Positive Psychology: Strategies and Tools for Schools Terry Molony, Psy.D., NCSP Minnesota School...
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Transcript of Positive Psychology: Strategies and Tools for Schools Terry Molony, Psy.D., NCSP Minnesota School...
Positive Psychology:Strategies and Tools for Schools
Terry Molony, Psy.D., [email protected]
Minnesota School Psychology AssociationJanuary 2016
Goals
Overview of Positive PsychologyActivities to use in Schools related to the components of Positive Psychology
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What makes life worthwhile?The gross national product does not allow for the health of our children…their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages,…It measures neither wit nor courage; neither our wisdom nor our teaching; neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country; it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile.
Robert F. Kennedy, 1968
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What is Positive Psychology?
Scientific study of human strengths that help people to thrive!Studying positive emotions, positive individual traits and positive institutionsIt involves happiness, creativity, resilience, compassion, courage, curiosity, meaning of life, gratitude to name a few
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Is Positive Psychology simply Positive Thinking?
Absolutely not!!!!!Body of research behind itDoes not suggest people will never and should never experience negative emotionsNot a replacement for traditional psychology based on healing mental illnesses, but a supplement or a prevention program
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Roots of Positive Psychology
• Philosophers– Ancient teachings of Aristotle, Plato, Socrates– Utilitarian philosophers: David Hume, Jeremy Bentham,
John Locke
• Religion – Taoism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, and
Islam
• Established psychological theories– Humanism, Attribution Theory, Big Five Personality Theory
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Who is happy?
Is there a happiest time of life?Is there a gender difference?Is there a connection between wealth and well-being?Are those in relationships or with close friends happier?Does spirituality increase happiness?
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Influences on happiness
RelationshipsFinancial situation up to a pointWorkCommunity and friendsHealthPersonal freedom Personal values
Richard Layard
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Is there a happiness set-point?
H=S+C+VH= Enduring level of HappinessSet rangeCircumstancesVoluntary control
Martin Seligman
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What Determines Happiness
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What’s different about Happy People?
Happy people respond to stimuli differently than unhappy people– They forget bad things more easily
Positive outlook is related to good health outcomesPositive mood is related to more active problem solving and better attention
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Neurobiology of Positive Emotions
Oxytocin - facilitates attachment and social support and reduces stress responsesResults in active or efficient dopamine pathwaysAids in efficient functioning of the immune system.
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Broaden and Build Theory
The B and B theory suggests that when people have positive emotions, they can broaden their repertoire of behaviors and over time develop new skills and competencies that they can use to solve other problems in the future
Fredrickson
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The Undoing Effect of Positive Emotions
When people experience a negative emotion, they usually have a negative physiological response, like their heart rate goes up, they breathe quicker or some other negative sensation. If they are able to experience a positive emotion, they are able to return to the normal heart rate, breathing etc. quickly.
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The Goal
If the goal is to increase overall well-being by increasing positive emotions should we just not do any work and have fun all the time?The Pleasant Life vs. Engaged LifeHedonia vs. eudaemonia
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Components of Positive Psychology
Positive Affect FlowOptimism GratitudeUsing Signature StrengthsHope
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How happy are you?
Lyubormirsky’s Subjective Happiness ScaleSelf Report with four questionsMany Positive Psychology measures are self-reports– In order to be happy, you have to perceive
yourself as happy
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Lyubormirsky’s Subjective Happiness Scale (Adapted)
In general, I consider myself: not a very a very happy vs. very happy?Compared to most of my peers, I consider myself?Some people are generally very happy. They enjoy life regardless of what is going on, getting the most out of everything. To what extent does this characterization describe you?Some people are generally not very happy. Although they are not depressed, they never seem as happy as they might be. To what extent does this characterization describe you?
