The Plight of Haiti  January 12, 2010  Earthquake – 7.0 magnitude struck Haiti  Reflections on Haiti – CNN Reflections on Haiti – CNN

Choice and Change  Autonomy – acting with a sense of true choice  Entity theory – belief that characteristics are fixed  Incremental theory – belief that characteristics can change

Control  Internal locus of control – belief that you control your destiny or future  External locus of control – belief that your fate is controlled by chance or by others

Constraints  Biology – genes contributing to differences  Environment – learning through our situations, family, culture, etc.

Positive Psychology  Derived from humanistic approach  Founded by Martin Seligman  Focuses on human strengths vs. weaknesses  Explores areas such as love, wisdom, commitment, and hope

Overview  We are creators of our worlds  We are creatures of our worlds  Psychology can help sort facts from falsehoods  People have a long history of looking at strengths  We can evaluate and measure our strengths

In the Real World…  Improving child education (motivation, mood, creativity)  Improving psychotherapy (hope, meaning, & self-healing)  Improving family life (love, concern, & commitment)

In the Real World…  Improving work satisfaction (involvement, flow, & contributions)  Improving organizations and societies (trust, communication, & altruism)  Improving the moral character of society (spirituality)

You at Your Best!  Think of a time when you were at your best, a time when you may have felt productive or happy.  What were you doing?  Who were you with?  What strengths did you use?