Operant conditioning is a well-known theory, but how do you put it into practice in your everyday life? How do you use your knowledge of its principles to build, change, or break a habit? How do you use it to get your children to do what you ask them to […]
TED talks have been around for over 30 years now, and in the 14 years since they’ve been online, thousands of them have been uploaded for viewers like you and me. We’ve put together a list of our 15 favorite positive psychology TED talks to inspire you about key themes, […]
If you have ever felt baffled as to the sequence of events or emotions that triggered an anger outburst, then you might want to know more about ESM - Experience Sampling Method. Experience sampling is a type of market research where users fill out some kind of journal. These journal […]
Have you ever met with a counselor or therapist and thought, "This is not a good fit?" It might have had something to do with the theories they use to inform their practice. Counselors and therapists worldwide receive training about the theoretical underpinnings of mental health. They learn how to […]
Think about it. When a person behaves oddly or deviates from the societal standards of normality, we address him/her in so many ways - depressed, anxious, moody, suicidal, and the list goes on. But how often do we hear ourselves categorizing the ‘mentally healthy’ people as happy, very happy, or […]
Appreciative inquiry is a strength-based approach to address changing and is considered a constructive alternative to traditional problem-solving. The intention in this process is to seek and leverage the best in people and place the focus more on what we want and less on what is broken. By changing the […]
Mental health therapists in the past dealt mostly with psychological diseases and the health issues that came from it. Their focus was less on individual factors like motivation, positive thinking, happiness, and emotional resilience, and more on the manifested symptoms of mental illness. George Vaillant, a pioneer in the field […]
A founding father of Positive Psychology, in his seminal work “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” (1990), Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi argues that the key to happiness is to strive for ‘flow’ in our lives. Csikszentmihalyi argues that happiness can be achieved by taking control over our consciousness. When I think about […]
As extensive as this list of positive psychology books may be, it will never be ‘finished’ or ‘complete’. To make the list as valuable as possible, your contribution is not only greatly appreciated, but necessary. So in case you know of any positive psychology books that aren’t yet featured in […]
The term “environmental psychology” might be a bit ambiguous or confusing to you; if it is, you’re certainly not alone. It’s not a very large field yet, but it has the potential to be one of the most impactful ones yet regarding the future of being human. If your interest is […]
Spending time in nature, by watching a sunset, gazing at the ocean or mountains, sitting in a park, escaping to the countryside or a nature retreat, or even just spending a few minutes to stare out the window, provides us with the opportunity to rest, reflect, and restore our very […]
If you’ve been hearing the term “positive psychology” thrown around a lot, but you’re not quite sure what it is, you’ve come to the right place! There are some common misconceptions about positive psychology, both about what it is and what it is not. To clear up some of these […]
For some people, writing can feel like a chore. Sitting down in front of a computer or a piece of paper can sometimes feel like a waste of time that could be better spent doing other things. There are all sorts of benefits to writing, though. For example, one recent […]
Abraham Maslow is one of the most influential psychologists of the twentieth century. His biggest contributions to psychology were his contributions to humanistic psychology as well as his development of the hierarchy of needs. Maslow’s career in psychology greatly predated the modern positive psychology movement, but it might not look […]
The Big Five personality traits are all about the following question: "Who are you?" It's a simple enough question, but it's one of the hardest ones to answer. There are many ways to interpret that question. An answer could include your name, your job title, your role in your family, […]
It doesn’t take long to find a link between Positive Psychology and creativity, and the body of research connecting well-being and creativity is constantly growing. A quick look at the VIA framework reveals creativity to be one of its 24 signature strengths. More specifically, creativity is one of the character […]
The Journal of Positive Psychology is the first-ever journal entirely dedicated to positive psychology. It publishes six issues a year and presents the latest scientific findings related to happiness, fulfillment, and flourishing. The Journal of Positive Psychology pools information from a multitude of disciplines that range from psychology to economics. […]
Susan David’s book Emotional Agility is the epitome of positive psychology—empowered navigation of our thoughts, feelings, and narratives as they relate to the various spheres of our lives. David argues that the way we perceive our inner selves is the determinant of how we live and the successes we incur. […]
The science of spirituality explores the link between religion and well-being. Does maintaining a spiritual practice improve people's biological health? If you are curious about the health benefits and biochemical effect of religion, then this article is for you. "Spirituality lies not in the power to heal others, to perform miracles […]
Positive psychology complements traditional psychology's focus on pathology. It studies strengths, virtues, and the factors that contribute to a full and meaningful life. "Probably the biggest insight is that happiness is not just a place, but also a process. Happiness is an ongoing process of fresh challenges and . . . […]
One of the foundational articles in the field of positive psychology is "Positive Psychology. An Introduction," written by Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. "Psychology is much larger than curing mental illness or curing diseases. I think it's about bringing out the best in people; it's about positive institutions; it's about strength […]
From the time it was published over a decade ago, the book Authentic Happiness has become a classic book in positive psychology. The author is none other than the founder of positive psychology himself: Martin Seligman. Seligman has written about positive psychology long before this book came to fruition, and is one […]
When positive psychology emerged in the late 1990s, it critiqued mainstream psychology for not focusing on the positive aspects of the human experience. Positive psychology researchers described the perspective of most mainstream psychology as an “inappropriately negative view of human nature and the human condition” (Keyes and Haidt, 2003). Practitioners […]
