Learned optimism examples9/12/2023 ![]() From this point on, psychology operated under a “disease model,” an approach that focuses on identifying what is “wrong” with people. Due to the reduced resources and pronounced suffering as a direct result of the war, focus narrowed to the first aim and there was less interest in the latter two. She highlights that before World War II, the field of psychology had three goals: 1) to cure the mentally ill, 2) to improve normal lives, and 3) to identify and nurture high talent. In her book, Positive Psychology in a Nutshell, psychologist Ilona Boniwell traces this history of positive psychology back to this humanistic movement (2008). Freud), Rogers, Maslow, and other humanistic psychologists focused on humans’ potential and inherent good qualities. In contrast to the somewhat pessimistic theories about human functioning that characterized earlier psychoanalytical theory (e.g. Prominent humanistic psychologists include Carl Rogers, known for his development of client-centered therapy, and Abraham Maslow, known for his hierarchy of human needs. While the above definition comes from an article introducing positive psychology in 2000, similar areas of study existed long before the new millennium.įor example, humanistic psychology, which arose in the mid-20th century and has roots in ancient Greek philosophy, is often considered an important influence on positive psychology. Positive psychology did not arise in a vacuum but rather was inspired by various psychological and philosophical traditions. The p sychologists, Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who are often considered the founders of the positive psychology field, define it as “the scientific study of positive human functioning and flourishing on multiple levels that include the biological, personal, relational, institutional, cultural, and global dimensions of life” (2000). If you are not familiar with the field of positive psychology, the name might seem like it is referring to something along the lines of “positive thinking.” However, while optimism is certainly relevant to positive psychology (and will be discussed below), it is simply one concept of many under the broad umbrella of positive psychology. ![]() ![]() Positive psychology arose, in part, as a reaction against the field of psychology’s traditional focus on mental health “problems.” Instead of trying to fix what is “wrong” with people, positive psychology asks how we can cultivate human strengths such as resilience, joy, and meaning. When people think about the field of psychology and what psychologists do, clinical issues such as anxiety and depression come to mind. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |