1 Mark Rafter Roster: Please put a checkmark next to your name or add your name and your address. Handouts: Please pick up a copy of today’s. handouts for: The History of Positive Psychology March 13, 2011 Near the door, please find today’s roster and handouts. Positive Psychology

…but first, one activity before we begin.

…for Positive Psychology that one man is: Martin E.P. Seligman, Ph.D.

…from page 29 of Authentic Happiness

Pathogenic …a focus on the origins on distress and treatments that alleviate the distress Salutogenic …a focus on the origins of and pathways to authentic happiness and a fulfilling life

1.Pathogenic: Freudian psychoanalytic theory we are unconsciously motivated by drives of Sex & Aggression 2.Hedonistic: Behaviorism We are passively conditioned. We learn behaviors to seek pleasure and avoid pain. 3.Need gratification: Humanism We have a hierarchy of needs from basic to transcendent. (Maslow, 1962)

“The (measure of our) gross national product does not (include) the health of our children, …their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages; the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither wit nor courage; neither our wisdom nor our teaching; neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country; it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile.” - Robert F. Kennedy, 1968

Aquinas Aristotle The Bhagavad-Gita The Bible The Bushido Samurai code Confucius The Koran The Torah

Courage: emotional strengths that involve the exercise of will to accomplish goals in the face of opposition, external or internal Justice: civic strengths that underlie healthy community life Humanity: interpersonal strengths that involve tending to and befriending others Transcendence: strengths that forge connections to the larger universe and provide meaning Temperance: strengths that protect against excess Wisdom & Knowledge: cognitive strengths that entail the acquisition and use of knowledge

Each strength is valued in almost every culture and period of time. Each strength is valued in its own right, not just as a means to other ends. Each strength is malleable. “I can learn a particular strength and get better at it.” 24 strengths were identified:

Courage Bravery: not shrinking from threat, challenge, difficulty, or pain Persistence: finishing what one starts, persisting in a course of action despite obstacles Integrity: authenticity, honesty, speaking the truth, and presenting oneself in a genuine way Vitality: zest, enthusiasm, and energy; approaching life with excitement and energy; not doing things halfway or halfheartedly; living life as an adventure, feeling alive and activated

Justice Citizenship: social responsibility, loyality, teamwork; working well as a member of a team; being loyal to the group; doing one’s share Fairness: treating all people the same according to notions of fairness and justice; not letting personal feelings bias decisions about others; giving everyone a fair chance Leadership: encouraging a group of which one is a member to get things done and at the same time maintain good relations within the group; organizing group activities and seeing that they happen

Humanity Kindness: generosity, nurturance, care, compassion, and altruistic love; doing favors and good deeds for others; helping others; taking care of others Love: valuing close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing and caring are reciprocated; being close to people Social Intelligence: emotional intelligence, personal intelligence, empathy; being aware of the motives and feelings of self and others; knowing what to do to fit into different social situations; knowing what makes other people tick

Transcendence (1 of 2) Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence: noticing and appreciating beauty, excellence, and skilled performance in all domains of life, from nature to arts to mathematics to science and everyday experience Gratitude: being aware of and thankful for the good things that happen; taking time to express thanks

Transcendence (2 of 2) Hope: optimism, future-mindedness, future orientation; expecting the best in the future and working to achieve it; believing that a good future is something that can be brought about Humor: playfulness; liking to laugh and tease; bringing smiles to other people, seeing the light side; making (not necessarily telling) jokes Spirituality: religiousness, faith, purpose; knowing where one fits within the larger scheme; having coherent beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of life that shape conduct and provide comfort

Temperance (1 of 2) Forgiveness and Mercy: forgiving those who have done wrong; accepting the shortcomings of others; giving people a second chance; not being vengeful Humility and Modesty: letting ones accomplishments speak for themselves; not seeking the spotlight; not regarding oneself as more special than one is

Temperance (2 of 2) Prudence: being careful about one’s choices; not taking undue risks; not saying or doing things that might later be regretted Self-Regulation: self-control; regulating what one feels and does; being disciplined; controlling one’s appetites and emotions

Wisdom & Knowledge Creativity: thinking of novel and productive ways to do things Curiosity: taking an interest in all of ongoing experience Open-Mindedness: thinking things through and examining them from all sides Love of Learning: mastering new skills, topics, and bodies of knowledge Perspective : being able to provide wise counsel to others

A life bound by virtues & strengths.

