Positive Psychology: The Scientific Study Of Well-Being
Positive Psychology is a recently developed branch of psychology that turns away from the focus of the treatment of mental illness, which is so common amongst most branches of applied psychology, and instead shifts its interests on what makes individuals and communities as a whole thrive and live happily.
It first began through the developed theories and practices of humanistic psychologists such as Abraham Marslow, who is famous for his theory on the hierarchy of needs (1943), Carl Rogers, and Erich Fromm. But the Positive Psychology branch really got its start in 1998 when Martin Seligman chose it as the theme of his presidential term at the American Psychological Association. Seligman has been previously known for his work on the theory of “learned helplessness”, and is now the current director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania (which offers a compact one-year Masters in Applied Positive Psychology for professionals in the domain of psychology, education, business, health, life-coaching, and research).
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Positive psychologists research interests include:
1. Research into the Pleasant Life, or the “life of enjoyment”, examines how people optimally experience, forecast, and savor the positive feelings and emotions that are part of normal and healthy living (e.g. relationships, hobbies, interests, entertainment, etc.).
2. The study of the Good Life, or the “life of engagement”, investigates the beneficial affects of immersion, absorption, and flow that individuals feel when optimally engaged with their primary activities. These states are experienced when there is a positive match between a person’s strength and the task they are doing, i.e. when they feel confident that they can accomplish the tasks they face.
3. Inquiry into the Meaningful Life, or “life of affiliation”, questions how individuals derive a positive sense of well-being, belonging, meaning, and purpose from being part of and contributing back to something larger and more permanent than themselves (e.g. nature, social groups, organizations, movements, traditions, belief systems).
THEORIES OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
Positive psychologists have theorized three main components to building positive experiences: mindfulness, flow, and spirituality.
Positive psychologists characterize mindfulness using terms such as non-judging, non-striving, accepting, patient, trusting, open, letting go, gentle, generous, empathetic, grateful, and kind. Researchers believe mindfulness can lead to physical and mental health benefits including reduction of stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain.
Flow is often referred to as state of absorption, and can be characterized as intense focus, concentration, loss of self-awareness, a feeling of control and the sensation of time distortion. Flow is considered a rewarding experience to have and has also been shown to optimize skillful performance and achieving one’s goals. The concept of “flow” was first proposed by Hungarian psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi (who now teaches at Claremonte University in California, which also offers graduate degrees in applied Positive Psychology). Colloquial terms for flow include: “in the zone,” “on the ball,” and “in the groove.” The concept is comparable to the Buddhist notion of jhāna meaning “states of absorption”, or samadhi, a technical term for a high level of concentration where the subject “becomes one” with the object of attention (leading to the loss of self-awareness).
Csíkszentmihályi identifies the following nine factors as accompanying an experience of flow:
1. Clear goals (expectations and rules are discernible and goals are attainable and align appropriately with one’s skill set and abilities). Moreover, the challenge level and skill level should both be high.
2. Concentrating and focusing, a high degree of concentration on a limited field of attention (a person engaged in the activity will have the opportunity to focus and to delve deeply into it).
3. A loss of the feeling of self-consciousness, the merging of action and awareness.
4. Distorted sense of time, one’s subjective experience of time is altered.
5. Direct and immediate feedback (successes and failures in the course of the activity are apparent, so that behavior can be adjusted as needed).
6. Balance between ability level and challenge (the activity is neither too easy nor too difficult).
7. A sense of personal control over the situation or activity.
8. The activity is intrinsically rewarding, so there is an effortlessness of action.
9. People become absorbed in their activity, and focus of awareness is narrowed down to the activity itself, action awareness merging.
Not all are needed for flow to be experienced.
