Positive Psychology - another package or a new direction in the development of psychology? What is positive psychology, its concepts and impact on human life All about positive psychology.

Story

The ideological predecessor of the direction is Abraham Maslow, who first used the term "positive psychology" in his book "Motivation and Personality" (1954). Maslow and other representatives of humanistic psychology in the works of the 1950s-1960s urged psychologists to pay more attention to the promotion of mental health than to the treatment of diseases and pathologies. Among modern researchers in this field, the best known are Ed Diener, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Charles Snyder, Albert Bandura, Daniel Gilbert and John Haidt.

The founder of positive psychology as an academic field is Martin Seligman, who, when elected president of the American Psychological Association in 1998, devoted his speech to this new direction of psychology. In his speech, Seligman stressed that for the past fifty years, psychology had been investigating and treating all sorts of pathologies, without paying attention to the positive aspects of human life, such as creativity, hope, or perseverance in achieving one's goals. Seligman urged his colleagues to "rebalance" and suggested three main areas for future research:

• positive emotions and a subjective feeling of happiness (for example, enjoyment, satisfaction with life, a sense of closeness, constructive thoughts about yourself and your future, optimism, self-confidence, fullness of energy, "life force");

• positive character traits of a person (wisdom, love, spirituality, honesty, courage, kindness, creativity, sense of reality, search for meaning, forgiveness, humor, generosity, altruism, empathy, etc.);

• social structures that contribute to the happiness and development of people (democracy, healthy family, free means mass media, healthy workplace environment, healthy local social communities).

Seligman's speech aroused great interest among his colleagues, including such famous psychologists as Christopher Peterson (Christopher Peterson), Ed Diener (en: Ed Diener) and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, due to which the ideas of positive psychology very quickly turned into a new direction in psychological science.

The meaning of positive emotions

According to scientific research recent years, positive emotions make a person's perception of the world more open and allow them to explore and find new solutions to problems. In addition, positive emotions make a person more friendly, and with an increase in the number of friends, a person gets a better chance of evolutionary survival.

Main directions

There are currently three schools of positive psychology:

Center for Positive Psychology

The Positive Psychology Center (PPC) is located in the United States of America. The first step in the work of the center was the creation of a classification strengths and positive features of the individual (by analogy with the "classification of pathologies", which is the nosological system DSM-IV). In 2004, Seligman and Peterson published a list of 24 positive human traits, divided into 6 groups:

• The virtues of wisdom and knowledge: creativity, curiosity, openness, love of learning, perspective.
• Virtues of Courage: Courage, Diligence, Integrity, Vitality.
• Virtues of humanity: love, kindness, social reason.
• The Virtues of Justice: Citizenship, Justice, Leadership.
• Virtues of temperance: mercy, temperance, foresight, self-control.
• Virtues of transcendence: appreciation of beauty, gratitude, hope, sense of humor, spirituality

Seligman and Peterson's list was compiled on the basis of which character traits are most valuable in different cultures and religions.

Based on this list, the VIA-Survey (en: Values ​​in Action Inventory of Strengths) questionnaire was subsequently created, consisting of 240 questions (this questionnaire is free and available on the Internet, at this moment it has been translated into 17 languages).

Based on the answers to the VIA-Survey questionnaire, it was revealed which character traits are most conducive to overcoming depression and achieving happiness. These character traits are:

• Hope

• Gratitude

• Curiosity

The VIA-Survey questionnaire can be used in psychotherapy in the following way: the client is asked to rate their strengths using the VIA-Survey questionnaire, and then try to use these strengths in various new ways (for example, every day of the week try new way). It is also recommended to record in your diary every day three happy events that happened on that day, as well as write down what actions led to these happy events.

Center for Applied Positive Psychology

The Center of Applied Positive Psychology (CAPP) is located in the UK. The head of the center is Alex Linley. Alex Linley). The main direction of research is the use of the ideas of positive psychology in the professional field. The Realise2 questionnaire was created at the CAPP center to determine what abilities and strengths of character an individual has, as well as to determine the extent to which he uses these advantages in his Everyday life(the Realise2 questionnaire is currently only available in English). CAPP researchers are also developing techniques to maximize the use of an individual's strengths and minimize the negative impact of what are weak or underdeveloped aspects of the individual's personality.

