Positive psychology is the scientific study of the conditions and processes that contribute to positive psychological states such as contentment and joy, well-being, positive relationships and positive institutions. Martin Seligman established it as a distinct field in 1998 when he made it the theme of his term as president of the American Psychological Association, seeking to redirect a discipline he judged had been consumed for half a century with mental illness alone toward human flourishing and resilience.
Facts
Central QuestionWhat conditions and processes allow individuals and institutions to flourish, rather than merely to avoid or treat psychological dysfunction? 1 Founded Year Still Active FAQs
Is positive psychology just the study of being happy?
No, it covers well-being, relationships and institutions more broadly.
Positive psychology is the scientific study of the conditions and processes behind well-being, positive relationships and positive institutions, not simply the pursuit of happiness. Critics have warned that an unbalanced application of the field's findings can distort into an unhelpful insistence on relentless positivity.
Connections
Associated With
Founded By
Named president of the American Psychological Association in 1998, when he made positive psychology the theme of his presidential term.
Source Wikipedia: Martin Seligman
In Branch
Positive psychology emerged in reaction to clinical psychology's historic focus on pathology and treatment, and much of its early research base was clinical.
Source Wikipedia: Positive Psychology
Open Questions
Source Wikipedia: Positive Psychology
School Theories
Source Wikipedia: Flow (psychology)
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Positive Psychology
Wikimedia FoundationIntroduction and history
Positive psychology began as a new domain of psychology in 1998 when Martin Seligman chose it as the theme for his term as president of the American Psychological Association.
Introduction
It is a reaction against past practices that tended to focus on mental illness and emphasized maladaptive behavior and negative thinking.
History section
The positive psychology movement was first founded in 1998 by Martin Seligman.
- In Category: Schools and Movements
Open Questions: Does positive psychology's model of human flourishing generalize beyond individualistic Western societies, or does it primarily reflect a culturally specific view of well-being?, Cultural sensitivity section
Another review of PPIs found that over 78% of intervention studies were conducted in Western countries.
2. OpenStax: Psychology 2e: 14.5 The Pursuit of Happiness
OpenStaxSection: Positive psychologyQuote, Section: Positive psychology
In deliberately setting out to create a new direction and new orientation for psychology, Seligman helped establish a growing movement and field of research called positive psychology (Compton, 2005).
Wikipedia: Martin Seligman
WikipediaFounded By: Martin Seligman, leadQuote, Founded By: Martin Seligman, lead
Seligman is a strong promoter within the scientific community of his theories of well-being and positive psychology.
Wikipedia: Flow (psychology)
Wikimedia FoundationSchool Theories: Flow, Article textQuote, School Theories: Flow, Article text
Flow in positive psychology, also known colloquially as being in the zone or focused, is the mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.
Open Questions (1 open question)
Does positive psychology's model of human flourishing generalize beyond individualistic Western societies, or does it primarily reflect a culturally specific view of well-being?
Positive psychology has been criticized for underrepresenting non-Western perspectives and for accessibility limitations in its research base, raising doubt about whether its account of well-being and flourishing holds outside the individualistic Western societies where most of its research was conducted.
What would resolve this Controlled cross-cultural studies testing whether positive psychology's well-being interventions and flourishing constructs replicate in collectivist and non-Western contexts.
Cross-cultural psychologyWikipedia: Positive Psychology
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