Gratitude VisitWrite and Deliver Letter in Person

“Think of a time when you behaved kindly toward someone else and they appreciated it. Something caring or generous that you did, intentional or unintentional. Your actions meant something important to someone else. In your minds eye, try to see the person’s response to your act – their face, their body language. Remember how they acted and what they said to you. Experience your feelings in that moment.” Ben-Shahar (2007)

Using Strengths in a New Way

Take the VIA Signature Strengths Questionnaire online

“Over the next X days this week, find a way use your top 5 strengths in a way that you haven’t done before. You can modify something you already do on a regular basis to better use your strengths, or create a new activity altogether. It’s important that it’s something new and different.”

Example: Encourage someone with Creativity to take a pottery, photography, or painting class.

Developing Strengths ala Gallup

Interview/Strengths VocabularyFuture Self Intervention

“Imagine a ladder standing before you. The top rung is a ten and the bottom rung is a 0. On which step do you stand today? On which step will you stand in 5 years? How will your strengths help you to get to where you want to be?”

Primes thinking about how strengths can be used to create the best possible future self

Quality of Life TherapyBrainstorm possible solutions under each CASIO strategy, or, in other words, by listing attitudes or actions for managing or solving the problem.

C A S I O

Changing Circumstances

ChangingAttitudes

Changing Goalsand Standards

Changing Priorities or What’s Important

Boost Satisfaction in Other Areas not Considered Before

Basic Strategy: Basic Strategy: Basic Strategy: Basic Strategy: Basic Strategy:

Problem solve to improve situation.

Find out what is really happening and what it means for you and your future.

Set realistic goals and experiment with raising and lowering standards. What new goals and standards can you come up with?

Re-evaluate priorities in life and emphasize what is most important and controllable.

Increase satisfaction in any areas you care about for an overall boost to happiness.

Broaden and Build InterventionsSet client goals to foster specific, relevant

positive emotions

Make a list of enjoyable behaviors

Psycho-education on the 3/1 ratiohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCAA1FlsCwg

The Big 2: Socializing & Cardio Exercise

Next Steps“We need a science of being pulled by the

future as opposed to of being pushed by the past.” – Martin Seligman

Positive Education

fMRI – neurological processes related to positive states

Contact Information

Danny Singley, Ph.D.singley@cognitive-health.com

858.380.4636

GO FORTH AND SPREAD THE POSITIVITY!!