Gallup Center

This research center was established in the United States of America. Its founder was the psychologist Donald Clifton (en: Donald O. Clifton). Based on Clifton's ideas, the Strengthsfinder questionnaire, 2001, was developed at the Gallup Institute, currently translated into 24 languages, including Russian ("Uncover your strengths"). The time to complete the questionnaire is about 45 minutes. The Strengthsfinder questionnaire allows you to identify the following strengths of an individual:

see also

• System of values

Notes

Literature

• Compton, William C, (2005). "1". An Introduction to Positive Psychology. Wadsworth Publishing. pp. 1-22. ISBN 0-534-64453-8.
• Peterson, Christopher; Seligman, Martin E. P.: Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification, Oxford University Press 2004. ISBN 0-19-516701-5.

Links

• Center for Positive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania

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Trying to overcome difficulties, people forget that there are good moments in their lives. Perhaps, overcoming failures, it makes sense to create happy moments? Or at least change your attitude to events? This is the subject of positive psychology. But is everything so clear? Can it replace classical psychology? Perhaps this approach simply distracts people from actually solving problems? Let's take this article positively.

What is positive psychology?

positive psychology is the science that studies positive sides human psyche. Despite all the evidence, this direction arose only in the middle of the last century. The origins of this teaching are rooted in the psychology of a humanistic orientation. The founder of this approach is a psychologist from the USA Martin Seligman. By the way, in the late nineties, he headed the American Psychological Association. He devoted his solemn speech at this event to questions of positive psychology. In comparison with the usual psychotherapy, it is not aimed at combating pathology, but explores ways to achieve.

It is worth noting that since its inception, this teaching has been regularly criticized. For example, the distortion of reality through positive illusions, a simplistic approach to a number of issues, as well as running away from problems instead of solving them. Be that as it may, positive psychology has firmly entered the ideas of the world scientific community, having a number of advantages and rational "seeds". We will talk about them further.

Scientific Foundations of Positive Psychology

The formation of positive psychology took place thanks to the work of a number of scientists. Among them: Abraham Maslow, Gordon Allport, Carl Rogers, Ed Diener, John Haidt, Alex Linley, Donald Clifton and others. The main topics include several large-scale areas:

• Emotions that bring a feeling of happiness (optimism, pleasure, self-confidence, satisfaction, trust);
• Positive character traits (kindness, humor, spirituality, altruism, wisdom);
• External factors that positively affect people (humanism, recognition, value system, social environment).

According to supporters of positive psychology, positive emotions give a person greater competitiveness, improve his quality of life, and expand social ties. Taken together, these factors greatly complement a person's toolkit in overcoming difficulties on the way to success. According to the feedback principle, positive thinking attracts good events and good luck into a person’s life.

Despite some criticism, positive psychology was quite warmly received by the world scientific community. Three centers have even been set up to study this phenomenon. One of them is located in Europe, two - in the United States of America.

Positive Psychology Center (PPC)

Established at the University of Pennsylvania in the USA. The Center is headed by the creator of positive psychology - Martin Seligman. Together with another famous scientist Christopher Peterson, he compiled a list of 24 positive character traits, grouped into six types (humanity, wisdom, justice, abstinence, courage, transcendence). This has resulted in the unique VIA-Survey test, which consists of 240 items to help you realize your benefits.

Gallup Center

Another American center for the introduction of positive psychology, founded by psychologist Donald Clifton. On the basis of this research institution, a questionnaire has also been developed, which has been translated into several dozen different languages.

Center for Applied Positive Psychology (CAPP)

This establishment is based in the UK. It is led by Alex Linley, who, together with the team, studies the applied application of this science. The Realise 2 questionnaire they created helps to recognize the strengths of a person and the degree of their manifestation. The emphasis in research is on the suppression of personality shortcomings.