The research into the benefits of spirituality amongst positive psychologists has shown that more spiritual adept individuals are more likely to find purpose and meaning in life, which has been suggested as a great motivational tool for achieving one’s aspirations. Positive psychologists also use the concepts of spirituality to evoke ecological well-being and get individuals to consider there important relationship with the world and universe as a whole. Positive psychologists have also suggested integrating theories of self-efficacy, learned optimism, and hope in order for individuals to build more positive futures for themselves and others.
APPLICATIONS OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
Despite the growing amount of empirical research done under the guise of positive psychology, the field is largely an applied science.
Much like the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in general psychology, positive psychologist developed something known as a Character Strength and Virtues (CSM) manual. Positive psychologists challenge the beliefs in moral relativism and instead promote the idea that man has an intrinsic and biological disposition toward certain moral virtues.
Positive psychologist acknowledge six main virtues in the cultivation of happiness:
1. Wisdom and Knowledge: creativity, curiosity, open-mindedness, love of learning, perspective
2. Courage: bravery, persistence, integrity, vitality
3. Humanity: love, kindness, social intelligence
4. Justice: citizenship, fairness, leadership
5. Temperance: forgiveness and mercy, humility, prudence, self control
6. Transcendence: appreciation of beauty and excellence, gratitude, hope, humor, spirituality
These principles of positive psychology have been applied to numerous settings: mental health, efficiency in the workplace, personal development, education and learning, skill-building, achieving goals, and finding meaning and purpose in one’s life. Anyone from businessmen to clinical psychologists to teachers to spiritual gurus to sports coaches can apply the principles of positive psychology towards their lives.
FUTURE OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
Positive psychology at first focused on achieving excellence and happiness in the individual. It is still very much about the individual, but it is also now slowly taking an ecological approach. Positive psychologists are now asking questions on how this research can affect economic and governmental policy.
Dr. Ed Deiner at Claremont University says instead of just using GDP to measure economic growth, why don’t we measure the actual happiness and well-being of individuals? All this emphasis on material economic growth seems to have clouded the picture on how we should use our knowledge to benefit the psychological well-being of humanity as well. Dr. Deiner gives one example of how recent research has showed that increasing “green space” in a town (public space dedicated to flowers, plants and nature) has shown to increase the level of happiness in a community. What other implications does this research have on improving society as a whole? Perhaps the lessons of positive psychology could raise the awareness of individuals to take better care of the environment as well as our fellow human beings. Positive psychology, in a way, is becoming an interdisciplinary science between morality, economics, psychology and spirituality. In which, backed by empirical evidence, we are learning how we can improve our own happiness as well as others.
LEARN MORE ABOUT POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
The first time I heard about positive psychology was when I saw Martin Seligman’s talk at the February 2004 TED Conference. After viewing, I was immediately inspired by the fresh direction positive psychology was going in relation to other fields of psychology. In the words of Abraham Maslow, who preferred studying those in the ranks of Albert Einstein, Jane Addams and Eleanor Roosevelt rather than “mentally ill” or “neurotic” people: “the study of crippled, stunted, immature, and unhealthy specimens can yield only a cripple psychology and a cripple philosophy.” Thus, like Maslow, I prefer the psychological study of humans as a being of excellence, rather than a being that is in constant need of fixing and repairing. This doesn’t mean I discount the existence of mental illness, only that I do not think it should be the only pursuit of psychology.
A good database of publications and videos on positive psychology can be found at the website for the University of Pennsylvania’s Positive Psychology Center.
Also, a Youtube search for “Positive Psychology” yields some good results, including interviews with some of the leading researchers in the field.
Stay happy.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Wow,
A really interesting article. I have never heard of positive psychology before so thank you for enlightening me.
It is wonderful to hear that spirituality, mindfulness and flow are such a part of this.
I spent several years learning mindfulness in a Buddhist monastery and found that it had such an amazing and powerful effect on me. I realized I could be happy in the moment instead of always striving for something more.
Thank you for your time and shining your light.
Be well,
Piers
November 27th, 2009 at 6:44 am
As the saying goes – there’s more to wellbeing than the absence of illbeing…
Thanks