positive psychology the science of wellbeing · what is positive psychology? positive psychology...
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Positive PsychologyThe Science of Wellbeing
Instructor: Adam Siler
Group Brainstorm
What do you most want for your loved ones?
Course Overview
Class Topic Key Questions
Class #1 Overview What is positive psychology?
Class #2 Positive Interventions How do you define/measure/increase wellbeing?
Class #3 Positive Emotions How can you authentically change your mood?
Class #4 Engagement/Meaning What is your profile of character strengths?
Class #5 Resilience How can you think more optimistically?
Class #6 Positive Health How can meditation/exercise help you?
Brief History of Psychology
Psychology: scientific study of behavior & mental processes
Brief History of Psychology
Sigmund Freud• genius + nut
• right + wrong
• incalculable impact
• medical doctor
• secularized psychology
• invented “the unconscious”
• Invented “defense mechanisms”
• invented “talk therapy”
• invented “modern psychiatry”
Brief History of Psychology
How would Dr. Freud diagnose you?• You are basically bad
• You are crazier than you know
• Your mind has structure
• Your mind reacts predictably
• Your mind is full of conflict
• You can be helped scientifically
• You need psychoanalysis
• You need drug prescriptions
Brief History of Psychology
Therapy Approach #1 Therapy Approach #2
Combat disease by “putting out fires”
?
Brief History of Psychology
Therapy Approach #1 Therapy Approach #2
Combat disease by “putting out fires”
Promote health by “growing gardens”
Brief History of Psychology
“Wellbeing is more than the absence of disease .”
- Dr. Martin Seligman
Brief History of Psychology
“Psychology is half-baked, literally half-baked. We have baked the part about mental illness. We have baked the part about repair and damage. But the other side is unbaked. The side of strengths, the side of what we are good at, the side… of what makes life worth living.”
- Dr. Martin Seligman (1990)
What is positive psychology?
• Psychology: scientific study of behavior and mental processes
• Positive Psychology: scientific study of the behavior and mental processes associated with human flourishing
What is positive psychology?
Positive Psychology• A new discipline of psychology
• Still under construction
• Definition: scientific study of how to theoretically define, empirically measure, and practically grow wellbeing
• Definition: scientific study of the what and the how of positive experiences, positive traits, and positive institutions
• Definition: scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive
Comparative Analysis
Traditional PsychologyFocus on illbeing
PsychiatryPsychoanalysis
---Fight disease
Reduce sufferingIdentify problems
Positive PsychologyFocus on wellbeingUsing positive interventionsHumanistic therapy---Promote thrivingMake life worth livingIdentify strengths
Comparative Analysis
Traditional Psychology Positive Psychology
Comparative Analysis
Traditional Psychology Positive Psychology
Comparative Analysis
Traditional Psychology Positive Psychology
Topics in Traditional Psychology
1. History
2. Research methods
3. Psychobiology
4. Perception
5. Consciousness
6. Learning
7. Cognition
8. Emotion/Motivation
9. Development
10. Personality
11. Intelligence
12. Illbeing
13. Therapy for illbeing
14. Social psychology
Topics in Modern Psychology
1. History
2. Research methods
3. Psychobiology
4. Perception
5. Consciousness
6. Learning
7. Cognition
8. Emotion/Motivation
9. Development
10. Personality
11. Intelligence
12. Illbeing
13. Therapy for illbeing
14. Social psychology
15. Wellbeing
16. Positive interventions
What is wellbeing?
Key Theories
– Ideal mental health (Jahoda, 1958)
– Psychological wellbeing (Ryff, 1996)
– Social wellbeing (Keyes, 1998)
– Subjective wellbeing (Diener, 2000)
– P.E.R.M.A. (Seligman, 2011)
– Wellbeing (Huppert & So, 2013)
– Multi-dimensional wellbeing (Prilleltensky, 2015)
What is wellbeing?