The presence of several specialized research centers testifies in favor of the fact that positive psychology is a serious scientific direction that deserves careful study. It is not limited to a purely theoretical value, allowing you to widely apply your achievements in practice. We will talk about this further.

What is positive psychotherapy

Positive psychotherapy is a kind of psychotherapy aimed at overcoming intrapersonal conflicts through the development of human abilities. Considering that the creator of the Nossrat Pezeshkian method is a German with Iranian roots, his creation has absorbed the rationalism of the West in symbiosis with the wisdom of the East.

Since 1996, positive psychotherapy has been officially recognized by the world community of psychologists, and in 2009 its author was awarded the Nobel Prize.

Nosrat Pezeshkian divided his research into four main blocks:

• Therapeutic - actually psychotherapy;
• Pedagogical - personality education and prevention of deviations;
• Transcultural-social - intercultural consciousness;
• Interdisciplinary - interaction with other psychological sciences.

Positive approach to treatment mental illness of a person, together with the prevention of their occurrence, made this method one of the most popular in the world.

You can apply the methods of positive psychology on your own.

Positive psychology tips for every day

The tools of this science are diverse, but for everyday use it is enough to master three methods:

• Self-hypnosis method;
• question method;
• bracelet method.

Let's consider them separately.

Self-hypnosis method

This approach is also called affirmations. They are short positive phrases that help change negative mental attitudes into positive emotions. For example, “People are pleased to communicate with me”, “I am successful”, “I am a valuable employee”, etc. According to the principle of feedback, positive statements begin to attract positive into a person's life.

Question Method

Also known as affirmations, that is, questions asked in a positive way. Thanks to them, you can rephrase the statements voiced earlier. “Why do people like talking to me?” etc. This method helps to activate thinking in the direction of finding your strengths. By the way, the positive effect of the use of Afformations is achieved much faster. Finding answers, a person confirms his affirmations, thereby beginning to believe in them more strongly.

Bracelet method

Helps to overcome bad habits or weakness. It is recommended to put on a bracelet that symbolizes your shortcoming, and do not take it off until the habit changes. This method activates the proactivity of a person, shows him that it is necessary to take responsibility for his life on himself. Demonstrates that the disadvantage is superfluous and it just needs to be “removed”.

Positive psychology, unlike many academic disciplines, is a science for every day. It helps to always be in a state of peace of mind, to believe in oneself, to overcome difficulties. It does not require outside help to use it. It is enough to master a few tricks and apply them regularly, filling life with a feeling of joy and happiness.

Trying to overcome difficulties, people forget that there are good moments in their lives. Perhaps, overcoming failures, it makes sense to create happy moments? Or at least change your attitude to events? This is the subject of positive psychology. But is everything so clear? Can it replace classical psychology? Perhaps this approach simply distracts people from actually solving problems? Let's take this article positively.

What is positive psychology?

Positive psychology is a science that studies the positive aspects of the human psyche. Despite all the evidence, this direction arose only in the middle of the last century. The origins of this teaching are rooted in the psychology of a humanistic orientation. The founder of this approach is a psychologist from the USA Martin Seligman. By the way, in the late nineties, he headed the American Psychological Association. He devoted his solemn speech at this event to questions of positive psychology. In comparison with the usual psychotherapy, it is not aimed at combating pathology, but explores ways to achieve.

It is worth noting that since its inception, this teaching has been regularly criticized. For example, the distortion of reality through positive illusions, a simplistic approach to a number of issues, as well as running away from problems instead of solving them. Be that as it may, positive psychology has firmly entered the ideas of the world scientific community, having a number of advantages and rational "seeds". We will talk about them further.

Scientific Foundations of Positive Psychology

The formation of positive psychology took place thanks to the work of a number of scientists. Among them: Abraham Maslow, Gordon Allport, Carl Rogers, Ed Diener, John Haidt, Alex Linley, Donald Clifton and others. The main topics include several large-scale areas:

• Emotions that bring a feeling of happiness (optimism, pleasure, self-confidence, satisfaction, trust);
• Positive character traits (kindness, humor, spirituality, altruism, wisdom);
• External factors that positively affect people (humanism, recognition, value system, social environment).

