Positive psychology

Positive psychology

History and background

The history and the advent of positive psychology can be backdated to the times of Martin Seligman’s who was the then president of the American Psychological Association (APA) (Seligman, 2014, p.290).Seligman realized that psychology had positively impacted to a larger extent in the neglect of two of his missions before the world war II broke out. These three of his missions were to curing mental illness, helping people with to lead a more productive and life which is more fulfilling and also the nurturing of high talent among the people especially among the young generation of that time (Seligman, 2014, p.291). The rise of the veterans administrations during the 1940’s and the national institute of mental health in the same decade primarily made the discipline of psychology a healing discipline that was based on the disease model and the illness ideology. Due to this realization, Seligman resolved to his American Psychologists Association presidency to enhance a change in the focus of psychology as a discipline towards a more positive way i.e. the idea of positive psychology (Compton, 2005, p.250).

The initiative by Seligman was propelled by a series of other meetings that taking place all over the world especially in the city of Akumal, Mexico where scholars from all over the globe could inform and draft the conceptualization and the early stages of development of positive psychology. Seligman is one of the leading advocates of positive psychology, Seligman has been influential and fruitful in catalyzing and bringing together the many efforts of the many distinguished researchers and scientists who have become some of the key propellers and players in the advancement of the positive psychology movement (Christopher and Hickinbottom, 2008, p.570). The deliberate sociology of science approach in understanding the discipline of psychology, recognizing and building on the structural forces that have shaped and continue to shape the discipline of psychology led to the cementation of positive psychology (Compton, 2005, p.250). This has been enhanced by bringing in significant research funding, provision of essential research leadership and drawing in a portion of the brightest early vocation researchers through the arrangement of preparing organizations, inquire about coordinated efforts with senior scientists, and subsidizing support for their work.

However, clearly from the examination of the research literature that positive psychology did not begin in the early late 19th century. These revelations have been proved to be otherwise that the idea of positive psychology has always been with us as a holistic and integrated body of knowledge. However, positive psychology has passed unrecognized by many people.one of the major achievements of positive psychology movement up to the present has always been to consolidate, to lift up and celebrate what we do think about what makes life worth living, and also precisely outlining the ranges where we have to accomplish more (Seligman, 2014, p.290)

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Area of interest/Focus

My area of concentration in this research on positive psychology will be based on trying to understand the main characters behind the championing of positive psychology, theories that have been propelled forward by these researchers/scientist to champion for the positive psychology and how these theories apply to my area of focus. Many definitions have put forward to explain or define what positive psychology is. There are absolutely center subjects and textures, additionally, contrasts in accentuation and elucidation. In considering how best to define positive psychology, and how best to position its comprehension in the main issue of The Journal of Positive Psychology, we trust it is useful to give what we see as a meaning of positive psychology that distinguishes and depicts the diverse things that it may intend to mean to various individuals (Snyder and Lopez, 2009.p.185).

Researchers and theories in positive psychology

Positive psychology, according to Martin Seligman, can be defined as the ‘scientific study of optimal human functioning that aims to discover and promote the factors that allow individuals and communities to thrive.’ Research into the field of positive psychology topics has been there for a long time now and can be even be traced back to the origins of psychology itself. In general, the field of positive psychology has common interests with the humanistic psychology, and it majorly emphasizes on the fully functioning individual i.e. fully functioning human being. In understanding the theories in the field of positive research, the first and foremost thing that we need to learn is to know the researchers and the founding fathers of this area (Gable and Haidt, 2015, p.103).

Researchers and founders of positive psychology and theories.

According to positive psychology program, there are many founding fathers of the field of positive psychology, but it has listed five of the most influential researchers and founders. Although Martin Seligman was elected as the president of the American Psychological Association and it was during this time that positive psychology became the theme of his term as the chairperson of the Association (Seligman, 2014, p.290). Martín Seligman is widely seen as the father of the modern day i.e. the contemporary positive psychology.one of the founding father of positive psychology is

1. William James

Apart from James being a psychologist, he was also a physician and a philosopher and was also the first educator to offer a course in psychology in the United States of America. James argued that to understand and study an individual’s optimal functioning thoroughly .one has to critically take in how they experience, what is known as subjective experience (Snyder and Lopez, 2009.p.185). James saw the need to bring together positivistic and phonological methodology in understanding psychology what many people refer as Radical empiricism; this is because James was interested in understanding objective and observable in an individual. Despite all these reasons, many people consider William James as the first positive psychologist.

2. Abraham Maslow

The term “positive psychology” was used for the first time by Abraham Maslow through his 1954 book titled motivation and personality. Maslow did not like the way how psychology concerned itself majorly with disorder and dysfunction; he argued that it did not have an accurate understanding of the human potential and feeling (Gable and Haidt, 2015, p.103). He accentuated how brain research conclusively demonstrates our negative side by uncovering much about our ailments and deficiencies, however insufficient on our excellences or goals (Maslow, 1954, p. 354).

3. Martin Seligman

Seligman is an American psychologist educator, author of self-help and motivational books. Seligman is famous for his research and experiments and theory of learned helplessness, and this makes him be regarded as the founder of positive psychology. Seligman worked in learned helplessness and on the pessimistic attitudes garnered an interest in optimism, which he co-authored with Christopher Peterson to create a positive side to the diagnostic and statistical manual Disorders (DSM) (Sheldon and King, 2011, p.216).In their examination, they took a gander at various societies after some time to make a rundown of ethics that are profoundly esteemed and included it in their Character Strengths and Virtues segment in the DSM: astuteness/learning, valor, fantastic quality, equity, humankind, and moderation (Seligman, 2014, p.295)

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4. Christopher Peterson

Peterson was a teacher of psychology at the University of Michigan and also a former chair of the clinical psychology department at the University. Peterson and Seligman co-authored the book character strengths and virtues, and he is known for his works in the study of optimism, hope, integrity and the well-being (Sheldon and King, 2011, p.216). Peterson is remembered for his significant findings, and this makes him one of the founders of positive psychology for helping to lift up and bring psychology into this new era.

Conclusion

Overall, the main aim of positive psychology is to develop the individuals’ strengths of the young people in the society so that they may realize their personal potentials and to fulfill the second goal which s of creating a community where members are thriving civically, responsible and productive in their day to day activities. Mental prosperity has been assessed hugely. Also, the bring home message is that positive feelings are worth cultivating as end states in themselves as well as a way to accomplishing mental development and enhanced prosperity for some time.

References

Seligman, M.E. and Csikszentmihalyi, M., 2014. Positive psychology: An introduction (pp. 279-    298). Springer Netherlands.

Sheldon, K.M. and King, L., 2011. Why positive psychology is necessary. American         psychologist, 56(3), p.216.

Snyder, C.R. and Lopez, S.J., 2009. Oxford handbook of positive psychology. Oxford University Press, USA.

Compton, W.C., 2005. Introduction to Positive Psychology. Thomson Wadsworth.

Gable, S.L. and Haidt, J., 2015. What (and why) is positive psychology? Review of general          psychology, 9(2), p.103.

Christopher, J.C. and Hickinbottom, S., 2008. Positive psychology, ethnocentrism, and the           disguised ideology of individualism. Theory & Psychology, 18(5), pp.563-589.