Positive psychology describes the effects a positive attitude can have on one’s enjoyment of a situation, people, and life as whole. If one is able to find something good about every situation they encounter, then their overall life experience will be positive. It explains that one’s mindset determines the outcome of a situation, including how well they get along with people around them. Positive emotions are capable of changing not only one's outlook on life, but also their life as a whole. By viewing every situation in a positive way stress can be reduced, and both physical and mental discomfort will be limited.
Thinking positively has been studied and proven to help patients battling diseases, and going through physical therapy. These results are attributed to positive emotions ability to overcome negative emotions (Leading With Positive Emotions 1). By outlasting the effects of negative emotions positivity causes feelings of satisfaction and happiness. It also explains how these positive feelings can lead to a happier person who is content with their decisions, and is therefore successful.
Psychology is a field that is constantly evolving to incorporate discoveries within different fields. The study of positive emotions and how they relate to overall happiness is receiving more attention lately, because it was previously overshadowed by the study of mental disorders, due to lack of funding (Seligman 1379). They are also more difficult to study because the emotions that are considered positive are hard to distinguish from one another (The Value of Positive Emotions 330). Recently, more researchers have dedicated their lives to exploring what the definition of happiness is, what makes people happy, and how to allow other peop...
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...Positive Emotions: The Emerging Science of Positive Psychology Is Coming to Understand Why It's Good to Feel Good."American Scientist 91.4 (2003): 330-35. JSTOR. Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society. Web.
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the point where if someone is not happy 100 percent of the time, they are told to seek immediate help. But what is the point of having thousands of other emotionssadness, anger, and fearif a person is only supposed to feel one? Positive psychologists believe that instead of being sad or having neutral feelings, individuals should be happy. From another point of view, Susan David, author of “Don’t Worry Be Gloomy,” and Sharon Begley, author of “Happiness: Enough Already,” both agree that having “negative” emotions is not as defective as people portray them to be. Experiencing other emotions is just as important in life as happiness , and should not be shunned, because these emotions contribute to thinking clearly, encouraging perseverance, and, in the end, making people unintentionally happy.
Fredrickson, Barbara L. and Michael F. Losada. "Positive Affect and the Complex Dynamics of Human Flourishing." American Psychologist 60.7 (2005): 678-686. Web. 10 Jan. 2014.
A fair criticism of the first one hundred years of the science of psychology is that the emphasis has been on addressing what makes life unbearable-mental illness, anxiety, neurosis, stress and so on, as stressed by Sligman & Cziakzemtmihalyi, 2000; see also Jahoda, 1958. (Kaiser & Overfield, 2011) Positive Psychology focuses on the good that could possibly increase a person’s quality of life. Positive Psychology a growing utilization in the workplace. Thus the development of strength-based leadership.
Positive Psychology is the strengths and virtues a person or a community poses that lead to its optimal performance and allow it to thrive.This is a beneficial study that has the chance to improve the lives of many as well as preventing some negative situations. This review looks into what Positive Psychology is and how it impacts our lives. The sources I selected look into a broad overview of Positive Psychology, and it looks into deeper more specific aspects of Positive Psychology. This review has to lead me to believe that if we see ourselves and the future in a positive way it will have a positive effect on our lives.
By assessing the personal meaning of events, emotion comes up. What’s more, positive emotions have not only a role of marking happiness, but also a function to continue
At the end of the experiment I will complete the last two steps in the scientific process. I will analyze the data gained and will formulate a conclusion. I don’t think much research has been done of the effects of Positive Psychology on those people with a higher than average level of happiness, since the catalyst for this research came from the desire to augment pathological treatment for depression. It will be interesting to see the impact, if any, on my current level of happiness.
Humans gravitate towards safe, loving, and happy experiences. But sometimes it’s difficult to be positive, especially when experiences feel overwhelming. In recent years, there has been a lot of research conducted on regulating emotions. With these strategies, we can learn how to control our feelings. There are two types of strategies: savoring and dampening. Savoring is the idea of noticing and relishing experiences, hardwiring your brain to focus on positivity. Dampening, on the other hang, is the act of suppressing or down-regulating positive emotions, out of fear, shyness, or modesty. There are many ways to promote positive emotions, but the focus of this paper will be on the differing implementation strategies. While there’s consensus amongst scholarship that savoring and dampening are effective ways in influencing life satisfaction, the scholars differ in their approaches leading to their conclusions.
Nettle, D. (2005). Happiness: The science behind your smile. (First ed., pp. 1-6). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Snyder, C., & Lopez, S. J. (2003). Positive Psychological Assessment: A Handbook of Models and Measures. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
An individual 's happiness is vital to their overall wellbeing and is affected by numerous factors, all to varying extents.
Emotional health plays a hand in many parts of people’s lives. When you maintain good emotional health it can play an important role in your school, work, relationships and physical health. Researchers used to believe that our happiness came from being successful. To the contrary, research has since shown it is just the opposite. A person with a positive outlook is more likely to set goals and work towards them. People tend to attract people with a like-mined outlook and attitude, therefore a happy person is likely to be surrounded by other happy people. This creates a positive circle of support and healthy relationships. These are key building blocks of success. People with good emotional health have positive coping skills to deal
Gilbert, Dan." The surprising science of happiness." Ted Talks. Ted. Ted Talks, Monterey. 1 Feb. 2004. Lecture.
Real happiness is more than brief positive feelings but rather a lasting state of peace or contentedness. According to Reich, a former professor of psychology at Arizona State University, happiness is “deeper than a momentary good mood” (Reich). When ordinary happiness is experienced, Jacobsen, a professor in the Department
Peterson, C., (2006). A Primer in Positive Psychology New York, NY: Oxford University Press; available from [Book]. Retrieved on 3 March 2014