Paradigm Of Positive Psychology Research Articles

Supporting a mentally healthy place of study: Examining the relationship between mental well-being, stress, and protective factors among university students.

Students can expect to experience stressors associated with their studies that can have detrimental effects on their mental well-being if not properly managed. Drawing on a positive psychology paradigm, protective factors can help students to counter study-related stressors and contribute to their mental well-being and academic success. The relationship between protective factors, such as maintaining perspective and building networks, with stress severity and positive mental well-being was examined in a sample of Australian university students undertaking postgraduate coursework. Students completed a survey measuring stress from the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS), positive mental well-being from the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWBS), and seven protective factors from the Resilience at University (RAU) scale. Bivariate correlations were calculated for the RAU protective factors with stress and mental well-being. ANOVA examined the RAU protective factors in relation to mental well-being and stress severity groupings. All seven protective factors had a positive and significant relationship with positive mental well-being, and six of the seven protective factors had a negative and significant relationship with stress. A statistically significant difference was found for six of the seven RAU protective factors according to mental well-being group, and three of the seven RAU protective factors group according to stress severity group. A linear effect emerged between level of protective factor and mental well-being group, with participants in the high well-being group having the highest level of protective factors. Universities should focus on the development of protective factors to support students' well-being and help them to flourish in their studies.

A new approach to urinalysis: effectiveness of a contingency management program among adolescent offenders in Spain.

When addressing antisocial behaviour among adolescents, programs based on the paradigm of positive psychology through enhancing self-efficacy have demonstrated their effectiveness in furthering the positive development of young people with a history of antisocial behaviour. Nevertheless, there has been little research into the effectiveness of these type of programs in mitigating substance abuse among juvenile offenders. The aim of this paper is to analyse the effectiveness of a contingency management program in reducing the prevalence of relapses into drug consumption among adolescents who have committed serious crimes. The study consisted of a sample of 91 male adolescents, between 15 and 19 years, in juvenile detention, who were divided into two treatment groups. For both groups, biological testing was used to detect drug consumption upon their re-turn from leave permits from the Centre. The quasi-experimental group had significantly lower rates of relapse than the quasi-control group. Furthermore, being part of the quasi-experimental group was a significant predictor of reduced rates of relapses. The results suggest that the incorporation of treatment strategies which reinforce feelings of self-efficacy and adequate orientation towards the future, as a complement to disciplinary sanctions, are effective in reducing relapses in drug use among adolescent offenders.

People with Special Needs and Career Development Based on Strength

The present work deals with career counselling for people with special needs based on the paradigm of positive psychology, which is becoming increasingly relevant in counselling and therapeutic processes. It is an approach to counselling and working with clients based on the strengths of the individual and represents a paradigm shift – a departure from the approach based on deficits and weaknesses. The empirical study established the prevalence of this approach in Slovenian elementary and secondary school counsellors. The results show that this way of counselling is a new strategy for mobilising various internal sources of strength and a supportive environment, which improves the individual’s ability to achieve the best possible self-sufficient education and integration into professional and social life. However, in the case of counselling for persons with special needs, a balance needs to be achieved between a strength approach and others that focus on personal problems and weaknesses.

Advancing the Study of "Goals of Best Practice": Toward Achieving Optimal Best - Educational Implications to Developments in Flow Research and Positive Optimal Psychology.

The paradigm of positive psychology is significant in introducing positive psychological concepts such as “flourishing,” “optimal best,” and “a state of flow.” In terms of research development of positive psychology, the researchers of this article have made extensive theoretical, empirical, and methodological contributions by advancing the study of optimal best. One aspect of this research, notably, consists of advancement of the psychological process of optimization. Optimization, in brief, provides a theoretical account into the “optimization” of a person’s state of functioning. Non-academically, a Buddhist nun’s seeking to successfully achieve an optimal state of enlightenment or, academically, a first-year student’s seeking to achieve an A grade in Psych 101 would require some form of optimization. Recent research development has, interestingly, considered a related concept known as “goals of best practice” (GsBP), which may co-exist with the process of optimization and/or assist to account for the optimization of learning experiences. This conceptual analysis article, by utilizing the paradigm of philosophical psychology, advances the study of optimal best practice by focusing on three major aspects: (i) to consider conceptually and philosophically how and/or the extent to which GsBP could, in fact, relate to the nature of flow, flourishing, and optimal best; (ii) to consider a methodological account, which could help to measure and assess the concept GsBP; and (iii) to consider the potential practicality of GsBP in educational contexts, which may assist to facilitate and motivate the achievement of optimal best. These three aspects, we firmly believe, are of significance as they provide grounding for implementation and continuing research development into the area of best practice.

