Positive Psychology

I am so pleased to be back here on my blog and write a post for the very first time this year. Ever since I started my Masters in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology (MAPPCP) I haven’t had much time to do much else other than focus on the program itself which was a combination of lectures, course work, reading journal papers and core texts, research and my assessment itself which is a portfolio on positive psychology interventions. My first module is over and I’m so pleased with the learning and all that I have absorbed in this academic process. So I am here today because I would want to share some of the wisdom.

So first, what is positive psychology? For the uninitiated, positive psychology is a relatively new movement. Martin Seligman is the founder of positive psychology and is a leading authority in this field. Seligman's work researching learned pessimistic attitudes eventually led him to develop an interest in optimism, an interest that would eventually lead to the emergence of a new branch of psychology. Positive psychology is an emphasis on the study of what is right, rather than what is wrong with people. It includes research on key aspects such as hope, happiness, strength, resilience, courage and other positive aspects of human functioning and flourishing.

As Positive Psychology looks at what is right with people, it focuses on when people are at their absolute best and attends to both individual and group flourishing. Just to be clear here, positive psychology is not the focus of the positive at the expense of the negative. Positive psychologists recognise negative emotions, failure, problems and other issues as natural and important aspects of life. Positive psychology is also first and foremost a science. So like any science it is principally concerned with evidence, measurements and testing. It is also an applied science which means there is a common understanding that research results will lead to the creation of a real-world interventions that will improve schools, businesses, government and other aspects of life. Positive interventions are ways of working with people where the focus is not on alleviating pain or restoring a person to normal functioning from substandard function but rather on promoting superior functioning. So helping you thrive rather than just survive. That my friends is Positive Psychology really in a nutshell and if you are curious to know more this is enough material out there for you to tap into.