Key Theories
– Ideal mental health (Jahoda, 1958)
– Psychological wellbeing (Ryff, 1996)
– Social wellbeing (Keyes, 1998)
– Subjective wellbeing (Diener, 2000)
– P.E.R.M.A. (Seligman, 2011)
– Wellbeing (Huppert & So, 2013)
– Multi-dimensional wellbeing (Prilleltensky, 2015)
What is wellbeing?
According to Dr. Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania, wellbeing involves:
1. Positive Emotion
2. Engagement
3. Relationships
4. Meaning
5. Accomplishment
P.E.R.M.A.
What is wellbeing? PERMA
1. Wellbeing involves positive emotions• Positive emotions can be defined
• e.g. joy, gratitude, serenity, contentment
• Positive emotions can be measuredPERMA-profiler (Kern & Butler, 2013)Optimism Test (Seligman, 1991)PANAS (Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988)Gratitude Survey (McCullough & Emmons, 2003)
• Positive emotions can be grown“Three good things” exercise“Gratitude letters
What is wellbeing? PERMA
2. Wellbeing involves engagement
• Engagement can be defined• Being absorbed, interested, involved
• Extreme engagement = FLOW
• Engagement can be measuredPERMA-profiler (Kern & Butler, 2013)
• Engagement can be grownUsing character strengths (Park et al., 2004)
What is wellbeing? PERMA
3. Wellbeing involves relationships
• Relationships can be defined• Feeling loved, supported, valued
• Loving, supporting, valuing others
• Relationships can be measuredPERMA-profiler (Kern & Butler, 2013)
• Relationships can be grownActive-constructive responding (Gable et al., 2004)
What is wellbeing? PERMA
4. Wellbeing involves meaning• Meaning can be defined
• Purpose, direction, connection beyond
• Meaning can be measuredPERMA-profiler (Kern & Butler, 2013)“Meaning in Life” survey (Steager et al., 2006)
• Meaning can be grownComposing positive visions for futureWriting obituaries through eyes of grandchildrenLeveraging character strengths on behalf of your community
What is wellbeing? PERMA
5. Wellbeing involves accomplishment
• Accomplishment can be defined• Achievement, mastery, competence
• Accomplishment can be measuredPERMA-profiler (Kern & Butler, 2013)
“Grit” scale (Duckworth et al., 2009)
“Growth mindset” scale (Dweck, 2008)
• Accomplishment can be grownSelf-discipline > IQ/talent
Resources
www.AuthenticHappiness.sas.upenn.edu
Resources
Group Brainstorm
Consider the state of the world. Poverty.Sanitation. Access to food. Access to water. Violence. Literacy. Life expectancy. Freedom. Equality.
a. The world is getting better
b. The world is getting worse
c. The world is staying about the same
Global Progress
• “Despite what we hear on the news, the great story of our era is that we are witnessing the greatest improvement in global living standards ever to take place.”
-Johan Norberg
Global Progress
• Food access, sanitation, life expectancy, income, peace, literacy, freedom, and equality have all steadily and massively improved over the past several hundred years.
• But so too has pessimism.
Progress: Global Wealth
Source: Maddison, 2003
Progress: Food
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 2003, 2015
Progress: Sanitation
Source: World Health Organization 1995, 2015
Progress: Life Expectancy
Source: Roser, 2016
Progress: Extreme Poverty
Source: Bourguignon and Morrisson, 2002; Cruz, Foster, Quillin, and Schellekens 2015
Progress: Violence
Source: Eisner, 2003
Progress: The Environment
Air Pollutant Reduction between 1980 2014
Volatile Organics -53%
Nitrogen Dioxide -55%
Direct Particle Matter -58%
Carbon Monoxide -69%
Sulfur Dioxide -81%
Lead -99%
Source: Environmental Protection Agency, 2016
Progress: Literacy
Source: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2014
Progress: Freedom
Source: Wikipedia, 2016
Progress: Equality
Source: Schermer, 2015
(my) Conclusion
Today is the greatest day in human history. Data suggests that tomorrow will be even better. What you do with this is up to you!