Positive Psychology

Applying Positive Psychology Principles in the Workplace
Abstract
At its most basic level, the field of positive psychology seeks to better understand what is right about people rather than what is wrong, and there has been a growing body of scholarship devoted to its main tenets during the quarter century since its introduction. The research to date confirms that the practice of positive psychology can produce a number of important and valuable outcomes, including improved mental and physical health and well-being. The purpose of this paper is to provide a recapitulation of the major principles and concepts learned during the completion of the Positive Psychology course followed by an explanation about their respective importance. Further, a description concerning what changes this author expects to make in the future is followed by a discussion of the evidence in support of the key tenets of positive psychology. Finally, a summary of the research and important findings concerning the above issues are presented in the paper’s conclusion.


Positive Psychology: Multiple Assignments

Today, the combination of the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic and a presidential election of unprecedented contentiousness has resulted in a nation of anxious and concerned citizens that are uncertain about their future and the fate of the nation. Against this backdrop, identifying strategies for improving personal well-being and mental health represents a timely and valuable enterprise. To this end, the purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the major principles and concepts that were learned from the Positive Psychology course, an explanation concerning why they are important. In addition, a description concerning what changes I intend to make in my personal and professional life based on what was learned in this course is followed by an evaluation concerning the research to date in support of the key tenets of positive psychology. Finally, the paper presents a summary of the research and important findings concerning the lessons learned in this course and how these lessons will be applied in the future in the conclusion.
Review and Discussion
1. What major principles/concepts have you learned from the Positive Psychology course and according to the research why do you think these principles are important?
The original major principles and concepts of Positive Psychology were introduced in 1998 by Martin Seligman when, in his capacity as the president of the American Psychiatric Association, he selected it as the topic for his annual address, although the term is credited to Maslow and his theory of hierarchy described in his seminal 1954 text, Motivation and Personality (Park & Peterson, 2008). The field of inquiry of positive psychology was subsequently refined Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi in 2000 based on the argument that the conventional psychological approaches that had been used since the second half of the 20th century were limited in their scope since they relied a medical-oriented model that failed to take into account the brighter aspects of the human condition such as individual strengths and positive emotions that help humans thrive (Shrestha, 2019).
The major principles and concepts of positive psychology include the notion that 1) it is possible to attain otherwise-elusive happiness by building up a reserve of well-being and satisfaction with life (Nathawat, 2017), 2) considering what is right with people rather than what is wrong with them (Sutton, 2007), 3) recognizing that helping people attain happiness and fulfillment requires more than conventional psychological approaches can provide (Park & Peterson, 2008); 4) positive psychology intends to complement business-as-usual psychology, not replace it, by expanding the topics of legitimate study to yield a full and balanced depiction of human thriving and flourishing” (Park & Peterson, 2008, p. 88); and 5) human goodness and excellence are as authentic as disease, disorder, and distress and therefore deserve equal attention from psychologists and human service providers (Park & Peterson, 2008, p. 89).
In response to the above-described limitations of conventional psychology and need for alternative approaches, Seligman and his associates (2005) subsequently defined positive psychology at three core levels: 1) the subjective level, 2) the individual level, and 3) the societal level as follows:
· Subjective level: The field of positive psychology at the subjective level is about valued experiences: well-being, contentment, and satisfaction (in the past), hope and optimism (for the future) and flow and happiness (in the present);
· Individual level: This level is about positive individual traits: the capacity for love and vocation, courage, interpersonal skill, aesthetic sensibility, perseverance, forgiveness, originality, future mindedness, spirituality, high talent and wisdom;
· Societal level: This level concerns the civic virtues and institutions that move individuals toward better citizenship: responsibility, nurturance, altruism, civility, moderation, tolerance and work ethic (Mukund & Singh, 2015, p. 198).
Since its introduction, the field of positive psychology has made two fundamental contributions by 1) providing an umbrella term for what had been isolated lines of theory and research, and 2) making the self-conscious argument that what makes life worth living deserves its own field of inquiry within psychology (Park & Peterson, 2008, p. 86). These are important issues at any point in time, but especially during the existential threats that are arrayed against humankind today, and these issues are discussed further below as they relate to discernible changes in this author’s emotional states, processes and experiences.
2. What changes do you notice in your emotional states, processes and experiences and according to the research why are these changes important?
