Introduction to Positive Psychology

Positive psychology is the study of happiness, flourishing, and what makes life worth living. Seligman points to five factors as leading to well-being — positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning and purpose, and accomplishment.

Positive Psychology is the scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive. The field is founded on the belief that 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.

The science of positive psychology operates on three different levels – the subjective level, the individual level and the group level. The subjective level includes the study of positive experiences such as joy, well-being, satisfaction, contentment, happiness, optimism and flow.

Martin Seligman

Martin Seligman is a pioneer of Positive Psychology (the term itself was coined by Abraham Maslow), not simply because he has a systematic theory about why happy people are happy, but because he uses the scientific method to explore it.

Whereas traditional psychology focuses on mental illness, positive psychology focuses on mental wellness

Positive Psychology Applied

Carol Dweck

The Woman Behind The Motivational Mindset Breakthrough
What is the determining factor that leads people to become successful? Is it merely hard work or is it being intellectually superior or talented in certain areas?

According to the world-renowned author and professor Carol Dweck, it has more to do with an individual’s mindset or beliefs about themselves, rather than about how smart they are or how hard working someone is. 

As a professor of psychology at Stanford University, Dweck has a Ph.D. from Yale and has taught at some of the most prestigious colleges around the country, including Columbia and Harvard Universities.

 

Carol Dweck’s Books

In her book “Mindset,” she explains that people maintain two different types of views on ability and or intelligence. The first view is the ‘entity view’ that says intelligence is immovable and established. Those who hold this idea have an elevated craving to prove themselves to others; to be seen as intellectual and to avoid at all costs, appearing unintelligent.

This self-theory can actually prevent a person from becoming successful.

The second view is the ‘incremental view.’ This belief treats intelligence as malleable, fluid and constantly changeable. Those who hold this view find fulfillment from the learning/growing process itself and also see the potential for prospects to continually lead to better opportunities. They don’t focus on what the outcome says about them, but what can be achieved from taking part in an endeavor.

Carol Dweck’s Videos

Professor Stephen G. Post

An opinion leader, Dr. Stephen Post is the best-selling author of Why Good Things Happen to Good People: How to Live a Longer, Happier, Healthier Life by the Simple Act of Giving. He has been quoted in more than 3000 national and international newspapers and magazines. Stephen has been interviewed on television and radio news shows, , and has even addressed the U.S. Congress. A transformative speaker, Stephen has inspired thousands with the best of medical knowledge, based on thirty years of research.

Across North America, Australia, Europe, Japan and India his positive psychology message impacts happiness, health, success, creativity and even longevity. A leading expert on giving, happiness, health, and success and medical school professor for nearly three decades, Stephen has authored hundreds of articles in leading journals. He is a frequent speaker on practical approaches for healthcare professionals and students worldwide, looking to remain competitive by improving patient outcomes, diminishing medical errors, and preventing depression and burnout in healthcare providers.

As Seen on

See what Prof. Stephen G. Post says about Positive Prime

Mike McCullough

McCullough is an experimental psychologist who is concerned primarily with the evolutionary and cognitive underpinnings of human sociality. He was one of the
first scientists to take an interest in interpersonal forgiveness and to develop tools for studying it experimentally. He has also innovated experimental approaches to studying gratitude, revenge, prosocial behavior, religious cognition, and intertemporal choice. Additionally, McCullough has worked hard in recent years to
help clear up scientific puzzles about self-control and about the social effects of a mammalian hormone known as oxytocin.