In positive psychology there are three types of concepts studied. Those are positive emotions, positive character traits strengths, and positive institutions. Psychologist made research to understand what makes people to have positive feelings. For example; surveys were one way of measurement method used to collect data. People answer to the questions to measure what kind of activities, situations and stimulus makes people to have positive feelings. For example: working-out and sleeping are some examples that bring positive emotions to people. Now, people uses those activities in their life to be happy. Second concept studied is positive character traits and personal virtues. For example researchers study the ability of people to love, what makes them to be more resilience, forgive full, courage, mindful, and so on. They believe that when people have those traits they have a happier life in a long turn and be more successful during their lives. Some other traits that were studies in positive psychology are courage, work, compassion, resilience, creativity, curiosity, integrity, self-knowledge, humanity, justice, temperance, self-control, and wisdom. And personality disorders are being more trait based and traits on positive psychology are being used to overcome your personality disorders by using your strengths. Last concept is that positive psychology studies are positive institutions. The researches focus on what kind of characters makes people have a more qualitative work at communities and also make those communities a better place. For example: teamwork, leadership, justice and so on. Positive psychologist thinks that those instructions are necessary for people to have happier lives because those institutions creates a positive environment and in a consequence of that people feel happier by being in a positive environment and do better on their job. In general research on positive institutions makes resource to find what makes work places more satisfying and also more productive. Now, employers are giving tests to employees to measure if your strengths are enough for the job you are employed.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
What is positive psychology about?
Limitations in Positive Psychology
First, the definitions of positive psychology are misunderstood by so many people. Most people think that if there is a positive psychology the rest of it is about negative psychology. In last 5 years, there have been so many resources about positive psychology. Day by day, more people know about positive psychology. However, this procedure should be faster. There should be more promotions to knowledge people about what positive psychology means. We can so it by increasing researches on schools, work places and sports because we know that positive psychology can be used in any area to increase peoples well being. For example: starting from schools can be a fast process because introducing students at young ages with positive psychology would create a healthier, happier environment. Kids have chance to start their life with a more positive view of their selves and others at early ages and in a consequence of that they would have a more successful and richer lives. Second, positive psychology needs to consider effects of cultural differences because what s good and bad is not that simple. It is complex and multidimensional. For example; in one culture working out might be bad for women and in other country it may be normal. Saying work out good and it helps you to be happier would be wrong. Because of this people in a county which working out is seen as bad may think that positive psychology is not real or helpful. If we want to say one is good or bad we should think more universally and have studies in different cultures about positive psychology. Third, positive psychology focuses more on attachment, love and so on. However, there is not have enough studies about gratitude, and forgiveness. There needs to be more studies about those terms so we can benefit more from positive psychology. And also some strengths are not very clearly descried. For example: optimism is seen as good, but it can have bad outcomes too. Defense optimism can be one example for it. Scholars should be more detailed and careful when they describe the definitions and outcomes of those strengths.