1. Approach 5: The Positive Approach
5.1 Assumptions

2. Happiness

3. Martin Seligman…

4. Psychology so far… Psychodynamic, biological, cognitive, behaviourist…
Anyone feeling like they don’t have control?

5. Happiness What makes a happy life?
This is a question as old as humanity itself
How have religions and philosophy attempted to answer this question.
Why is this an important question?

6. Positive Psychology Overview
The newest of the approaches
Started by Martin Seligman in 1998
He and others felt that traditional psychology focused too much on mental illness, and not enough on how humans can flourish and succeed.

7. Positive Psychology Overview
The message of the Positive Psychology movement is to remind our field that it has been deformed. Psychology is not just the study of disease, weakness and damage; it also the study of strength and virtue. Treatment is not just fixing what is wrong; it is also building what is right. Psychology is not just about illness or health; it is about work, education, insight, love, growth and play. And in this quest for what is best, Positive Psychology does not rely on wishful thinking, self-deception or hand waving; instead it tries to adapt what is best in the scientific method to the unique problems that human behaviour presents in all its complexity.

8. Happiness With a partner, write a recipe for happiness
What ingredients do you need for happiness

9. Assumption 1: The Acknowledgment of Free Will
Before learning psychology did you believe in Free Will?
What about now?
What do most people who have not studied psychology believe?

10. Assumption 1: The Acknowledgment of Free Will
Free will vs determinism
Free will allows for accountability and control
But it is unscientific
Determinism is scientific
But does not allow for accountability and control
Explain how each of the four approaches we have learned about is deterministic

11. Assumption 1: The Acknowledgment of Free Will
Positive psychology allows for Free Will
We are in charge of our own wellbeing
Determinism is detrimental
Having choice brings psychological and physical benefits

12. Assumption 1: The Acknowledgment of Free Will
Supported by research
Sense of control predicts high job satisfaction and performance
Langer and Rodin (1976): control led to better health and longer lives in care home residents
Diener and Seligman (2002)
Choosing to spend time with family and friends leads to positive outcomes
Our emotional state is in our own control!

13. Assumption 2: Authenticity of Goodness and Excellence
Other areas of psychology are very negative
Mental illness, stress, conflict etc…
Our view of psychology may be unbalanced
Seligman (2002)
Positive traits are every bit as authentic as negative ones

14. Assumption 2: Authenticity of Goodness and Excellence
Positive psychology celebrates the good things in life
Treating mental illness does not focus on “fixing” what is wrong
Focus instead on developing positives traits such as altruism and competence

15. Assumption 2: Authenticity of Goodness and Excellence
Signature Strengths
Character strengths most essential to who we are
Discovering and exploiting your strengths leads to happiness
Eg: love of learning, bravery, humour, creativity and persistence.

16. Assumption 2: Authenticity of Goodness and Excellence
Look at The Happiness Institute’s list. What do you feel are your signature strengths? How can you exploit these strengths for a happier life?

17. Assumption 3: Focus on “The Good Life”
Imagine you are on your deathbed looking back at your life. How would you know if you had had a “good life”?

18. Assumption 3: Focus on “The Good Life”
The way to happiness is to develop our strengths and virtues
Pleasant Life
Good Life
Meaningful Life
Read quote from

19. Assumption 3: Focus on “The Good Life”
Essentially, the three can be broken down as follows
The Pleasant Life: positive emotions and daily satisfaction
The Good Life: discovering our strengths and enhancing our lives
The Meaningful Life: using our strengths for a greater purpose

20. Assumption 3: Focus on “The Good Life”
Seligman argues that the way to live a good life is to
develop positive connections with others
to have positive individual traits
develop life regulation qualities
(see pg 90 for more information)

21. Assumption 3: Focus on “The Good Life”
What do you think of this idea of the pleasant, good and meaningful life? What kind of life do you feel you have? Do you aspire to a “meaningful” life?

22. Exam Practice
Exam corner on pg 91
True or False pg 104