POSITIVE PSYCOLOGY
POSITIVE PSYCOLOGY
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In short, positive psychology can be defined as the science of well-being and optimal human function –
i.e. 1) when we feel good and 2) we are doing well.
The term positive psychology is used daily as an umbrella term for a wide range of research areas within psychology. What the research areas have in common is that they investigate the meaningful, forward-looking, potential and resource-oriented aspects of the human psyche. Roughly speaking, they investigate the conditions that make life worth living – such as success and love, etc.
The focus is on “what is right with people” and how we can promote it, in contrast to much traditional psychology, which focuses on “what is wrong” and how we can treat it.
The term positive psychology should not be understood to mean that the rest of psychology is perceived as negative psychology. Psychoanalysis also does not imply that all other psychology is physioanalysis. Humanistic psychology does not imply that all other psychology is inhuman, and cognitive psychology does not imply that all other psychology is emotional psychology.
Instead, within positive psychology, we talk about traditional psychology, which since World War II has had a predominantly disease-oriented research focus. The table below shows some of the differences in research subjects between traditional psychology and positive psychology.
Positive psychology can be interpreted in part as old wine in new bottles. The field today covers research areas that have existed for a long time, but which have not received significant research funding for many years. Some of the theoretical ideas within the field have been put forward previously, and are in that sense old wine.
What is new is in particular the many empirical studies and partly new theories and methods. In recent years, positive psychology has become known to the public in particular due to happiness research, which actually only constitutes a small part of the subject area of positive psychology. Research in positive psychology was originally divided into three areas:
1. Positive emotions – understood as short-term states.
2. Engagement – understood as long-term traits such as personality traits and character strengths. 3. Meaning – with a focus on meaning experienced through participation in positive communities (positive institutions).
The American psychologist Martin Seligman (2011), who is considered the founder of positive psychology, has since added two categories:
4. Relationships – understood as positive relationships with other people.
5. Achievement / accomplishment.
A myriad of research objects fall under these broad categories. The research is based on
traditional research methods, which are also used today on “the sunny side of life”.
The goal of research in positive psychology is not to eliminate the negative, but rather to supplement
traditional psychology with research into how positive relationships can be promoted so that people can
thrive and live fulfilling lives.
Previously, the concept of happiness was used as an overarching concept within positive psychology. Today, it has been replaced
by the concept of well-being, which can also be translated as well-being or well-being.
The combination of well-being and optimal functioning is called flourishing. In Danish, it can be described as to blossom, unfold, come into character, be in bloom, be prosperous, succeed, and realize oneself. Most researchers in the field try to work descriptively rather than prescriptively. That is, they do not preach that you should think positively about your work or ignore negative emotions. The researchers simply produce a lot of information that you yourself can choose what you can and will use for