Welcome to my Presentation

OnPositive Psychology: Science of Valuing

three fourth Quadrants

Three Quadrants attended

Starting point of POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

“Half the century clinical psychology has been consumed by a single topic only - mental illness"

Seligman

Echoing Maslow’s comments (Motivation and Personality, 1954).

Seligman urged psychologists to continue the earlier missions of psychology of nurturing talent and improving normal life.

TWO APPROACHES TO IMPROVE HUMAN CONDITION

a)To relieve from what is NEGATIVE

The mainstream Psychology

b) To strengthen what is POSITIVE

The Positive Psychology

Positive Psychology Defined

Positive psychology is the scientific study of what enables individuals and communities to thrive" –

International Positive Psychology Association.

ExponentsMartin SeligmanAmerican Psycho. Prof.DirectorPositive Psychology

Center Uni. of Pennsylvania

Mihaly Csikeszentmihalyi

Hungarian Psycho. Prof. Claremont Graduate Uni. U S A

Premise People want to lead

meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play.

Eventually Positive Psychology

The first positive psychology summit, 1999.

The First International Conference on

Positive Psychology, 2002.

In 2006, a course on Positive Psychology

introduced at Harvard University.

In June 2009, First World Congress on

Positive Psychology.

RootsHumanistic psychologists—such as Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, and Erich Fromm—developed theories and practices that involved human happiness. Empirical support from studies by positive psychologists directed to

Find and nurture genius and talentMake normal life more fulfilling Ensure well-being of man kind.Complement, not to replace traditional

psychology.

More Support “We see what we look

for and we miss much of what we are not looking for even though it is there... Our experience of the world is heavily influenced by where we place our attention.”

Stavros and Torres

CONCERNSStrength as with

weakness Building the best things

in life as inRepairing the worst Making the lives of

normal people fulfilling as with healing pathology

Seligman, 2007

Operational DimensionsIdentifying

positive emotions,

positive individual

traits, and

positive

institutions

Identification of Positive EmotionsContentment

with the past, Happiness in the

present, and Hope for the

future

Identification of Positive Traits

strengths and virtues, such as the capacity for love and work, courage, compassion, resilience, creativity, curiosity, integrity, self-knowledge, moderation, self-control, and wisdom

Understanding positive institutions

Entails the study of the strengths that foster better communities, such as justice, responsibility, civility, parenting, nurturance, work ethic, leadership, teamwork, purpose, and tolerance

Talents to Strengths to VirtuesTalent more innate, non-moral and can be

wasted, but when refined with knowledge and skills form basis of strengths.

A strength is a natural capacity for behaving, thinking, or feeling in a way that allows optimal functioning and

performance in the pursuit of valued outcomes

(Linley & Harrington, 2006)

Strengths when guided for GOOD turn in to VIRTUES

Virtues and Happiness “What is the highest of all goals

achievable by actions?...both the general run of man and people of superior refinement say it is happiness…but with regard to what happiness is, they differ.”

Aristotle, Nicomachean, Ethics

Book 1, Chapter 4

Happiness

The 3 ‘happy’ lives The pleasant life - positive emotion & the skills to amplify it. Pleasure, enjoying life, hobbies,

relationships, etc..The good life - engagement, absorption, ‘flow’

confidence and satisfaction accomplishing tasks The meaningful life – using your strengths in the service of something greater than yourself

contributing to something bigger. (Martin Seligman,

2003)

Positive Psychology Techniques

• Using signature strengths in a new way• Three good things in life• Three things that went well each day along

with their causes• Gratitude Visit• Write a letter of gratitude and then deliver it.• You at your best• Write about a time at your best, review once

a day for a weekSeligman, Stein, Park, &

Peterson 2005

More TechniquesExercises to increase positive

feelings, engagement, & meaning:performing acts of kindnessPlan pleasurable activities with

savoring Counting one’s blessings-

blessings journalUsing talents and/or signature

strengths in novel ways3 doors that closed and 3 doors

that then opened

Still More Techniques• find a challenging

hobby

• performing secret good

deeds

• writing one’s own

legacy

• working for a valued

institution

Education and Positive PsychologyBeing Virtuous is the real Education

which is endorsed by Positive Psychology.

Diversity is beauty of Educational canvass Positive Psychology provides the space.

Education essentially should promote Happiness, Positive Psychology keeps it as Focus of operations.

Education believes no learner is hopeless, Positive Psychology provides hope for low performers.

Let's use mind in pursuit of happiness and good life

Embrace the POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

Don't judge a day by the weather.  Regardless of climate, create a good day.

                   -David L. Hanson

Thanks For Listening

Grover Vijay K D A V College of Education grovervijayk@gmail.com