Unit-I: Meaning, Definition and Nature

of Positive Psychology

1.1Definitions, Assumptions
& Goals of Positive
Psychology

Definition of Positive Psychology

Martin Seligman & Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi define positive psychology
as “the scientific study of positive human functioning and flourishing on
multiple levels that include the biological, personal, relational, institutional,
cultural, and global dimensions of life.

Sheldon and King (2001) define positive psychology as “nothing more than
the scientific study of ordinary human strengths and virtues”

Gable and Haidt (2005) defined positive psychology is “the study of the
conditions and processes that contribute to the flourishing or optimal
functioning of people, groups and institutions.”

“Positive psychology is the scientific study of what makes life most worth
living” (Peterson, 2008)

According to American Psychological Association (APA), Positive

Psychology is a field of psychological theory and research that focuses on
the psychological states (e.g., contentment, joy), individual traits or
character strengths (e.g., intimacy, integrity, altruism, wisdom), and social
institutions that enhance subjective well-being and make life most worth
living.
Seligman’s (2003) three pillars of positive psychology.

(1) Positive subjective experiences (such as joy, happiness, contentment,

optimism, and hope);

(2) Positive individual characteristics (such as personal strengths and

human virtues that promote mental health);

(3) Positive social institutions and communities that contribute to

individual health and happiness.

Assumptions of Positive Psychology

These are indeed key assumptions of positive psychology:

1. Balance in Psychology: Positive psychology suggests that the

traditional focus on pathology and dysfunction in psychology has led to
an imbalance in understanding human behavior. By focusing solely on
what's wrong with people, psychology overlooks the positive aspects of
human nature and experience.
2. Human Goodness and Excellence: Positive psychology asserts that
human beings possess inherent goodness and the capacity for
excellence. It advocates for the recognition of these positive qualities
as being just as real and worthy of study as disorders and distress. This
challenges the prevailing disease model, which often dominates
psychological discourse.
3. Innate Motivation for a Good Life: Another assumption is that
humans are naturally inclined towards pursuing a fulfilling and
meaningful life. This implies that individuals are motivated to seek out
opportunities for growth, happiness, and overall well-being.

These assumptions collectively form the foundation of positive psychology,

guiding its focus on strengths, virtues, and optimal functioning rather than
solely on deficits and pathology.
Goals of Positive Psychology

[1] According to Martin Seligman’s goal of positive psychology was

To refocusing the entire field of psychology.

To find elements of positive psychology represented in so many

different areas of psychology, from physiological to clinical psychology.

To restore balance within the discipline of Psychology which was too much
focused on negative aspects.

To catalyze a change in psychology from a preoccupation only with

repairing the worst things in life to also building the best qualities in life.

To improve understanding of positive human behaviors to balance the

negative focus of much mainstream research & theory (Sheldon & King,
2001).

To develop an empirically-based conceptual understanding and

language for describing healthy human functioning that parallels our
classification and understanding of mental illness (Keyes, 2003)

To boost present well-being.

To prevent future problems.

To make life worthwhile.

[2] Martin Seligman's goals for positive psychology encompassed several

key objectives:
Refocusing the entire field of psychology: Seligman aimed to shift the
focus of psychology from solely studying pathology and dysfunction to also
investigating strengths, virtues, and optimal functioning.
Finding elements of positive psychology across various areas of
psychology: He sought to identify aspects of positive psychology in
different branches of the field, such as physiological and clinical psychology.
Restoring balance within psychology: Seligman aimed to counteract the
predominant focus on negative aspects within psychology by highlighting the
importance of studying and promoting positive aspects of human
experience.
Catalyzing a change in psychology's focus: He aimed to transform
psychology from primarily addressing problems and pathology to also
emphasizing the cultivation of positive qualities and experiences.
Improving understanding of positive human behaviors: Seligman
aimed to balance the negative bias present in much mainstream
psychological research and theory by deepening understanding of positive
human behaviors and experiences.
Developing empirically-based conceptual understanding and
language: He sought to establish a scientific framework and terminology for
describing healthy human functioning that parallels the classification and
understanding of mental illness.
Boosting present well-being: Positive psychology aims to enhance
individuals' current well-being by promoting positive emotions, relationships,
engagement, meaning, and accomplishments.
Preventing future problems: By fostering resilience, optimism, and other
positive attributes, positive psychology aims to prevent or mitigate future
psychological problems and enhance individuals' ability to cope with
adversity.
Making life worthwhile: Ultimately, positive psychology aims to contribute
to making individuals' lives more fulfilling, meaningful, and worthwhile by
promoting their strengths, virtues, and optimal functioning.
Nature of Positive
psychology
Positive psychology is a relatively new form of psychology. It emphasizes
the positive influences in a person’s life.

