Post on 13-Jan-2016
With Ed Wohlmuth
“…On the shoulders of giants”
Presentation adapted and inspired by the writings of Martin Seligman, Tal Ben Shahar, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Barbara Fredrickson, Jonathan Haidt, Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow, William Glasser, Dan Gilbert, and others.
Our JourneyIs this class another thing to do or your
chance to tip the scales on happiness?Our challenge and Opportunity: winter
and waning energyKnowledge, application, assessment
Bridging the ivory tower and main street
Rigor of academe
The Road to Positive Psychology• Humanistic Psychology (50’s)
(The Third Force)– Reaction to behaviorism
(First Force)– Reaction to psychoanalysis
(Second Force)• Lacked rigorous methodology Abraham Maslow
April 1, 1908 – June 8, 1970 (62)
Carl RogersJan.8, 1902 – Feb. 4, 1987 (85)
Martin Seligman Ellen Langer
The Scientific Study of Optimal Human Functioning
– M Seligman
The Road to Positive Psychology
Positive institutions: love relationship, family, school work, community
Positive subjective experiencesPleasure, enjoyment, happy, fulfilled
Positive Traits: Character, virtues, talents, interests, values
Why Positive Psychology?1. Balancing attention
between disorder research and wellness research
2. Happiness is not the negation of unhappiness
3. Cultivating capacity-positive emotion and relationships
• Anger: 5,584• Anxiety: 41,416• Depression: 54,040
Psychological Abstracts (1967-2000)
• Joy: 415• Happiness: 1,710• Life satisfaction: 2,582
Hell at Hogwarts: 80% of Students at Harvard experiencing depression, 94%
debilitating stress
Why Positive Psychology?
Depression 10 times higher today than 1960
Mean age for depression today is
14.5 (compared to 29.5 in 1960)
Why Positive Psychology?
Scope of Psychology
Focus on weaknesses
Overcoming deficiencies
Avoiding pain
Running from unhappiness
Neutral state (0) as ceiling
Tensionless as ideal
neurosis, anger, anxiety, wellbeing, satisfaction, joydepression, psychosis excitement, happiness
Disease Model Health Model-_______________________ 0 ____________________ +
Focus on strengths
Building competencies
Seeking pleasure
Pursuing happiness
No ceiling
Creative tension as ideal