Positive Psychology. By Theresa Lowry-Lehnen. Lecturer of Psychology
RGN, BSc (Hon’s) Nursing Science, PGCC, Dip Counselling, Dip Psychotherapy,
BSc (Hon’s) Clinical Science, PGCE (QTS), H. Dip. Ed, MEd
PhD student Health Psychology
Positive psychology is one of the newest branches
of psychology to emerge.
While many branches of psychology tend to focus
on dysfunction and abnormal behaviour, positive
psychology is centred on helping people become
Over the last ten years or so, general interest in
positive psychology has grown.
Today, more and more people are searching for
how they can become more fulfilled and achieve
their full potential.
Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
describe positive psychology in the following
"We believe that a psychology of positive
human functioning will arise that achieves
a scientific understanding and effective
interventions to build thriving
individuals, families, and communities."
“Science of positive subjective
experience, positive individual traits &
positive institutions which promises to
improve quality of life & prevent pathologies
that arise” (O’Brien, 2011, 73)
Study well adjusted people & develop these
traits – promote abilities and skills through
opportunities and support.
In a 2008 article published
by Psychology Today, Christopher
cautions, however, that
Peterson, author of A Primer in
positive psychology does
Positive Psychology and professor at
not involve ignoring the
the University of Michigan, notes that
very real problems that
it is essential to understand what
people face and that
positive psychology is as well as what
other areas of
it is not.
psychology strive to
"Positive psychology is ... a call for
treat. "The value of
psychological science and practice to
positive psychology is to
be as concerned with strength as with
complement and extend
weakness; as interested in building
the best things in life as in repairing
psychology that has
the worst; and as concerned with
been dominant for many
making the lives of normal people
decades," he explains.
fulfilling as with healing pathology,"
Positive psychology can have a range of real-world
applications in areas including
education, therapy, self-help, stress management
and workplace issues.
Using strategies from positive
psychology, teachers, coaches, therapists and
employers can motivate others and help individuals
understand and develop their personal strengths.
Family centred positive psychology
Positive institutions and policies
The term “positive psychology” is a broad
one, encompassing a variety of techniques that
encourage people to identify and further develop their
own positive emotions, experiences, and character
In many ways, positive psychology builds on key
tenets of humanistic psychology.
Carl Rogers’ client-centred therapy, for example, was
based on the theory that people could improve their
lives by expressing their authentic selves.
Abraham Maslow identified traits of self-actualized
people that are similar to the character strengths
identified and used in some positive psychology
To counter the traditional focus on pathology, Seligman
and another psychologist, Christopher Peterson, have
formalized the tenets of positive psychology in a
book, Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and
Classification (CSV), which they created as a counterpoint
to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Just as the DSM classifies a range of psychiatric
disorders, the CSV provides details and classifications for
various strengths that enable people to thrive. The book
identifies 24 character strengths, like curiosity and
zest, organized according to six overarching virtues, such
as wisdom and courage.
C. R. Snyder
Major Topics in Positive
Character strengths and
As its name implies, well-being therapy tries to promote
recovery by having a client focus on and promote the
positive, as well as alleviating negative aspects of life.
Developed by Giovanni Fava at the University of Bologna in
Italy, well-being therapy is based in large part on the work of
psychologist Carol Ryff and her multidimensional model of
subjective well-being. Ryff’s model consists of six tenets:
mastery of the environment
purpose in life
In practical terms, well-being therapy is much like
cognitive behavioural therapy. A client keeps a
journal to keep track of and recognize the positive
events that occur each day. Next the client starts
recognizing negative thoughts and beliefs that
distract from or disrupt positive events.
The ultimate goal is to challenge and eventually
change negative ways of thinking, to enable
positive events to have more of an impact on the
Seligman and colleagues at the University of
Pennsylvania developed positive
psychotherapy as a way to treat depression
by building positive emotions, character
strengths, and sense of meaning, not just by
reducing negative symptoms such as
sadness. This therapy uses a combination of
12 exercises (such as the following) that can
be practiced individually or in groups.
Using your signature strengths. Identify your top five
strengths and try to use them in some new way daily.
Three good things. Every evening, write down three
good things that happened that day and think about
why they happened.
Gratitude visit. Write a letter to someone explaining
why you feel grateful for something they’ve done or
said. Read the letter to the recipient, either in person
or over the phone.
This is one of the few forms of positive psychotherapy
that has been tested in a randomized controlled trial.
The study found that some exercises are more
beneficial than others
Psychologist Carol Kauffman, director of the Coaching and
Positive Psychology Initiative at Harvard’s McLean
Hospital, discussed four techniques for integrating the
principles of positive psychology into more traditional types
of individual or group therapy.
1)Reverse the focus from negative to positive. Most
people tend to dwell on negative events or emotions and
ignore the positive ones — and therapy can encourage this.
One way to reverse the focus is to use techniques aimed at
shifting attention to more positive aspects of life. For
example, take a mental spotlight each night and scan over
the events of the day, thinking about what went right.
Another tip is to compile “I did it” lists instead of only writing
down what needs to be done.
2)Develop a language of strength. Therapists and
patients often talk about pain, conflict, and anger.
Although these are all aspects of life, it may be harder
for people to talk about or even identify more positive
qualities and personal strengths.
Kauffman and other positive psychology practitioners
often use strength coaching while advising patients.
Just as an athlete exercises certain muscles to become
stronger, the theory is that people who use their
strengths regularly will function better in life. To boost
mental facility, Kauffman recommends that people
identify one top strength and then use it at least once
3)Balance the positive and negative. It’s also important for
people to identify and foster the positive for themselves and
others in order to provide a balance to the negative.
4) Build strategies that foster hope. Finding ways to foster
hope in someone may increase that person’s ability to deal
with adversity and overcome a challenge. One way to
cultivate hope is to reduce the scope of the problem —
perhaps by breaking it down into components that can be
tackled one at a time. Another way is to identify skills and
coping mechanisms that would enable someone to
overcome a particular challenge, and then provide a way to
People are generally happy.
Money doesn't necessarily buy well-being; but spending
money on other people can make individuals happier.
Some of the best ways to combat disappointments and
setbacks include strong social relationships and character
Work can be important to well-being, especially when
people are able to engage in work that is purposeful and
While happiness is influenced by genetics, people can
learn to be happier by developing optimism, gratitude
Positive psychology focuses on positive emotions
and personal strengths.
It can complement rather than replace traditional
Studies evaluating outcomes of interventions using
positive psychology have mostly been small and
Proponents of positive psychology tend to cite
studies showing that optimistic or happy people
are healthier, more successful, and live longer than
Critics counter that people may have inborn
temperaments that function a bit like setpoints, and that interventions aimed at making
them happier will only work for a limited time.
Eventually, the critics claim, people return to their
baseline level of happiness.
A 2005 review of the studies published about
positive psychology interventions found that only
one involved people with clinical depression — and
that study was small, and the intervention was not
tested against a control.
The new era of Positive Psychology
Donaldson, S. I. (2011) Applied Positive
Psychology: Improving Everyday
Life, Health, Schools, Work and Society.
Hefferon, K., & Boniwell, I. (2011). Positive
Psychology. Berkshire: Open University Press.
Martin Selligman : The new era of Positive