Chapter 1.1 Psychology and positive psychology

For much of its history, psychology has focused on the darker side of human nature — mental illness rather than mental health, pathology rather than subjective wellbeing (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). Psychology previously viewed people as deficient rather than as humans possessing remarkable character strengths that allow them to persevere and flourish. Many people view the practice of psychology through the prism of abnormality — as a science that is only used to ‘fix’ someone suffering from a mental illness or disorder of some kind. However, a new subdiscipline of psychology has emerged over the last decade or more that views the practice through a different prism, known as the positive psychology approach. This subdiscipline does not view psychology as something only to be used to treat a problem.

Rather, it is a proactive approach to help people live happier, more fulfilling and joyful lives. The focus is on understanding and harnessing positive emotions and actively stimulating the conditions that help people flourish. Positive psychology focuses on understanding the factors and processes that underpin a worthwhile life (Australian Psychological Society, APS, 2017). The positive psychology movement looks at topics such as hope, optimism, creativity, forgiveness, gratitude, wisdom, happiness, self-determination, wellbeing and resilience, to name a few. As summarised by Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (2000), two of the leaders of the positive psychology movement:

The field of positive psychology at the subjective level is about valued subjective experiences: wellbeing, contentment, and satisfaction (in the past); hope and optimism (for the future); and flow and happiness (in the present). At the individual level, it is about positive individual traits; the capacity for love and vocation, courage, interpersonal skill, aesthetic sensibility, perseverance, forgiveness, originality, future mindedness, spirituality, high talent, and wisdom. At the group level, it is about the civic virtues and the institutions that move individuals towards better citizenship: responsibility, nurturance, altruism, civility, moderation, tolerance, and work ethic.

Psychology seeks to answer questions about why we do the things we do. In trying to understand why things happen, we must be cautious not to be too quick in looking for a single cause of behaviour or a particular trigger event. Humans are complex creatures whose psychological experience lies at the intersection of biology and culture. To paraphrase theorist Erik Erikson (1963), psychologists must practise ‘triple bookkeeping’ to understand an individual at any given time, simultaneously tracking biological events, psychological experience and the cultural and historical context.

Psychology lies at the intersection of biology and culture. Psychology is the scientific investigation of mental processes (thinking, remembering and feeling) and behaviour. All psychological processes occur through the interaction of cells in the nervous system, and all human action occurs in the context of cultural beliefs and values that render it meaningful. Psychological understanding requires a constant movement between the micro-level of biology and the macro-level of culture.

Psychology is the scientific investigation of mental processes (thinking, remembering and feeling) and behaviour. Understanding a person requires attention to the individual’s biology, psychological experience and cultural context. Positive psychology focuses on understanding and harnessing positive emotions and actively stimulating conditions that produce valued, subjective experiences that help people flourish.