Positive Psychology is the scientific study of human flourishing, and an applied approach to optimal functioning. It has also been defined as the study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals, communities and organisations to thrive. (What Is Positive Psychology) Unfortunately, people can often be confused about the true characterization of positive psychology. Some even do not recognize positive psychology as not a “real” branch of psychology at all, because they misinterpret the definition. Most critics believe the followers of positive psychology are just a bunch of optimists who ignore all negative aspects, but as Robert Biswas-Diener, a well-known positive psychologist, said, “Positive Psychology is not a self-help movement …show more content…
As positive psychology began to be more thoroughly researched, studies showed that “positive emotions do more than simply feel good in the present. The undoing effect suggests that positive emotions can reduce the physiological "damage" on the cardiovascular system obtained by feeling negative emotions. But some other research suggests that there 's more to it than that. It appears that experiencing positive emotions increases the likelihood that one will feel good in the future”(Fredrickson). It is known that when stressed, depressed, angry, etc. the body physiologically reacts with a weaker immune system, unhealthy levels of blood pressure, quickening heart rate, adverse affects on the body. Thinking and feeling positive helps reduce those effects and even promotes better health for the future. With the help of positive psychologists, the public can benefit from this newly founded positively driven research. It has already reached hospitals and real patients. “A recent study by Dr. Gretchen A. Bernes of the University of North Carolina (USA) has said that an arthritic patient with a positive frame of mind is likely to suffer less pain than a patient who is pessimistic. The study covered 480 patients aged 65 and above who were suffering from arthritis. It concluded that people with positive attitude were more positive in performing their daily chores like walking, lifting objects, climbing stairs and getting in and out of the car. On the other hand negative personalities were more susceptible to pain” (Tapping the Power of Positive Thinking). This study shows that there is a real physical correlation between mindset and pain. And, that is just one of the numerous studies taken with the driving force of positive psychology. The power of positive thinking is nearly limitless. Just as positive psychology is a beginning itself, it’s a beginning for
Barbara Ehrenreich is the author of the speech “Smile or Die,” she uses this speech to inform her listeners about the ideology of mandatory positive thinking and how it is not always the answer. Ehrenreich talks about what people are forced to learn and how they are forced to think: if they want something bad enough, no matter what that thing may be, that wishing for it and having a positive attitude will put it in their possession. Wanting something bad enough is all it supposedly takes, yet Ehrenreich has an opposite perspective and she educates her audience on her opinion of “thinking positively” using her own personal experiences such as cancer, background knowledge and real-life examples. She wants people to understand that being positive
If someone thinks negatively towards something the outcome will not be good, and vice versa. Thinking you can achieve the American dream is a major key in doing so, and some Americans are already on the right track. In the U.S., a survey showed that 36 percent of Americans say they have achieved the dream, and another 46 percent believe they are on the path of achieving it. It is not so easy, though, to always look on the bright side. Sometimes it seems as if nothing is going right; that is when negativity occurs. People can argue that mindset has little impact on the outcome, or that it does not matter how positive a person is because some things are just not meant to be. An article, however, proves this wrong. The paper argues how negative emotions prevent humans from flourishing; it also states, “if your ratio of positive to negative emotions is greater than 2.9013 to one, you will flourish both physically and psychologically.” If a person believes in themselves, they are more likely to accomplish their
To understand positive psychology and trauma, one must first understand what each term means. First, positive psychology is the study and focus on the best in human behavior. It is a fairly new perspective being observed and used by psychologists from all over the world. The goal of positive psychology is to study and promote conditions that can help people achieve happy, healthy, and productive lifestyles. It is derived from research and theories from many areas of psychology and tying them together while focusing on the positive aspects of human behavior.
He believes the right mindset is the key to having a healthy and happy life. This article includes studies that support my claim that positive thinking will lead to a happier
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.