A positive psychology perspective on pre-deployment fitness-for-duty evaluations for external deployments: A proposition for the South African National Defence Force

The aim of this article is to introduce the reader to a psychological well-being orientation for soldiers in pre-deployment fitness-for-duty evaluations by screening for psychological risk rather than pathology. The aim is reached by firstly discussing the existing process of pre-deployment fitness-for-duty evaluations, then conceptualising the assessment for psychological risk rather than psychopathology only, followed by linking pre-deployment assessment of fitness-for-duty evaluations to the positive psychology paradigm and proposing an integrative military model for soldiers’ psychological well-being in the external deployment context. The discussion is concluded by recommendations for military decision-makers to consider this approach of psychological risk assessment as a feasible process.

Empirical validation of the psychological concept of a perceived feeling of 'energy': Advancement into the study of positive psychology.

The paradigm of positive psychology, significant in nature, helps to explain the proactivity and motivation of human agency, such as a secondary school student’s state of autonomy, confidence, and personal resolve to strive for optimal learning and/or non-learning experiences. Our recent research development, in tandem with other scholars’ inquiries, has focused on one aspect of positive psychology–namely, a person’s achievement of ‘optimal best’, which reflects the maximization of his/her state of functioning (e.g., cognitive functioning). Capitalizing on our previous research, we develop a psychological concept that we term as a ‘perceived feeling of energy’. A perceived feeling of energy (e.g., a perceived feeling of liveliness) is proposed to act as a ‘motivational engine’, or as a central driver, which then could predict and enhance a person’s achievement of optimal best. Six hundred and twenty-seven university students (N = 438 women, 189 men) responded to a suite of self-report questionnaires. Structural equation modelling (SEM) techniques were used to test a conceptual model, where we focused on the antecedent (i.e., the direct impact of self-efficacy on a perceived feeling of energy) and consequence of a perceived feeling energy (i.e., the impact of a perceived feeling of energy on personal resolve, and the sustaining of optimal best). Analysis of results showed support for our original hypothesized model–for example: self-efficacy as an antecedent of energy and the central role of the energy as a predictor and potential mediator of future outcomes.

Концепция позитивного образа тела в современной зарубежной психологии

Research into the problem of body image has more than a century of history, most of which is associated with the study of negative attitudes towards the body and related psychopathology - eating disorders, body dysmorphic disorders, etc. In the last decade there has been a growing tendency in this area to shift the emphasis to the study of a positive body image, just as in psychology in general there are more and more works performed in the paradigm of positive psychology, which calls for abandoning the concept of disease and searching for new approaches based on the positive potential of the individual. This review presents the main stages in the study of the problem of body image in foreign psychology, the origin and development of ideas about a positive body image as a special construct that is not the opposite pole in the general “negative-positive” continuum, the key works of leading researchers who have formed the concept of a positive body image as an independent entity, the main components of a positive body image, methodological tools used to assess a positive body image, and the results of studies of a positive body image in various social groups. The modern perspectives of research in the field of body image are presented in accordance with the views of leading foreign experts.

Introducing the Study of Life and Death Education to Support the Importance of Positive Psychology: An Integrated Model of Philosophical Beliefs, Religious Faith, and Spirituality.

