Future Perspectives On Positive Psychology A Research Agenda

POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY Bringing together today’s most prominent positive psychology researchers to discuss current themes and issues in the field Positive psychology is the scientific study of the strengths, rather than the weaknesses, in human thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. For much of its history, psychology has focused on the negative, completely overlooking the positive attributes that allow individuals and communities to thrive. Positive Psychology is a collection of essays that together constitutes a much-needed theoretical rationale and critical assessment of the field. This book reassesses what we already know and provides directions for the future. Contributors are leading international authors, including Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Robert Sternberg, Vittorio Caprara, C. Daniel Batson, and Illona Boniwell, among others. These luminaries write in a way that is rigorous enough for academic use but accessible to professionals, policymakers, and lay audiences as well. The content of Positive Psychology include both theoretical applied contributions focusing on a range of areas including altruism, positive creativity, science of well-being, forgiveness, coaching for leadership, cyberpsychology, intelligence, responding to catastrophes like COVID-19, time perspective, physiological and epigenetic, youth civic engagement, ups and downs of love, flow and good life, global perspectives on positive psychology, self and collective efficacy, positive psychology interventions and positive orientation. The book is pitched to senior undergraduates, graduates, academics and researchers and provides insights and perspectives into neglected and unresolved questions. Brings together the latest viewpoints and research findings on positive psychology, from the leading thinkers in the field Offers both theoretical and applied insights, for a well-rounded reference on this new and fast growing field Contains contributions from well known authors like Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Robert Sternberg, and Vittorio Caprara Appeals to academic, professional, and lay audiences with an interest in acquiring a profound knowledge of positive psychology No other book currently on the market addresses such a breadth of issues in positive psychology. Positive Psychology represents a significant theoretical boost to this exciting field.

The best minds in positive psychology survey the state of the field Positive Psychology in Practice, Second Edition moves beyond the theoretical to show how positive psychology is being used in real-world settings, and the new directions emerging in the field. An international team of contributors representing the best and brightest in the discipline review the latest research, discuss how the findings are being used in practice, explore new ideas for application, and discuss focus points for future research. This updated edition contains new chapters that explore the intersection between positive psychology and humanistic psychology, salugenesis, hedonism, and eudaimonism, and more, with deep discussion of how the field is integrating with the new areas of self-help, life coaching, social work, rehabilitation psychology, and recovery-oriented service systems. This book explores the challenges and opportunities in the field, providing readers with the latest research and consensus on practical application. Get up to date on the latest research and practice findings Integrate positive psychology into assessments, life coaching, and other therapies Learn how positive psychology is being used in schools Explore possible directions for new research to push the field forward Positive psychology is being used in areas as diverse as clinical, counseling, forensic, health, educational, and industrial/organizational settings, in a wide variety of interventions and applications. Psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to promote human flourishing and well-being will find the second edition of Positive Psychology in Practice to be an informative, comprehensive guide.

The second edition of Positive Psychology features ground-breaking evidence and thinking on the topics of happiness, flow, optimism, motivation and more. Discover how to increase happiness levels, what obstacles to flourishing affect our day-to-day lives and how to apply positive psychology to diverse professional disciplines. The authors map the key positive psychology interventions available and discuss their merits with an emphasis on practice and evaluation. Ilona Boniwell and Aneta Tunariu skilfully combine a breadth of information about positive psychology with reflective questions, critical commentary and up-to-date research. Written in a witty, engaging and contemporary manner, this new edition includes: • Chapter summaries to help you check your understanding and speed up your revision • Experiments boxes to highlight research methodologies and contextualize the latest psychological findings • Personal development exercises to enhance your skills in wellbeing • Review questions to test your knowledge • Suggested resources to make your study time more efficient • Time out boxes to highlight key concepts and thinkers • Think about it boxes to develop your critical thinking skills • Measurement tools to introduce you to current thinking and debates • Mock essay questions to help you practise for your exam • Further reflection topics to delve deeper • Links to media materials within as well as beyond the typical academic literature • End of chapter quizzes to help you check your understanding Positive Psychology is essential reading for students taking modules in positive psychology and wellbeing; will be of interest to students of applied, coaching and sports psychology; and can help develop practising psychologists, coaches, counsellors and researchers interested in this burgeoning field of mental wellbeing and human happiness. "A highly recommended resource for teaching and studying positive psychology. Up-to-date, incorporating both the history and the latest developments in this field. Very clearly laid out, with key topics and concepts explained well along with practical learning activities for the use in classroom and/or for students’ individual learning." Vanessa King, MAPP (UPenn), Board Member Action for Happiness

This anthology focuses on empirical studies comparing cultures in relation to central positive psychological topics. The book starts out with an introductory chapter that brings together the main ideas and findings within an integrative perspective, based on a broad theoretical framework encompassing interdisciplinary and methodological issues. It gives special emphasis to some open issues in the theory and assessment of culture-related dimensions, and to the potential of positive psychology in addressing them. The introductory chapter is followed by two chapters that examine theoretical approaches and instruments developed to assess happiness and well-being across cultures. Following that examination, five chapters are devoted to the relationship between well-being, cultures and values. The second half of the book prominently investigates well-being across cultures in the light of socio-economic factors. This book shows that positive psychology, now officially well into its second decade, is providing still finer-grained perspectives on the diversity of cultures along with insights about our shared human nature, uniting us for better or worse.​

In recent times there has been growing interest in positive psychology as evidenced by the swell in positive psychology graduate programs, undergraduate courses, journals related to the topic, popular book titles on the topic and scholarly publications. Within the positive psychology community there has been an increased emphasis on the socially beneficial side of positive psychological science. At the First World Congress of the International Positive Psychology Association there was a major push to look at positive psychology as a social change mechanism. This volume will bring together thoughts of leaders in positive psychology from 8 countries to capitalize on the push toward social change and flourishing. By releasing this title at a critical time Springer has the opportunity to help frame the agenda for positive psychology as a force for social change. This seminal work is meant for anyone interested in happiness, strengths, flourishing or positive institutions It introduces Positive Psychology as an unapplied science that can be used to create positive social transformation and enabling institutions. This is a must-have title for academics, especially psychologists, sociologists, economists, and professionals working in the field of Positive Psychology and Well-Being.

This handbook discusses the latest findings from different fields of positive psychology from a global perspective by providing a coherent framework to get a better understanding of the development and practice of positive psychology. It starts with the parameters of positive psychology and a summary of the historical rise of positive psychology (both first wave and second wave of positive psychology) in the US, and its slow but steady growth on a global scale. This handbook highlights the major contributions of positive psychologists across 17 major regions of the world on theory, research, assessment and Practice. It discusses how positive psychology can progress human living in different countries and it shows the reasons why positive psychology has become an important source in research and education around the world.

In A Psychology of Human Strengths : Fundamental Questions and Future Directions for a Positive Psychology, leading scholars of contemporary psychology set a research agenda for the scientific study of human strengths. Aspinwall and Staudinger feature contributors who bring both supportive and challenging voices to this emerging field to stimulate discourse. In many cases, their findings have turned "established wisdom" on its head. What results is a comprehensive book that provides a forward-looking forum for the discussion of the purpose, pitfalls, and future of the psychology of human strengths. This volume offers commentary on positive psychology and its antecedents. It is a must-read for those looking for new ways of thinking about such topics as intelligence, judgment, volition, social behavior, close relationships, development, aging, and health as well as applications to psychotherapy, education, organizational psychology, gender, politics, creativity, and other realms of life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2004 APA, all rights reserved).