Module 1: Nature and Scope of Positive Psychology

Defining Positive Psychology

Definition: Scientific study of optimal human functioning [that] aims to discover and
promote the factors that allow individuals and communities to thrive’ (Seligman &
Csikszentmihalyi, 2000).
• Psychology has more often than not emphasized the shortcomings of individuals rather
than their potentials. This particular approach focuses on the potentials
• In short, positive psychology is concerned not with how to transform, for example, –8 to –
2 but with how to bring +2 to +8.
Three levels of positive psychology:
• The subjective level includes the study of positive experiences such as joy, well-being,
satisfaction, contentment, happiness, optimism and flow.
• At the individual level, the aim is to identify the constituents of the ‘good life’ and the
personal qualities that are necessary for being a ‘good person’, through studying human
strengths and virtues, future mindedness, capacity for love, courage, perseverance,
forgiveness, originality, wisdom, interpersonal skills and giftedness.
• Finally, at the group or community level, the emphasis is on civic virtues, social
responsibilities, nurturance, altruism, civility, tolerance, work ethics, positive institutions
and other factors that contribute to the development of citizenship and communities and
reaching beyond oneself.
History of Positive Psychology
• Positive psychology has existed since early ages within culture in the form of traditions,
teachings, scriptures, rituals etc.
• Old writings of Aristotle on virtues, what it means to live a good life, eudemonic happiness
etc. are some examples of positive psychology presence in ancient ages.
• Maslow’s lamentation- “The science of psychology has been far more successful on the
negative than on the positive side. It has revealed to us much about man’s shortcomings, his
illness, his sins, but little about his potentialities, his virtues, his achievable aspirations, or his
full psychological height. It is as if psychology has voluntarily restricted itself to only half its
rightful jurisdiction, and that, the darker, meaner half. ”
• Positive psychology as we know it today was inaugurated with Martin E. P. Seligman’s
Presidential Address delivered to the 107th Annual Convention of the American
Psychological Association in Boston, Massachusetts, on August 21, 1999 Seligman proposed
to his audience that psychology had largely neglected the latter two of its three pre-World
War II missions: curing mental illness, helping all people to lead more productive and
fulfilling lives, and identifying and nurturing high talent.
• Many European and American conferences, seminar, and conventions took place after this
which helped in transmitting this positive psychology movement across the world.
• Some of the major publications includes the Handbook of Positive Psychology, edited by C.
R. Snyder and Shane J. Lopez. Subsequently many research journals and psychological tools
also developed.
Scope of Positive Psychology
• Education: Positive psychology is a part of Bachelor’s and master’s degree curriculum in
many Indian universities. It is also a part of the curriculum of PG Diploma in counselling and
guidance courses across the country. As the field is research intense, it is not the part of
school curriculums in India.
• Employment: Positive psychology is now being increasingly applied in different domains,
the most notable of which are one-to-one work with clients, education, and business.
 Clients: Coach, especially life coach. Therapy uses retroactive aspects while coaching
uses proactive aspects. Boniwell (2007) explained the technique of personal consulting
(authentic listening, rebalancing, generating, supporting). According to Kaufman,
positive psychological coaching uses three aspectsidentify assets and capabilities, find
out what’s going on well in order to build on it, increase positive performance and
wellbeing.
 Education: School counsellors work with adolescents and children. Strength based
developments, emotional intelligence, resilience, wellbeing.
 Business: Henry (2004) gave practices and interventions of positive organization- job
variety, intrinsic motivation, confidence, creativity, strengths work, team building, meta
perspective, flow, participatory work practice, open climate.
Eastern and Western Perspective of Positive Psychology
Western:
1. Athenian: Aristotle (expanded on Plato’s virtue) 11 moral virtues. Aristotle and Plato
also emphasized the influence the political community, termed polis, has on the
development and maintenance of these virtues.
2. Judeo-Christian: The Bible contains discussions of virtues in many chapters and
verses in Christianity. The Ten Commandments given by Moses in the Old Testament
in Jewish tradition.
3. Islam: Islam incorporates many virtues recognizable in other philosophical traditions
and categorizes them as moral obligations.
Eastern:
1. Buddhism: In the Buddhist philosophy, Nirvana is a state in which the self is freed
from desire for anything. Buddhists speak of the Brahma Viharas, those virtues that
are above all others in importance.
 2. Hinduism: The quest of one’s life is to attain ultimate self-knowledge and to strive
for ultimate self-betterment. The concept of karma, reincarnation, harmonious
union and interconnectedness of things.
Research Approaches in Positive Psychology
Helwig et al. 2020: Positive Psychology used less experimental and laboratory studies and
more self-assessment measures. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies as well as the
simple inferential statistics as the most commonly used technique for analysing data.
Conceptual models:
 Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological model: microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem,
and macro system.
 Positive psychology indicators: personal strengths of interest (i.e., physical,
cognitive, or socialemotional).
 3 types of research in child-focused positive psychology: measurement, basic
science, and applied research.