Schools and Movements
Positive Psychology
Citation Formats
General Reference
APA Style
BibTeX
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 Cross-Tradition 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.
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.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Positive Psychology
Wikimedia FoundationIntroduction and historyQuote, Introduction 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.
1. Wikipedia: Positive Psychology
Wikimedia FoundationIntroductionQuote, Introduction
It is a reaction against past practices that tended to focus on mental illness and emphasized maladaptive behavior and negative thinking.
1. Wikipedia: Positive Psychology
Wikimedia FoundationHistory sectionQuote, History section
The positive psychology movement was first founded in 1998 by Martin Seligman.
1. Wikipedia: Positive Psychology
Wikimedia FoundationIn Category: Schools and Movements
1. Wikipedia: Positive Psychology
Wikimedia FoundationOpen 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 sectionQuote, 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.
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.
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
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.