Positive Psychology

• Defined as the scientific study of human flourishing.
• Focuses on well-being, happiness, and the cultivation of personal strengths.

Goals of Positive Psychology

• Promoting positive well-being, which encompasses:
  • Subjective Well-Being: Self-perceived happiness or satisfaction with life.
  • Fostering strengths and virtues to cultivate well-being, resilience, and positive emotions.
  • Enhancing positive groups, communities, and cultures; this includes:
  • Healthy families
  • Welcoming neighborhoods
  • Effective schools
  • Socially responsible media
  • Civil dialogue

Core Concepts of Positive Psychology

• Resilience: The ability to bounce back from challenges and stress.
• Positive Emotions: Emotions that create a sense of well-being and happiness.
• Psychological Health: Overall mental well-being and functioning.
• Key components contributing to positive psychology:
  • Happiness
  • Gratitude
  • Mindfulness
  • Character strengths
  • Faith communities

Authentic Happiness

• The quest for a meaningful and fulfilling life involves understanding one's true desires and values.

Impact of Positive Subjective Experiences

• Expressing Gratitude boosts well-being by:
  • Increasing happiness and life satisfaction.
  • Enhancing enjoyment of the present and hopefulness for the future.
  • Strengthening the immune system और lowering blood pressure.
  • Increasing empathy and lowering aggression.

The Science of Character

• Character Strengths include:
  • Appreciation of beauty and excellence
  • Leadership
  • Gratitude
  • Bravery
  • Creativity
  • Love of learning
  • Self-regulation
  • Curiosity

Exploring Personal Values

• Exploring reflections on identity and aspirations:
  • Questions to ponder:
  • What do I want to be?
  • Does what I do reflect who I am and who I aspire to be?

Character Strengths vs. Character Traits

• Character Strengths: Qualities that can be developed and honed; they contribute to well-being and are universal.
• Character Traits: Fixed attributes, similar to biological traits (e.g., eye color).

Grit

• Defined by:
  • Passion: Being energized and excited about what you do.
  • Perseverance: Resilience to keep going in the face of setbacks.
  • Purpose: Long-term goals that give direction to passion.

Mindsets

• Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset:
  • Growth Mindset: Belief in the ability to learn and grow. Emphasizes:
  1. Learning anything is possible.
  2. Perseverance when frustrated.
  3. Enjoying challenges.
  4. Learning from failure.
  5. Valuing effort.
  6. Being inspired by others' success.
  • Fixed Mindset: Belief that abilities are static and unchangeable:
  1. View on ability: either good at something or not.
  2. Giving up when frustrated.
  3. Disliking challenges.
  4. Feeling inadequate after failure.
  5. Seeking affirmation of intelligence rather than effort.

Hope

• Hope involves:
  • Expecting the best in the future and working toward achieving it.
  • The belief that a good future can be cultivated.

Self-Control/Regulation

• Definition: The ability to manage feelings and actions, and to exercise discipline by delaying immediate rewards.

The Marshmallow Study

• Study findings:
  • Delay of Gratification: Children who delayed gratification performed significantly better academically later on.
  • Higher scores on college placement exams.
  • Those who waited scored more than 200 points higher on the SAT compared to impulsive counterparts.

Importance of Self-Control in Adolescence

• Children exhibiting self-control are found to be:
  • More confident
  • More trustworthy
  • Better equipped to handle stress
  • More accepting of challenges
  • More persevering.

Improving Self-Control

• Methods to Enhance Self-Control:
  • Use Rational Emotive Therapy to analyze behaviors and consequences.
  • Control internal states and emotions.
  • Consciously practice self-regulation, keeping long-term goals in mind.

Social Intelligence

• Defined as the ability to:
  • Acknowledge and understand the motives and feelings of oneself and others.
  • Adapt behavior in various social contexts.

Curiosity

• Described as:
  • Taking an active interest in ongoing experiences.
  • Finding subjects fascinating and being eager to explore.

Gratitude

• The practice of:
  • Recognizing and appreciating the positive aspects of life.
  • Taking time to express thankfulness.

Zest

• Definition: Engaging fully in life with enthusiasm and energy.
  • Not performing tasks half-heartedly, but living each moment as an adventure.

Impact of Positive Subjective Experience on Trauma or Stress

• Post-Traumatic Growth: Positive psychological changes can emerge from grappling with traumatic experiences. Key outcomes include:
  • Recovering from trauma while discovering newfound strength and resilience.
  • Enhanced understanding of oneself and improved relationships.
  • Greater appreciation for life, emphasizing personal growth and transformation in adversity.