Positive PsychologyThe Science of Wellbeing

Instructor: Adam Siler

Group Brainstorm

What do you most want for your loved ones?

Course Overview

Class Topic Key Questions

Class #1 Overview What is positive psychology?

Class #2 Positive Interventions How do you define/measure/increase wellbeing?

Class #3 Positive Emotions How can you authentically change your mood?

Class #4 Engagement/Meaning What is your profile of character strengths?

Class #5 Resilience How can you think more optimistically?

Class #6 Positive Health How can meditation/exercise help you?

Brief History of Psychology

Psychology: scientific study of behavior & mental processes

Brief History of Psychology

Sigmund Freud• genius + nut

• right + wrong

• incalculable impact

• medical doctor

• secularized psychology

• invented “the unconscious”

• Invented “defense mechanisms”

• invented “talk therapy”

• invented “modern psychiatry”

Brief History of Psychology

How would Dr. Freud diagnose you?• You are basically bad

• You are crazier than you know

• Your mind has structure

• Your mind reacts predictably

• Your mind is full of conflict

• You can be helped scientifically

• You need psychoanalysis

• You need drug prescriptions

Brief History of Psychology

Therapy Approach #1 Therapy Approach #2

Combat disease by “putting out fires”

?

Brief History of Psychology

Therapy Approach #1 Therapy Approach #2

Combat disease by “putting out fires”

Promote health by “growing gardens”

Brief History of Psychology

“Wellbeing is more than the absence of disease .”

- Dr. Martin Seligman

Brief History of Psychology

“Psychology is half-baked, literally half-baked. We have baked the part about mental illness. We have baked the part about repair and damage. But the other side is unbaked. The side of strengths, the side of what we are good at, the side… of what makes life worth living.”

- Dr. Martin Seligman (1990)

What is positive psychology?

• Psychology: scientific study of behavior and mental processes

• Positive Psychology: scientific study of the behavior and mental processes associated with human flourishing

What is positive psychology?

Positive Psychology• A new discipline of psychology

• Still under construction

• Definition: scientific study of how to theoretically define, empirically measure, and practically grow wellbeing

• Definition: scientific study of the what and the how of positive experiences, positive traits, and positive institutions

• Definition: scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive

Comparative Analysis

Traditional PsychologyFocus on illbeing

PsychiatryPsychoanalysis

---Fight disease

Reduce sufferingIdentify problems

Positive PsychologyFocus on wellbeingUsing positive interventionsHumanistic therapy---Promote thrivingMake life worth livingIdentify strengths

Comparative Analysis

Traditional Psychology Positive Psychology

Comparative Analysis

Traditional Psychology Positive Psychology

Comparative Analysis

Traditional Psychology Positive Psychology

Topics in Traditional Psychology

1. History

2. Research methods

3. Psychobiology

4. Perception

5. Consciousness

6. Learning

7. Cognition

8. Emotion/Motivation

9. Development

10. Personality

11. Intelligence

12. Illbeing

13. Therapy for illbeing

14. Social psychology

Topics in Modern Psychology

1. History

2. Research methods

3. Psychobiology

4. Perception

5. Consciousness

6. Learning

7. Cognition

8. Emotion/Motivation

9. Development

10. Personality

11. Intelligence

12. Illbeing

13. Therapy for illbeing

14. Social psychology

15. Wellbeing

16. Positive interventions

What is wellbeing?

Key Theories

– Ideal mental health (Jahoda, 1958)

– Psychological wellbeing (Ryff, 1996)

– Social wellbeing (Keyes, 1998)

– Subjective wellbeing (Diener, 2000)

– P.E.R.M.A. (Seligman, 2011)

– Wellbeing (Huppert & So, 2013)

– Multi-dimensional wellbeing (Prilleltensky, 2015)

What is wellbeing?