4) How this relates to the real world: This relates to the real world because positive and negative behaviors are displayed by terms of words and actions everywhere around us on a daily basis. After reading this article, I believe the mood maintenance hypothesis has a tighter grip on positive people. Expressing positive behavioral actions and words can change someone’s day. However, I believe using empathy is one of the strongest and most influential strategies to extinguish negativity. Empathizing with another person means to express a genuine care and share that persons state of mind, thus having a strong impact on that particular individuals feelings.
“Seligman (1998) noted positive psychology’s focus is to make the lives of all people rewarding and to build positive experiences”(Costello & Stone, 2012). His concern and main focus was to train and support staff, faculty, and administrators of positive psychology approaches and overall, helping their students grow as learn...
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.
Wong, P. T. (2011). Positive psychology 2.0: Towards a balanced interactive model of the good life. What to do about the negative?, 52(2), 69-70.
In the United States 20% of the adult population report that they are living a flourishing life (Keyes, 2002). However, a high percentage reports feeling as if they are ‘‘stuck’’ or ‘‘want more’’ and are yet not diagnosable with a mental disorder (Fredrickson, 2008). Because happiness has been found to be the source of many desirable life outcomes e.g. career success, marriage, and health, it is of importance to understand, how languishing individuals can reach this ideal state: How can well-being be enhanced and misery reduced (Lyubomirsky, King, & Diener, 2005). Over the past decade, research in the field of positive psychology has emerged to provide evidence-based methods to increase an individual’s psychological well-being, through so called positive psychology interventions (PPI’s). PPI’s are treatment methods or intentional activities used to promote positive feelings or behaviour. PPI’s vary from writing gratitude letters, practicing optimistic thinking and replaying positive experiences. A meta-analysis of 51 independent PPI studies demonstrated significant results in the effectiveness of PPI’s increasing well-being (49 studies; r = .29) (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).
Whether an individual has positive or negative attitude is not a major contributor to their happiness and a realistic attitude would be ideal for those trying to increase their
B. Cade Massey once said, “It 's gotten to the point where people really feel pressure to think and talk in an optimistic way” (Massey). Optimism is generally seen as healthy, while pessimism is generally seen as dangerous. The difference between optimism and pessimism is a difference in perspective and mindset. An optimist has a positive perspective and cheerful mindset, while a pessimist has a negative perspective and a gloomy mindset. There are consequences to both perspectives. But which has better consequences for one’s health? Assuming that it is moderated, pessimism is healthy for a person’s well-being. Pessimism is more realistic than optimism because it prepares people for an unpredictable and possibly negative life. Pessimism is also better for expectations compared to future surprises. Pessimists are either proven right or pleasantly surprised. Pessimism is a healthier mindset to have than optimism.
Naseem, Z., & Khalid, R. (2010). Positive Thinking in Coping with Stress and Health outcomes: Literature Review. Journal of Research & Reflections in Education (JRRE), 4(1), 42-61.
Mental health means much more than the absence of mental illness. When we talk about happiness, peace of mind, joy or satisfaction, we actually mean mental health. Mental health is a part of our life, it means how people understand family, school, work, play, a community with their peers.
These phycologists have wondered if there are more optimist or pessimists in the world. They have made an attempt to find out what approach is greater or better. There are some advantages to optimism because it makes people feel better about life, however, there are also some advantages to pessimism in that looking at the unfortunate side of things can help some pessimists cope better with the world. Both optimism and pessimism have important roles to play the lives of everybody. Being optimist permits people to go after their goals in a positive way, to dream bigger and better dreams, which they can strive to work towards. Optimist also tend to respond better to positive feedback, and a part of being an optimist may be producing this feedback for themselves, example, thinking positive thoughts. While on the other hand, being pessimistic may help people to better acknowledge negative feedback and reduce their natural anxiety to perform better. Once again, part of the reason why pessimist generates negative thoughts is that it helps them perform a lot better. People tend to utilize both optimism and pessimism in order for them gain out of their advantages. People who are mainly concerned with growth or advancement often manifest an optimistic view, whereas those who are concerned with safety and security, or avoiding negative outcomes, focus more on pessimism in order to improve their