In truth, the past several months have been challenging by any measure, and I have noticed distinct changes in my emotional states in response to the increasingly threatening Covid-19 pandemic as well as the charged divisive politics that are inflaming passions across the country notwithstanding what I have learned in the Positive Psychology course concerning the importance and value of maintaining a positive outlook in order to promote better health and a sense of well-being. Based on what I have read in recent media coverage and the scholarly literature, though, these types of responses are natural and are virtually ubiquitous to some degree among the entire American population, a fact that is not necessarily encouraging but it does help me from feeling that I am the only passenger in this anxious boat.
3. What changes do you notice in your cognitive states and processes and according to the research why are these changes important?
On the one hand, gaining an understanding of the main principles and concepts of positive psychology have made me more acutely aware of my cognitive states as the events of the day unfold, and this enhanced awareness has facilitated my ability to process this deluge of negative news in healthier ways. For example, notwithstanding the mounting death toll and the fact that the Covid-19 virus has already infected many of my friends and several members of my immediate family, there is an effective vaccine on the way and the safety protocols that have been recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have served me well to date. This mental schema has shifted my original mindset immediately following the onset of the pandemic from one of impending doom to one of hopeful outlook for the future.
4. Describe your goals and plans for applying the information from the course in the future.
One of the more interesting and valuable aspects of studying positive psychology was its relevance for virtually every type of workplace, community or relationship setting. Developing expertise with the problem-solving skills and tools provided by positive psychology have encouraged me to continue my higher education and expand my future professional career plans beyond what I believed possible in the past as discussed further below.
5. How will you apply this information to prosocial behavior in your current workplace or future career to create a positive environment?
Employee morale and job satisfaction in any workplace can suffer from poor management, but a relentless onslaught of bad news can also have a profoundly severe impact on workplace productivity. While it would be disingenuous to maintain an outlook that “everything’s great” at such a time, it is appropriate to promote prosocial behaviors by encouraging others to count their blessings and appreciate the good things in their lives that many people lack. This application of positive psychological information is congruent with the guidance provided by Tweed and Bhatt (2011) that, “Positive psychologists can study the relation between some of the discipline's core dimensions such as gratitude, forgiveness, sense of meaning, altruism (or at least apparent altruism), prudence, and humility” (p. 112). Not only are these important behaviors for workplace productivity, they also have a concomitant positive effect on individual practitioners are discussed below.
6. What research supports these behaviors to be important?
Although additional research in this area is needed, the studies to date confirm that the application of positive psychology has a number of potentially important outcomes that support its viability and relevance. For instance, according to Park and Peterson (2008), “Although specific definitions of happiness, health, and good character may vary across time, place, and culture, their importance for personal as well as societal well-being cannot be contested” (p. 87). It is essential to note, though, demonstrating and promoting prosocial behaviors involves more than just “being happy” but rather extends to include the five quantifiable metrics that were most recently developed by Seligman (2011) using the acronym PERMA as described in Table 1 below:
Table 1
Five measurable elements of positive psychology’s well-being construct
Measurable element
Description/Importance
Positive emotion
For us to experience well-being, we need positive emotion in our lives. Any positive emotion such as peace, gratitude, satisfaction, pleasure, inspiration, hope, curiosity, or love falls into this category and the message is that it's really important to enjoy yourself in the here and now, just as long as the other elements of PERMA are in place.
Engagement:
When we're truly engaged in a situation, task, or project, we experience a state of flow: time seems to stop, we lose our sense of self, and we concentrate intensely on the present. The more we experience this type of engagement, the more likely we are to experience well-being. One can preferentially use one's highest strengths to perform and engage in the tasks which one would perform anyway.
Relationships
As humans, we all are "social beings," and good relationships are core to our well-being. Time and again, we see that people who have meaningful, positive relationships with others are happier than those who do not. Relationships really do matter!
Meaning:
Meaning comes from belonging to and serving a cause bigger than ourselves.