Key Theories

– Ideal mental health (Jahoda, 1958)

– Psychological wellbeing (Ryff, 1996)

– Social wellbeing (Keyes, 1998)

– Subjective wellbeing (Diener, 2000)

– P.E.R.M.A. (Seligman, 2011)

– Wellbeing (Huppert & So, 2013)

– Multi-dimensional wellbeing (Prilleltensky, 2015)

What is wellbeing?

According to Dr. Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania, wellbeing involves:

1. Positive Emotion

2. Engagement

3. Relationships

4. Meaning

5. Accomplishment

P.E.R.M.A.

What is wellbeing? PERMA

1. Wellbeing involves positive emotions• Positive emotions can be defined

• e.g. joy, gratitude, serenity, contentment

• Positive emotions can be measuredPERMA-profiler (Kern & Butler, 2013)Optimism Test (Seligman, 1991)PANAS (Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988)Gratitude Survey (McCullough & Emmons, 2003)

• Positive emotions can be grown“Three good things” exercise“Gratitude letters

What is wellbeing? PERMA

2. Wellbeing involves engagement

• Engagement can be defined• Being absorbed, interested, involved

• Extreme engagement = FLOW

• Engagement can be measuredPERMA-profiler (Kern & Butler, 2013)

• Engagement can be grownUsing character strengths (Park et al., 2004)

What is wellbeing? PERMA

3. Wellbeing involves relationships

• Relationships can be defined• Feeling loved, supported, valued

• Loving, supporting, valuing others

• Relationships can be measuredPERMA-profiler (Kern & Butler, 2013)

• Relationships can be grownActive-constructive responding (Gable et al., 2004)

What is wellbeing? PERMA

4. Wellbeing involves meaning• Meaning can be defined

• Purpose, direction, connection beyond

• Meaning can be measuredPERMA-profiler (Kern & Butler, 2013)“Meaning in Life” survey (Steager et al., 2006)

• Meaning can be grownComposing positive visions for futureWriting obituaries through eyes of grandchildrenLeveraging character strengths on behalf of your community

What is wellbeing? PERMA

5. Wellbeing involves accomplishment

• Accomplishment can be defined• Achievement, mastery, competence

• Accomplishment can be measuredPERMA-profiler (Kern & Butler, 2013)

“Grit” scale (Duckworth et al., 2009)

“Growth mindset” scale (Dweck, 2008)

• Accomplishment can be grownSelf-discipline > IQ/talent

Resources

www.AuthenticHappiness.sas.upenn.edu

Resources

Resources

Adam Siler

804.310.7222

acsiler@gmail.com

www.ThePositiveEducator.com

Group Brainstorm

Consider the state of the world. Poverty.Sanitation. Access to food. Access to water. Violence. Literacy. Life expectancy. Freedom. Equality.

a. The world is getting better

b. The world is getting worse

c. The world is staying about the same

Global Progress

• “Despite what we hear on the news, the great story of our era is that we are witnessing the greatest improvement in global living standards ever to take place.”

-Johan Norberg

Global Progress

• Food access, sanitation, life expectancy, income, peace, literacy, freedom, and equality have all steadily and massively improved over the past several hundred years.

• But so too has pessimism.

Progress: Global Wealth

Source: Maddison, 2003

Progress: Food

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 2003, 2015

Progress: Sanitation

Source: World Health Organization 1995, 2015

Progress: Life Expectancy

Source: Roser, 2016

Progress: Extreme Poverty

Source: Bourguignon and Morrisson, 2002; Cruz, Foster, Quillin, and Schellekens 2015

Progress: Violence

Source: Eisner, 2003

Progress: The Environment

Air Pollutant Reduction between 1980 2014

Volatile Organics -53%

Nitrogen Dioxide -55%

Direct Particle Matter -58%

Carbon Monoxide -69%

Sulfur Dioxide -81%

Lead -99%

Source: Environmental Protection Agency, 2016

Progress: Literacy

Source: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2014

Progress: Freedom

Source: Wikipedia, 2016

Progress: Equality

Source: Schermer, 2015

(my) Conclusion

Today is the greatest day in human history. Data suggests that tomorrow will be even better. What you do with this is up to you!