Wednesday, January 6, 2021 Positive Psychology - Repetition is the secret to a happy life HISTORY After WW2 Curing mental illness Making the lives all people more fulÞlling Identifying and nurturing high talent Father of Positive Psychology - Martin Seligman 1998 APA President - Proposed shift in focus for all of psychology: FROM: studying and trying to undo the worst things in life TO: studying and trying to build the best things in life BALANCE - Restoring balance to psychologyÕs historic emphasis on the negative. Add study of positives - Overcome negative image of human nature. - Neutral to negative- classical conditioning, disease model. " Providing language of mental health and human strengths to complement and complete language of mental illness and disease model. Traditional Psych. - Disease Model- DSM- whatÕs wrong- life below zero. Positive Psych. - Strengths Model- Positive mental health- whatÕs right- what is life above zero? Absence of illness isnÕt health. 1 Wednesday, January 6, 2021 ÒGood LifeÓ- life well-lived. Know about a bad life- what is a good life? Provide answers to Òdeathbed test:Ó I wish I had devoted more of my life to _________. What matters most in life? Beliefs about Authenticity of Positive Psychology - Negative states viewed as more real and authentic. - Cynical view- Freud- underneath veneer of civility and politeness lies nasty emotions and self-serving motives. - Psychology of motivation- self serving biases, reinforcement, power, selfimage protection, and promotion. Beliefs about Positive Emotions - Joy, hope, optimism, happiness viewed as coping mechanisms to oûset negative emotions. Not valuable in own right. WHY SO NEGATIVE? Research: - Impression formation gives more weight to negative information - Relationships- one negative can undo thousands acts of kindness. - Presence or absence of negative, not positive, diûerentiates good from bad relationships. Why are negatives given more weight & attention? 1. Violates general expectation of positivity in everyday life. 2. Evolutionary value of negative/threats over positive. 2 Wednesday, January 6, 2021 DEPRESSION- UP DESPITE INCREASED AFFLUENCE Over last 50 years, twice as rich but 10 times more likely to be depressed- high rates among young, aÿuent, educated. - 15-20% of Americans suûer bout with severe depression. - 50% deal with milder forms. - Women twice rates of men. Positive - life above zero - How do we soar? Health & Strengths - What is life on the other side of zero? Positive mental health Focus on positive: emotional health, strength, virtue, happiness, joy, satisfaction, etc. Develop classiÞcation of positive mental health, strengths & virtues equivalent to DSM. OPPOSITION! Sounds like Positive ThinkingÑmostly motivational Poor science Sounds too religious Advancing a Western, ethnocentric creed of individualism Cure-all / Marketing ploy Svend Brinkman- Stand Firm Need more sober thinking 3 Wednesday, January 6, 2021 WHY STUDY THE BRAIN FIRST? ÒOmnes vita incipit in cerebroÓ The brain is not wired to be happy according to the evolutionary perspective. IS HAPPINESSIN THE BRAIN? We are just suppose to survive Unhappiness is the key to survival not happiness. Modern myth of happiness Ñ supposed to be happy all the time. Making us less happy 4