Humanistic Perspectives In Happiness Research

This book explores the theme of happiness and well-being from religious, spiritual, philosophical, psychological, humanistic, and health perspectives. Taking a non-binary approach, it considers how happiness in particular has been understood and appropriated in religious and non-religious strands of thought. The chapters offer incisive insight from a variety of perspectives, including humanism, atheism and major religions such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Judaism. Together they demonstrate that although worldviews might vary substantially, there are concurrences across religious and non-religious perspectives on happiness that provide a common ground for further cross-cultural and interreligious exploration. What the book makes clear is that happiness is not a static or monolithic category. It is an ongoing process of being and becoming, striving and seeking, living ethically and meaningfully, as well as arriving at a tranquil state of being. This multifaceted volume makes a fresh contribution to the contemporary study of happiness and is valuable reading for scholars and students from religious studies and theology, including those interested in interreligious dialogue and the psychology of religion, as well as positive psychology.

This specially selected collection of landmark work from the Journal of Happiness Studies maps the current contours, and the likely future direction, of research in a field with a fast-rising profile. This volume, which inaugurates a series aiming to explore discrete topics in happiness and wellbeing studies, features selected articles published in the Journal of Happiness Studies during its first decade, which culminated in an ‘impact factor’ in 2011. As the introductory work in the series, it provides readers with a vital overview of the prominent issues, problems and challenges that well-being and happiness research has had to overcome since its appearance on the scientific stage. The journal’s very success evinces both the high scientific quality of the research covered, and the steadily growing interest in a subject that draws responses from a vast range of epistemological aiming points, taking in economics, sociology, psychology, philosophy, education and medicine. The series of volumes following this debut publication will represent a unique contribution to the literature in their multidisciplinary focus on particularized topics. It is reckoned that this will help strengthen cross-disciplinary synergies among authors investigating the same topic, as well as whet the appetite for happiness research among professionals and experts inhabiting a variety of academic domains. This volume addresses the theory of well-being and happiness, the different research approaches now probing their features and components, and the socio-economic and cultural issues that impact on their promotion..

Real World Psychology balances comprehensive coverage of the key concepts in introductory psychology with a concise presentation style and engages students with current and interesting research that explores these concepts in real-life contexts. Real World Psychology features the incomparable author team of Karen Huffman (Palomar College) and Catherine Sanderson (Amherst College) who create an outstanding text that is appealing to students and instructors at a wide range of academic institutions. The new edition has been thoroughly updated and features a new focus on Scientific Thinking and Practical Applications underscoring the fact that connecting the principles of psychological science to everyday life is critical to student engagement, and ultimately key to their success – not only in the introductory psychology course, but in whatever their chosen field of study and in everyday life. Students will leave the course with an appreciation of how a basic, yet scientific understanding of human behavior can benefit them in their studies, in their personal lives, and in their professional endeavors.

Approaches to Psychology provides a contemporary, accessible and coherent introduction to the field of psychology, from its origins to the present, and shows the contribution of psychology to understanding human behaviour and experience. The book introduces students to the five core conceptual frameworks (or approaches) to psychology: biological; behaviourist; cognitive; psychodynamic; and humanistic. The methods, theories and assumptions of each approach are explored so that the reader builds an understanding of psychology as it applies to human development, social and abnormal behaviour. New to this edition: ¿ Expanded coverage of positive psychology ¿ Expansion of the coverage of influential psychoanalytic theorists, including Anna Freud and John Bowlby ¿ Discussion of the controversies in the formulation of DSM-5 ¿ Expanded coverage of other topics, including development and types of mental disorders ¿ Updated and expanded Online Learning Centre with student support material and instructor material at www.mcgraw-hill.co.uk/textbooks/glassman including PowerPoint slides and videos

The Psychology of Happiness brings together a wide array of psychological theory and research supporting Aristotle's fulfilment view of happiness.