Indian Journal of Positive Psychology

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Optimistic Promises of Positive Psychology: W ell-being and its Possible Applications


Affiliations
1 Udai Pratap Autonomous College, V aranasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
2 Indraprastha College for W omen, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
3 Department of Psychology, V asanta College for W omen, Rajghat, Rajghat Fort, V aranasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


The discipline that scientifically studies the positive aspect of human life is known as positive psychology. It is an applied branch of psychology, which integrates the positive elements of life in a person. In today's fast-paced technological era, humans are left dissatisfied and unhappy because of the absence of a wide sense of positivity and positive openness. The present paper is an effort to introduce the field of Positive psychology, how it emerged as a distinct scientific area within Psychology. It also focuses on well-being which is not only a major concern of everyday inquiry but also of intense scientific scrutiny in terms of hedonic and eudiamonic perspectives. The paper focuses on the optimistic promises of the discipline in terms of massive possibilities where it can be applied in a wide range of practical areas such as health, education, parenting, psychotherapy, etc.

Keywords

positive psychology , well-being, hedonism, eudiamonism
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Alex Linley, P ., Joseph, S., Harrington, S., & Wood, A. M. (2006). Positive psychology: Past, present, and (possible) future. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1(1), 3-16.

  • Barclay, W. (1960). Hellenistic thought in new testament times: The cyrenaics the way of pleasure. The Expository Times, 72(1), 28-31.

  • Banicki, K. (2014). Positive psychology on character strengths and virtues. A disquieting suggestion. New Ideas in Psychology, 33, 21-34.

  • Crompton, W. C., & Hoffman, E. (2013). Positive psychology: The science of happiness and flourishing. Belmont. CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

  • Danner, D. D., Friesen, W. V ., & Snowdon, D. A. (2000). Written emotion expression code. Unpublished manuscript, University of Kentucky, Lexington.

  • Danner, D.D., Snowdon, D.A., Friesen, W. V ., & Wallace, V . (2001). Positive emotions in early life and longevity: Findings from the nun study . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80(5), 804-813.

  • Davidson, R. J., Kabat-Zinn, J., Schumacker, J., Rosenkranz, M., Muller, D., Sontorelli,S. F., Urbanowski, F., Harrington, A., Bonus, K., & Sheridan, J.F . (2003).Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65, 564-570.

  • De Neve, J.E., Diener, E., Tay, L., & Xuereb, C. (2013) The objective benefits of subjective well-being. In J. Helliwell, R. Layard, and J. Sachs (Eds.) World happiness report. New York: UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

  • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behaviour . New York: Plenum Press.

  • Diener, E., & Chan, M. Y . (2011). Happy people live longer: Subjective well-being contributes to health and longevity . Applied Psychology: Health and Well-being, 3(1), 1-43. doi:10.1111/j.1758 0854.2010.01045.x .

  • Diener, E., Sapyta, J.J., & Suh, E. (1998). Subjective well-being is essential to well-being. Psychological Inquiry , 9(1), 33-37. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327965pl i0901_3

  • Diener, E., Heintzelman, J. S., Kushlev. K., Tay. L., Wirtz. D., Lutes, L. D., & Oishi, S. (2017). Findings all psychologists should know from the new science on subjective well-being. Canadian Psychology, 58, 87-104.

  • Daniels, M. (1982). The development of the concept of self-actualization in the writings of Abraham Maslow. Current Psychological Reviews, 2(1), 61-75.

  • DuBois, C. M., Beach, S. R., Kashdan, T. B., Nyer, M. B., Park, E. R., Celano, C. M., & Huffman, J. C. (2012). Positive psychological attributes and cardiac outcomes: associations, mechanisms, and interventions. Psychosomatics, 53(4), 303-318.

  • Estrada, C., Isen, A. M., & Young, M. J. (1994). Positive affect influences creative problem solving and reported source of practice satisfaction in physicians. Motivation and Emotion, 18, 285-299.

  • Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218-226. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.218

  • Filipowicz, A. (2006). From positive affect to creativity: The surprising role of surprise. Creativity Research Journal, 18(2), 141-152.

  • Harker, L., & Keltner, D. (2001).Expressions of positive emotions in women's college yearbook pictures and their relationship to personality and life outcomes across adulthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80, 112-124.

  • Jahoda, M. (1958). Current concepts of positive mental health. New York: Basic Books

  • Juffer, F., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., & V an, Ijzendoorn, M. H. (2008). Promoting positive parenting: An attachment-based intervention. New York, NY: Taylor and Francis.

  • Kahneman, D., Diener, E., & Schwarz, N. (Eds). (1999). Well-being: The foundations of hedonic psychology. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation.

