Question

Question:

What is positive psychology? How does this approach to psychology differ from many other approaches?

Reading:

1. Chapter 9 in Friedman & Schustack's Personality: Classical theories and modern research;

Chapters 26-29 in Friedman & Schustack's Readings in personality: Classical theories and modern research

Answer 1

Positive psychology can be defined as the branch of psychology that is the scientific study of human flourishing.

It is also defined as the branch of psychology that studies traits and behaviours in an individual, community that helps it to thrive.

This approach is different from many other approaches in psychology in a lot of ways. These include the following:

• Traditionally psychology put a lot of focus on parhology or dysfunction.But positive psychology instead emphasizes that ordinary people can live fuller and fulfilled lives
• The focus isn't on the problem per se but resolution of the problem in positive psychology.
• Unlike traditional psychology the focus isn't on the past but the present and future.