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Positive Affect
Experience happy feelings over time– Past
Satisfaction, contentment, pride, serenityForgive past grievances, accepting losses
– FutureOptimism, hope, confidence, trust, faith
– PresentPhysical-warmth, yumminessHigher level- elevation, inspiration, bliss
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Positivity Ratio
• 3 to 1 positivity ratio predicts flourishing!• Let’s take the Positivity Ratio Survey
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Activities to Increase Positive Affect
Positivity Portfolio– Gather special objects or mementos that elicit
strong connections with each different positive emotions, such as Joy, Gratitude, Serenity, Interest, Hope, Pride, Amusement, Inspiration, Awe, Love.
– Make a portfolio for each one and use them when you are beginning to feel stressed or need a boost.
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Activities to Increase Positive Affect
Make sure you spend time laughing oftenSavor experiences- Be mindful of how they feel, sound, taste, look like. Pay attention to all your sensesMake time to be with loved ones, and friendsCultivate leisure activities that increase positive affect and that broaden and build
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Flow Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Task is challenging but controllableAble to concentrateClear goalsImmediate feedbackSense of control over actionsSense of self disappearsSense of duration of time is altered
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Flow Diagram
24Sources: Adapted from Massimini & Carli 1988; Csikszentmihalyi 1990
CH
ALL
EN
GE
S
SKILLSLow
High
High
Anxiety ArousalFlow
Worry
ApathyBoredom
Relaxation
Control
Flow ActivitiesTeach the vocabulary and components
of FlowDevelop scales (1-5) to measure boredom, anxiety, frustration as well as relaxation and enjoyment to they can learn about themselvesHelp them to identify Flow experiences they have in their daily lives
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Flow Activities
Connect Flow to school– Do they ever get lost in certain subjects or
assignments because of interest?– Do they like projects better than tests?
Design Flow experiences– What kind of assignments would they give if they
were the teacher?– Advocate with the teacher about how they can
learn better when they are in the flow.
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Flow Activities
Help children Self-Monitor– When they get a task, ask them to rate it in terms
of things like ChallengeInterestSkill
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Gratitude
The grateful person experiences more positive emotions, they avoid taking things for granted and therefore are less likely to get used to positive life experiencesGratitude seems different from pleasure or happinessGratitude appears to be related to satisfaction with life, less depression and anxiety, more helpfulness and empathy
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What a wonderful world it would be!
The grateful feelings in the person who receives reinforces the person who gave. This helps to prompt the giver to continue to give to others. It also prompts the receiver to give to others.
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Is there a negative side to gratitude?
Will encouraging people to consider their indebtedness to another, lead them to feel angry and resentful to the giver?Research does not support this. Gratitude is perceived as a pleasant emotion, i.e. contentment
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Gratitude Bulletin Board
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Gratitude Activities
Send a gratitude letter to someone – Give post-its to students to surprise people with
messages of gratitude– Students can send a letter to people like the bus
driver or cafeteria workers
Count your blessings– Every day pay attention to the things that you are
thankful for– Often an effective remedy for sleep problems
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Gratitude Activities
Keep a gratitude journal, write about things you are grateful for– Social interactions, awareness of physical health,
overcoming obstacles, beauty of nature
Make a bulletin board with people’s note of gratitude. It may inspire others reading it to feel grateful too.
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Gratitude Activities
Think of accomplishments in your life and who has helped you to succeed. Teach this to children. Mentoring and Check In-Check Out programs can help children learn about gratitude. The Mentor can role model it for the child.http://www.nasponline.org/communications/spawareness/2009_gratitudeworks.aspx
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Optimism
A belief that all will turn out wellA propensity to look at the bright sideA way of explaining what happens in life– Attributions
Global or SpecificPermanent or TemporaryPersonal or Impersonal
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BIG and little Optimism
BIG OPTIMISM
-Someday there will be world peace
-Some day there will be no such thing as hunger or poverty
little optimism
– I’m going to find a good parking space at the mall!
– The party is going to be fun!
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Good events
Optimists – Global
I do great in all my classes
– PermanentI always have done great
– PersonalI’m just so smart
Pessimists– Specific
I only do good in math
– TemporarySo I did good this time. I hardly ever do good
– ImpersonalThe test was easy
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Bad Events
Optimists– Specific
It was just this one test I did bad on
– Temporary I usually do ok
– ImpersonalThe test was too hard and I didn’t have enough time to study
Pessimists– Global
I fail every test, math reading or science! It doesn’t matter
– PermanentI always fail! Every year I do bad.