  • LeFebvre, A., & Huta, V . (2021). Age and gender differences in eudaimonic, hedonic, and extrinsic motivations. Journal of Happiness Studies, 22(5), 2299-2321

  • Maslow, A. H. (1954). Motivation and personality. New York: Harper and Row.

  • Maslow, A. H. (1962). T oward a psychology of being. Princeton, NJ: V an Nostrand

  • National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health, Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys (2001-2003). Retrieved on April 23, 2010 from the National Healthcare Quarterly Report. http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/qrdr 08.htm.

  • Oishi, S., Diener, E., & Lucas. R. (2007). The optimum level of well-being: Can people be too happy? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2, 346-360.

  • Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P . (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; New York: Oxford University Press.

  • Pressman, S. D., & Cohen, S. (2005). Does positive affect influence health? Psychological Bulletin, 131, 925-971. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.131.6 .925

  • Rich, G. J. (2017). The promise of qualitative inquiry for positive psychology: Diversifying methods. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 12(3), 220-231.

  • Riva, G., Baños, R. M., Botella, C., Wiederhold, B. K., & Gaggioli, A. (2012). Positive technology: Using interactive technologies to promote positive functioning. Cyberpsychology, Behavior , and Social Networking, 15(2), 69-77.

  • Rogers, C.R. (1951). Client-cantered therapy. Houghton Mifflin.

  • Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2001). On happiness and human potentials: A review of research on hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 141-166. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.141

  • Ryff, C. D., & Singer, B. (1998). The contours of positive human health. Psychological Inquiry , 9(1), 1-28. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327965pli0901_1

  • Ryff, C. D., & Singer, B. (2000). Interpersonal flourishing: A positive health agenda for the new millennium. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 4(1), 30-44. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327957PSPR0401_4

  • Ryff, C. D. (1989). Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57(6), 1069-1081. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.57.6.1069

  • Ryff, C. D., & Keyes, C. L. M. (1995). The structure of psychological well-being revisited. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69(4), 719-727. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.69.4.719

  • Ryff, C. D., & Singer, B. (1996). Psychological well-being: Meaning, measurement, and implications for psychotherapy research. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 65, 14-23. doi: 10.1159/000289026

  • Schnall, E., Schiffman, M., & Cherniak, A. (2014). Virtues that transcend: Positive psychology in Jewish texts and tradition. In E. Schnall and M. Schiffman (Eds.), Religion and spirituality across cultures (pp. 21-45). Springer, Dordrecht.

  • Salovey, P ., Bedell, B. T., Detweiler , J. B., & Mayer, J. D. (2000).Current directions in emotional intelligence research. In M. Lewis and J. M. Haviland-Jones (Eds.), Handbook of emotions (V ol. 2). New York: Guilford.

  • Seay, A., Freysteinson, W. M., & McFarlane, J. (2014). Positive parenting. Nursing Forum, 49(3), 200-208.

  • Seligman, M., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology: An introduction. Annual Review of Psychology, 55, 514. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.5.

  • Seligman, M.E.P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2014). Positive psychology: An Introduction. Flow and the Foundations of Positive Psychology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9088-8_18

  • Seligman, M. E. P . (1990). Learned optimism. New York: Simon and Schuster, Inc

  • Seligman, M.E.P . (1998). The prediction and prevention of depression. The science of clinical psychology: Accomplishments and future directions. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, Pp. 201-214

  • V aillant, G. E. (1977). Adaptation to life. Boston: Little Brown.

  • Waterman, A. S. (1993). Two conceptions of happiness: Contrasts of personal expressiveness (eudaimonia) and hedonic enjoyment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64(4), 678-691. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.64. 4.678


Abstract Views: 206

PDF Views: 0




  • Optimistic Promises of Positive Psychology: W ell-being and its Possible Applications

Abstract Views: 206  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Anurag Upadhyay
Udai Pratap Autonomous College, V aranasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Upagya Rai
Indraprastha College for W omen, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
Richa Singh
Department of Psychology, V asanta College for W omen, Rajghat, Rajghat Fort, V aranasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract


The discipline that scientifically studies the positive aspect of human life is known as positive psychology. It is an applied branch of psychology, which integrates the positive elements of life in a person. In today's fast-paced technological era, humans are left dissatisfied and unhappy because of the absence of a wide sense of positivity and positive openness. The present paper is an effort to introduce the field of Positive psychology, how it emerged as a distinct scientific area within Psychology. It also focuses on well-being which is not only a major concern of everyday inquiry but also of intense scientific scrutiny in terms of hedonic and eudiamonic perspectives. The paper focuses on the optimistic promises of the discipline in terms of massive possibilities where it can be applied in a wide range of practical areas such as health, education, parenting, psychotherapy, etc.

Keywords


positive psychology , well-being, hedonism, eudiamonism

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.15614/ijpp%2F2022%2Fv13i2%2F215358