Positive Psychology A strong focus on interrelationships People in impoverished situations may flourish Grounded in empirical research – more practical Humanistic Psychology Almost exclusively focused on the individual Basic needs must be satisfied before all else More theoretical and descriptive

A life bound by virtues & strengths.

A self-evaluation based on 240 statements. It displays a ranking of all 24 strengths based on your responses. Authentic happiness is increased when people employ their top 5 strengths in their work, love, play, and in their service of others. Values In Action (VIA)

A life bound by virtues & strengths.

Let’s take a look at the relationship between these strengths and three different paths to a Fulfilling Life.

Pleasure = positive emotions (happiness) Engagement = using one’s personal strengths in the pursuit of one’s own work, love & play Meaning = using one’s personal strengths in the service of others

1 minute 15 seconds

1.The Pleasant Life Positive affect is 50% heritable and not very modifiable. Positive emotions habituate quickly. Peaks of happiness are not sustainable. Eating ice cream or even winning “the car” results in a short-term increase in happiness. Happiness appears to increase with annual income up to $75,000. Above that, there is no significant increase in happiness. Positive affect, alone, contributes almost nothing to one’s sense of a fulfilling life. “…that’s why positive psychology is not happy-ology.”

FLOW (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, 1990)

2.The Good Life FLOW is more often engaged Irrespective of positive emotions –FLOW is more often engaged – if the person’s top five strengths are employed in the pursuit of one’s love, work, and play. Pursue a hobby Work in a fulfilling vocation that uses personally enjoyed talents, skills, expertise Living an engaged, good-life, adds significantly to one’s sense of a fulfilling life.

3.The Meaningful Life Using one’s strengths in the service of others. Using one’s strengths in the service of others. Altruistic philanthropy Living a meaningful life, in the service of others, adds most significantly to one’s sense of a fulfilling life.

Pleasure = positive emotions Hedonistic – “Here is $20.00 for you!” Happy for a little bit of time. Engagement = using one’s personal strengths in the pursuit of one’s own work, love & play Meaning = using one’s personal strengths in the service of others Altruistic – “Here is $20.00 for you to give to charity!” Happy for a longer period of time.

“That’s why Positive Psychology is not Happy-ology.” Watching laughing babies on YouTube

The red line marks the last moment of the colonoscopy.

…a best moments review at the end of the day What did you enjoy today? Name and count these memories of the day. These are the good thoughts What didn’t you like today? Name and count these memories of the day. These are the bad thoughts. Depressed individuals have a 1:1 ratio of good thoughts-to-bad thoughts Non-depressed individuals have a 2:1 ratio of good thoughts-to-bad thoughts This activity helps to end the day well.

“What do you joyfully look forward to tomorrow?” (…for people 5 years old and older.) This activity also helps to end the day well and begin tomorrow with a happy sense of anticipation.

…Dreamland. Conjuring up sweet dreams at bedtime. Visualize a really happy picture in your mind Give the image a name in words Describe the image, and concentrate on it This affects the dreams of children and adults, alike, and adds a great ending to the day.

…Have a beautiful day! Design a beautiful day that draws upon your top five strengths. …and then actually live it!

…Have a “strengths” date. Both people identify their top five strengths. …and then they arrange an evening in which both persons use their strengths.

…do something altruistic. There is a happiness difference between “fun” and “philanthropy” With “fun” the happiness peaks and fades rapidly. With “philanthropy” the positive emotions and happiness last and last.

…the gratitude visit. Recall someone who did something enormously important in your life that had a profound positive effect in your life. Write a testimonial of gratitude to that person describing what they did and the impact in your life for which you are grateful. Read your letter to the person, face-to-face.

The Fulfilling Life is a function of 1.Pleasure (happiness), and 2.Engagement (FLOW), and 3.Meaning (in the service of others) Meaning adds the most sense of fulfillment, and Engagement adds the second highest fulfillment, and Pleasure contributes almost nothing to fulfillment by itself. “…that’s why positive psychology is not happy-ology.”

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson …and another “What a wonderful life I’ve had! I only wish I’d realized it sooner.” Colette Colette

The PowerPoint presentation for today’s class is available on this website: (This website address is printed on our syllabus.) Martin Seligman’s website for Authentic Happiness which features the assessment of VIA Character Strengths is available on this website:

The End.