Positive Psychology, Seligman's Concept of

In recent years, there has been a swell of textbooks, handbooks, journal articles, and college classes, all [Page 856]bearing the description “positive psychology.” The term positive psychology refers to a current movement within the field and an approach to research and application rooted in psychology's intellectual history. Simply put, positive psychology is the pursuit of scientific knowledge, both theoretical and applied, that focuses on people's strengths and abilities and essentially what makes life worth living, for instance, pleasant emotions and beneficial social relationships. Positive psychology is an intellectual counterpoint to the traditional emphasis on the study of mental illness and social problems. Rather than seeking to remedy ill health, an underlying principle of positive psychology is an emphasis on moving individuals above an emotional neutral point to a fulfilling and enjoyable life that benefits society. After all, any psychology focused entirely on correcting problems is only “half a psychology.” Researchers in positive psychology seek to understand the positive aspects of life, in addition to psychological problems, in an attempt toward formulating a more complete vision of the “good life.”

Examples of positive psychologists can be found as early as 1958, when Marie Jahoda discussed the importance of studying positive psychological functioning in her book Current Concepts of Positive Mental Health (Jahoda, 1958). Similarly, humanistic psychologists such as Abraham Maslow were among the forerunners of today's positive psychologists, with their emphasis on growth and the realization of human potential. Maslow, for instance, theorized that “self-actualization” was the highest goal of psychological development, characterized as the fulfillment of one's greatest potential. Likewise, another humanist, Carl Rogers, wrote about the “fully functioning person,” a person who has achieved a high level of self-awareness that is accompanied by increased creativity, confidence, spontaneity, and adaptability. In recent years, psychologists such as Ed Deci and Richard Ryan have continued in the tradition of Maslow and Rogers in their empirical studies of intrinsic motivation—being motivated internally rather than by external rewards—and the related gains in performance and life satisfaction (Ryan & Deci, 2000).

There are also examples of positive psychology in each of psychology's subdisciplines. For decades, educational and counseling psychologists have stressed the importance of people's resources and have sought to develop theories and applications based on personality strengths rather than weaknesses. Likewise, organizational psychologists have studied positive topics such as productivity in the workplace and job satisfaction. Social psychologists have done more than simply study aggression and mindless obedience; they have also studied love, altruism, and health. Researchers in developmental psychology have focused on topics such as empathy, friendship, positive child rearing, and positive aging. Developmental psychologists have also been influential in practical applications of many positive concepts such as pre-school programs and after-school activities. Unlike the scattered interest in positive behavior that marked past research, the positive psychology movement has brought the diverse scholars studying positive topics together in a common effort.

The current formal positive psychology movement was begun in the 1990s by Martin Seligman, as the focus of his presidency of the American Psychological Association, in an effort to integrate these disparate lines of research. With a core group of colleagues, Seligman planned an ambitious set of activities and institutions to foster the science of positive psychology: conferences, scholarly books, funded research projects, and a summer institute. These activities were supported by many businesses and foundations, who saw the potential benefits of a positive psychology (Seligman, 2003). Within 5 years, the movement was broad and had attracted many young scholars. Seligman succeeded in developing a positive psychology curriculum for high school and university classes, securing grants and prizes for research in positive psychology, developing a taxonomy of positive character traits, and establishing workshops and conferences for positive psychology scholars.

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