According to supporters of positive psychology, positive emotions give a person greater competitiveness, improve his quality of life, and expand social ties. Taken together, these factors greatly complement a person's toolkit in overcoming difficulties on the way to success. According to the feedback principle, positive thinking attracts good events and good luck into a person’s life.

Despite some criticism, positive psychology was quite warmly received by the world scientific community. Three centers have even been set up to study this phenomenon. One of them is located in Europe, two - in the United States of America.

Positive Psychology Center (PPC)

Established at the University of Pennsylvania in the USA. The Center is headed by the creator of positive psychology - Martin Seligman. Together with another famous scientist Christopher Peterson, he compiled a list of 24 positive character traits, grouped into six types (humanity, wisdom, justice, abstinence, courage, transcendence). This has resulted in the unique VIA-Survey test, which consists of 240 items to help you realize your benefits.

Gallup Center

Another American center for the introduction of positive psychology, founded by psychologist Donald Clifton. On the basis of this research institution, a questionnaire has also been developed, which has been translated into several dozen different languages.

Center for Applied Positive Psychology (CAPP)

This establishment is based in the UK. It is led by Alex Linley, who, together with the team, studies the applied application of this science. The Realise 2 questionnaire they created helps to recognize the strengths of a person and the degree of their manifestation. The emphasis in research is on the suppression of personality shortcomings.

The presence of several specialized research centers testifies in favor of the fact that positive psychology is a serious scientific direction that deserves careful study. It is not limited to a purely theoretical value, allowing you to widely apply your achievements in practice. We will talk about this further.

What is positive psychotherapy

Positive psychotherapy is a kind of psychotherapy aimed at overcoming intrapersonal conflicts through the development of human abilities. Considering that the creator of the Nossrat Pezeshkian method is a German with Iranian roots, his creation has absorbed the rationalism of the West in symbiosis with the wisdom of the East.

Since 1996, positive psychotherapy has been officially recognized by the world community of psychologists, and in 2009 its author was awarded the Nobel Prize.

Nosrat Pezeshkian divided his research into four main blocks:

• Therapeutic - actually psychotherapy;
• Pedagogical - personality education and prevention of deviations;
• Transcultural-social - intercultural consciousness;
• Interdisciplinary - interaction with other psychological sciences.

A positive approach to the treatment of human mental illness, combined with the prevention of their occurrence, has made this method one of the most popular in the world.

You can apply the methods of positive psychology on your own.

Positive psychology tips for every day

The tools of this science are diverse, but for everyday use it is enough to master three methods:

• Self-hypnosis method;
• question method;
• bracelet method.

Let's consider them separately.

Self-hypnosis method

This approach is also called affirmations. They are short positive phrases that help change negative mental attitudes into positive emotions. For example, “People are pleased to communicate with me”, “I am successful”, “I am a valuable employee”, etc. According to the principle of feedback, positive statements begin to attract positive into a person's life.

Question Method

Also known as affirmations, that is, questions asked in a positive way. Thanks to them, you can rephrase the statements voiced earlier. “Why do people like talking to me?” etc. This method helps to activate thinking in the direction of finding your strengths. By the way, the positive effect of the use of Afformations is achieved much faster. Finding answers, a person confirms his affirmations, thereby beginning to believe in them more strongly.

Bracelet method

Helps to overcome bad habits or weaknesses. It is recommended to put on a bracelet that symbolizes your shortcoming, and do not take it off until the habit changes. This method activates the proactivity of a person, shows him that it is necessary to take responsibility for his life on himself. Demonstrates that the disadvantage is superfluous and it just needs to be “removed”.

Positive psychology, unlike many academic disciplines, is a science for every day. It helps to always be in a state of peace of mind, to believe in oneself, to overcome difficulties. It does not require outside help to use it. It is enough to master a few tricks and apply them regularly, filling life with a feeling of joy and happiness.

Happy people are able to maintain a positive mindset and a positive attitude in most life situations. How do they do it? Positive psychology reveals some of the secrets of happy people