This area of psychology focuses on how to help human beings prosper

and lead healthy, happy lives. However, the goal is to minimize
pathological thoughts that may arise in a hopeless mindset and to develop a
sense of optimism toward life.

the benefits of five factors essential to happiness and wellbeing: positive

emotions, engagement, meaning, relationships and accomplishment
(often known as PERMA).

Positive psychology is not simply the focus on positive thinking and

positive emotions. It‘s much more than that. Indeed, the area of positive
psychology focuses on what makes individuals and communities flourish,
rather than languish. Flourishing is defined as “a state of positive
mental health

Three Levels of Positive Psychology.

[1] Positive psychology often referred to as having three different levels:

 Subjective level: It focuses on feelings of happiness, well-being, and

optimism, and how these feelings transform your daily experience.
 Individual level: It is a combination of the feelings in the subjective level
and virtues such as forgiveness, love, and courage.
 Group level: It is a positive interaction with your community, including
virtues like altruism and social responsibility that strengthen social bonds.
[2] Positive psychology does not end to feeling a sense of individual well-
being itself. Rather proponents of this science often refer to the “Three
Levels of Positive Psychology”:

 Subjective level.: The subjective level centers around feelings of

happiness, well-being, optimism, and similar emotions or feelings as they
relate to your daily experience.
 Individual level.: The individual level combines the subjective level
feelings of well-being with the qualities or virtues that make you a well-
rounded person. For example forgiveness, love, and courage.
 Group level.: The group level focuses on positive interaction with your
community, and includes traits like altruism, social responsibility, and
other virtues that strengthen social bonds.

It focuses on the positive events and influences in life, including:

1.Positive experiences (like happiness, joy, inspiration, and love).

2.Gratitude, resilience, and compassion included in Positive states
and traits
3.Positive institutions (applying positive principles within entire
organizations and institutions).

As a field, positive psychology spends much of its time thinking about topics
like character strengths, optimism, life satisfaction, happiness,
wellbeing, gratitude, compassion (as well as self-compassion), self-
esteem and self-confidence, hope, and elevation.

Fields of Positive
Psychology.
Positive Psychology is the scientific study of human flourishing, and an
applied approach to optimal functioning.
Within psychology’s recent history, the humanistic movement may have
been one of the strongest voices for a more positive psychology. Humanistic
psychology also criticized the tendency of traditional psychology to focus on
negative aspects of human functioning.

Positive psychology draws on research and theory from established areas of

psychology. It is, a mosaic of research and theory from many different areas
of psychology. Moreover, it is tied together by their focus on positive aspects
of human behavior. Let’s see the fields of positive psychology below:

These are indeed some key fields and concepts within positive psychology.
Here's a brief overview of each:

[1] Flow: The state of being fully immersed and focused on a task,
where one loses track of time and experiences deep enjoyment and
fulfillment.
Gratification: Finding pleasure or satisfaction in the outcomes of one's
actions or experiences, often related to achieving personal goals or desires.
Gratitude: The practice of acknowledging and appreciating the positive
aspects of life, including recognizing the kindness of others and being
thankful for one's own blessings.
Happiness: A subjective state of well-being characterized by positive
emotions, life satisfaction, and a sense of meaning and purpose.
Helplessness: The feeling of being unable to control or influence outcomes,
often leading to pessimism and a sense of powerlessness.
Hope: Belief in the possibility of positive outcomes and the motivation to
work towards achieving them, even in the face of challenges or setbacks.
Mindfulness: The practice of being fully present and engaged in the
moment, without judgment or attachment to thoughts or emotions.
Optimism: A positive outlook on life and the future, characterized by the
belief that good things are likely to happen and that challenges can be
overcome.
Positive Thinking: The habit of focusing on and emphasizing the positive
aspects of situations, events, and experiences, which can lead to greater
resilience and well-being.
Resilience: The ability to adapt and bounce back from adversity, setbacks,
and stressors, often strengthened by supportive relationships, coping
strategies, and personal strengths.