Accomplishment/ Achievement:
Means striving to better ourselves in some way, whether we're seeking to master a skill, achieve a valuable goal, or win in some competitive event
Source: Adapted from Mukund & Singh, 2015, p. 199
7. Within the concepts and terminology of Positive Psychology list and describe your challenges and obstacles.
The main challenge that was encountered during the Positive Psychology coursework was the discussion concerning eudaimonia. At first blush, this term not only appeared unpronounceable, its original formulation also appeared to defy easy understanding from a modern perspective. In this regard, Stebleton & Peterson (2007) report that, “Over 2,500 years ago, Aristotle defined good life as euduaemonia [which] is not simply fulfilling one's potentials or having what is desirable” (p. 10). Overcoming this definitional obstacle required further investigation which helped make this term clearer with respect to what euduaemonia meant by “good life” wherein flourishing and thriving are also important constituent elements. This follow-up research served to clarify the concepts of flourish and thriving since they are readily understandable, especially for parents or those with younger siblings.
8. Within the framework of Positive Psychology what are your unanswered questions or areas where you question the validity of the information?
Based on my personal interactions with close friends, coworkers, family members and others over the years, it has been my experience that not everyone wants to be happy in the conventional sense, and some people do not even appear to desire a positive outlook on life. Indeed, despite my best efforts to persuade some of my inordinately morose friends that their lives would be better if they just counted their blessings, especially during a challenging period in human history when a positive outlook would appear to be an essential survival tool. To my surprise, though, all of my friends responded in essentially the same fashion, and insisted that their outlook on life was just fine and perhaps I should revisit my own Pollyannaism in light of all of the troubles facing humankind at present.
These consistent responses made me realize that some people are inherently pessimistic by nature and these people are only truly “happy” when they are unhappy about something. In other words, those factors that contribute to a sense of a life well lived are indeed highly subjective, and it is reasonable to suggest that many of my friends with this type of gloomy outlook would not be as satisfied with their lives if they did not have a “gripe du jour” to focus on at any given point in time. These reactions made me question the validity of the fundamental principles of positive psychology, but only until I conducted additional research.
Because positive psychology recognizes that those things that make life worth living exist along a subjective continuum that is unique to each individual and it is folly to try to change another person’s fundamental nature. It is possible and desirable, though, to share my views about positive psychology and how it can help people recognize when their thinking is adversely affecting their health, well-being and relationships with others. This is not to say, of course, that everyone or even anyone will listen to this type of guidance with any real intent of incorporating the basic tenets of positive psychology into their own lives, but it is to say that the enterprise is worthy of effort – and, fortunately, positive psychology recognizes this limitation. In this regard, Park and Peterson (2008) acknowledge that, “Positive psychology does not deny the problems that people experience, and positive psychologists do not ignore stress and challenge in their attempts to understanding what it means to live well” (p. 88).
Conclusion
The world has always been a troubled place for humankind, and the events of the early 21st century and the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic indicate that nothing has changed. Indeed, it is especially challenging to maintain a bright outlook about the future when thousands of people are dying every day from an insidious killer while the nation’s political leaders wring their hands in seeming despair and helplessness. Fortunately, the research was consistent in showing that the main principles and concepts that were learned from the Positive Psychology course can be applied to individuals’ personal and professional lives in ways that promote mental and physical health, an outcome that is virtually priceless during this period in human history. In the final analysis, it is reasonable to conclude that the field of Positive Psychology will continue to increase in popularity as more and more practitioners and health care consumers recognize the importance of its underlying principles.
References
Maslow, A. (1954). Motivation and personality (independently published September 25, 2020). In Park & Peterson, 2008.
Mukund, B. & Singh, T. B. (2015, June). Positive psychology and mental health. Indian Journal of Positive Psychology, 6(2), 197-201.
Nathawat, S. S. (2018, July). Measures of positive psychology. Development and validation. Journal of the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology,43(2), 334.
Park, N. & Peterson, C. (2008, December). Positive psychology and character strengths: Application to strengths-based school counseling. Professional School Counseling, 12(2), 85-89.
Seligman, M. E. P. & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000, January). American Psychologist, 55(1), 5-14.
Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist, 60(5), 410–421
Shrestha, A. K. (2019, June). Developing positive psychology as a universal science: Cultural and methodological challenges. Indian Journal of Positive Psychology,10(2), 83.
Stebleton, M. & Peterson, M. (2007, Spring). Unfolding stories: Integrating positive psychology into a career narrative approach. Career Planning and Adult Development Journal, 23(1), 9-14.
Sutton, G. W. (2009, Fall). Positive psychology: The scientific and practical explorations of human strengths. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 26(3), 273-277.
Tweed, R. G. & Bhatt, G. (2011, May). Violence and positive psychology: Research potential through integration. Canadian Psychology, 52(2), 111-115.