– PersonalI’m just not smart
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CAVE technique
Content Analysis Verbatim TechniquePredicted who would win the world series and who would win presidential debates
Listen to the music that children listen to. What are the attributions?
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ABC and now D
A-Adversity (the event)B-Belief (thoughts and interpretation cause consequences)C-Consequences (how you behave and feel after an adversity)D-Disputing
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Four Pillars of Effective Disputing
Evidence gathering– Is there evidence against the belief
Generating alternatives– Perspective taking
De-catastrophizing- What if’s
Develop a plan of attack
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De-catastrophizing
What is the worst thing that can happen?Is it likely to happen?What is the best thing that can happen?Which is more likely to happen?
Usually the answer is somewhere between the worst and the best thing that can happen.
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Optimism Activities
Teach the skills about attributions and how to dispute themRead common scenarios that happen to children and have them do “Thumbs up/Thumbs down” where the attributions are Optimistic or PessimisticHave children role play situations and identify as Optimistic or Pessimistic attributions
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Optimism Activities
Regarding the scenarios, ask them to identify the opposite attribution, so they can learn that attributions are not factsHave students make up their own examples for other students to guessAfter they learn about attributions, ask them to pay attention during the week to their own and others’ attributions. Notice when they say “Always” and “Never”
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Signature Strengths
CourageJusticeHumanityTemperanceWisdomTranscendence
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Signature Strengths Bulletin Board
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Virtues in Action
http://www.ppc.sas.upenn.edu/ppquestionnaires.htm
At this website there are many questionnaires that you can complete regarding positive psychology
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Courage
BraveryPersistenceIntegrityVitality
Ability to accomplish goals and overcome obstacles
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Justice
CitizenshipFairnessLeadership
Underlies community life
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Humanity
LoveKindnessSocial Intelligence
Interpersonal strengths that involve caring for and befriending others
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Temperance
Forgiveness and mercyHumility and modestyPrudenceSelf-regulation
Strengths that protect against excess
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Wisdom
CreativityCuriosityOpen-mindednessLove of learningPerspective
Cognitive strength that entail the acquisition and use of knowledge
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Transcendence
Appreciation of beauty and excellenceGratitudeHopeHumor Spirituality
Forge connections with the larger universe and provide meaning
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Activities to Develop Signature Strengths
Take the signature strengths test on the Penn websiteOr develop questions appropriate for the level of students you are working withPay attention to notice the signature strengths that the children and students are using. Bring them to the attention of the other person
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Activities to Develop Signature Strengths
Work to develop other signature strengths you admireTeachers can design writing activities related to signature strengths. Assignments can be focused on writing about signature strengths of the main character, historical figure. Young children can draw a picture of how the character is using a signature strength
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Activities to Develop Signature Strengths
Signature Strengths can help ease transitions. Information about students strengths can be discussed across levels and students can have more confidence about making the transition if they can use their strengths.Group projects can be developed with students with different strengths grouped together to complete different tasks.
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Hope
Ability to plan a pathway to a desired goal despite obstacles
PlusMotivation to do it
High hope people set achievable goals and look at obstacles as challenges
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Developing hope in children
We can help children develop hope by encouraging them to develop achievable goals, by listening to them and nurturing their talentsNoticing their accomplishments, the things they valueHelping them to stretch their goals
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Developing Hope
Use stories and books that illustrate how someone with hope was able to overcome obstaclesStart with short term goals and then link them togetherStrong behavior plans can help to develop hope
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Developing Hope
Listen carefully to children and help them to verbalize their goals. Be careful not to force goals on them. Meaningful goals must be intrinsically motivating.Keep track of progress. If the student is getting off course from the goal, reassess to get back on track or to modify the goal
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Thank you!
• Please see bibliography for suggested readings• Email if you have questions
([email protected])• Email if you have time to let me if you are
using positive psychology activities and how they are working!
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