[2] 1. Flow.
 In positive psychology, a flow state, also known colloquially as being in the
zone, is the mental state in which a person performing some
activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full
involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.
 Flow is a state of optimal experience arising from intense involvement in
an activity that is enjoyable.
 It includes playing a sport, performing a musical passage, or writing a
creative piece.
 Flow arises when one’s skills are fully utilized yet equal to the demands of
the task, intrinsic motivation is at a peak.
 One loses self-consciousness and temporal awareness, and one has a
sense of total control, effortlessness, and complete concentration on the
immediate situation.

2. Gratification.
 Gratification is the state of satisfaction following the fulfillment of a
desire or the meeting of a need.
 Instant (or immediate) gratification is a term that refers to the
temptation, and resulting tendency, to forego a future benefit in
order to obtain a less rewarding but more immediate benefit.
 Delayed gratification is the act of resisting an impulse to take an
immediately available reward in the hope of obtaining a more-
valued reward in the future. The ability to delay gratification is
essential to self-regulation, or self-control.
 It is the satisfaction or pleasure you feel when you get something you
wanted or worked for.
3. Gratitude.
 Gratitude is a positive emotion that involves being thankful and
appreciative and is associated with several mental and physical health
benefits.
 When you experience gratitude, you feel grateful for something or
someone in your life and respond with feelings of kindness, warmth, and
other forms of generosity.
 It is a sense of thankfulness and happiness in response to receiving a gift,
either a tangible benefit (e.g., a present, favor) given by someone or a
fortunate happenstance.

4. Happiness/ Pleasures.
 Happiness is a state of emotional well-being that a person experiences
either in a narrow sense
 When good things happen in a specific moment, or more broadly, as a
positive evaluation of one’s life and accomplishments overall—that is,
subjective well-being.
 An emotion of joy, gladness, satisfaction, and well-being.
 Pleasure is the emotion or sensation induced by the enjoyment or
anticipation of what is felt or viewed as good or desirable

5. Helplessness.
 Helplessness a state of incapacity, vulnerability, or powerlessness
associated with the perception that one cannot do much to improve a
negative situation that has arisen.
 Helplessness is the belief that there is nothing that anyone can do
to improve a bad situation (such as being diagnosed with an illness).
 In many ways, then, helplessness is a belief that control over the situation
or its outcomes is impossible.
6. Hope.
 Hope is a positive cognitive state based on a sense of successful
goal-directed determination and planning to meet these goals.
 In other words, hope is like a snap-shot of a person’s current goal-directed
thinking, highlighting the motivated pursuit of goals and the expectation
that those goals can be achieved.
 It is the expectation that one will have positive experiences or that a
potentially threatening or negative situation will not materialize or will
ultimately result in a favorable state of affairs.
 Hope characterized in the psychological literature in various ways,
including as a character strength.
 An emotion; a component of motivation that is critical to goal attainment.
 A mechanism that facilitates coping with loss, illness, and other significant
stresses; or an integrated combination of these features.

7. Mindfulness.
 Mindfulness is the awareness of one’s internal states and surroundings.
 Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of
our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding
environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens.
 Mindfulness teaches you the skill of paying attention to the present by
noticing when your mind wanders off.

8. Optimism.
 Optimism goes beyond seeing the bright side of a situation or expecting
good things.
 It’s also a way of explaining what has already happened.
 When something good happens, optimists think about what they did to
make the situation turn out so well. They see their abilities as permanent,
stable parts of themselves.
 Hopefulness: the attitude that good things will happen and that people’s
wishes or aims will fulfill ultimately.
9. Positive Thinking.
 Positive thinking, is the practice of focusing on the good in any
given situation.
 It can have a big impact on your physical and mental health.
 Positive thinking just means approaching unpleasantness in a more
positive and productive way.
 It often starts with self talk.

10. Resilience.
 Resilience in positive psychology refers to the ability to cope with
whatever life throws at you.
 Resilience is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult
or challenging life experiences. Especially through mental, emotional, and
behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands.
 The ability to recover from setbacks, adapt well to change, and
keep going in the face of adversity.

These fields and concepts are not only areas of study

within positive psychology but also serve as practical
tools and strategies for promoting mental health, well-
being, and personal growth.