Life education, also known as life and death education, is an important subject in Taiwan with institutions (e.g., high school) offering degree programs and courses that focus on quality learning and implementation of life education. What is interesting from the perspective of Taiwanese education is that the teaching of life education also incorporates a number of Eastern-derived and conceptualized tenets, for example, Buddhist teaching and the importance of spiritual wisdom. This premise contends then that life education in Taiwan, in general, is concerned with the promotion, fulfillment, and cherishing of quality life experiences (e.g., personal contentment, happiness). One example of life education, which resonates with other spiritual beliefs and religious faiths (e.g., Hinduism), is related to spiritual cultivation and the enlightenment of life wisdom. Our own teaching of the subject, likewise, places emphasis on the goal of teaching students to seek meaningful understanding of and appreciation for three major, interrelated components of life education: life wisdom, life practice, and life care. It has been acknowledged, to a certain degree, that life education has made meaningful contributions, such as the creation and facilitation of a civil, vibrant society, and that many Taiwanese individuals show dignity, respect for elders, and reverence for spiritual and religious faiths. For example, aside from high-quality hospice care, many Taiwanese engage in different types of benevolent acts (e.g., providing spiritual advice to someone who is dying), where possible. Life education is a beneficial subject for teaching and learning as its theoretical understanding may help individuals cope with pathologies and negative conditions and life experiences. One negative life experience, in this case, is the ultimate fate of humankind: death. Approaching death and/or the onset of grief is something that we all have to experience. How does one approach death? It is not easy feat, and of course, grief for a loved one is personal, and some of us struggle with this. We contend that spiritual cultivation and enlightenment, arising from life education, may assist us with the topic of death (e.g., the possibility of transcendence beyond the realm of life). More importantly however, from our own teaching experiences and research development, we strongly believe and rationalize that the subject of life education could, indeed, coincide with and support the paradigm of positive psychology (Seligman, 1999, 2010; Seligman and Csíkszentmihályi, 2000). Forming the premise of the present conceptual analysis article, we propose that a person’s “spiritual and enlightened self,” reflecting the convergence of three major aspects of life education (i.e., philosophical reflection, enrichment of personal well-being, and spiritual cultivation), would result in the initiation and creation of a number of virtues and positive characteristics, for example, having a positive outlook in life, having a perceived sense of spirituality, showing compassion, forgiveness, etc. These virtues and quality characteristics, from our philosophical reasoning, are equivalent to those qualities that the paradigm of positive psychology advocates for. In summary, we conceptualize that the subject of life education, from the perspective of Taiwanese education, may intertwine with the paradigm of positive psychology. A person’s spiritual and enlightened self, or his/her “holistic self,” from our rationalization, is the ultimate optimal life experience that he/she may have, enabling him/her to address the gamut of life conditions and experiences. The distinctive nature of life education in this case, as a point of summary, is that it incorporates spiritual beliefs and religious faiths (e.g., Buddhist faith), encouraging a person to seek nature and divine–human relationships, as well as to contemplate and to explore the complex nature of his/her inner self. The notion of Buddhist samsâra, for example, as “evidence” of spirituality, entailing the endless cycle of birth, rebirth, and redeath, may provide a person with hope into the afterlife. Such esoteric discourse, we contend, is positive and optimistic, allowing individuals to discard the dividing line between life and death.

Optimization: an attempt to establish empirical evidence for theoretical and practical purposes

Optimal best practice is a central feat of human agency. It emphasizes a state of flourishing and reflects, in this case, the paradigm of positive psychology. One research inquiry that is of interest relates to an explanatory account of how a person reaches a state of optimal best. Recent research development has considered an important psychological process, known as optimization, which may explain a person’s achievement of optimal best practice. Having said this, very little is known about the process of optimization. In this article, the authors report on a non-experimental study (N = 352 secondary school students), which focused on the testing of a theoretical model of optimization. Innovatively, derived from existing theorizations and empirical evidence, the authors provide a methodological rationalization of flourishing, which is defined as a “quantitative difference” between a person’s current level of best practice (denoted as L1) and his/her optimal level of best practice (denoted as L2). Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated a few major findings, for example, (i) a positive association between a person’s optimal best practice and his/her academic performance in a subject matter, (ii) a person’s current level of best practice acts as a determinant of optimal best practice, and (iii) personal resolve, as a psychological optimizing agent, directly influences optimal best practice, and potentially mediating the effects of academic striving and a person’s current level of best practice on optimal best practice.

Physical activity: positive psychology in motion?

An important focus of research on physical activity and mental health has been on the alleviation of mental health problems, with perhaps less focus on how physical activity can build the qualities that help individuals and communities not just endure and survive but also flourish (Seligman, 2011). This presentation will discuss at an individual level how physical activity has the capacity to prevent mental illness, to foster positive emotions, to buffer individuals against the stresses of life and facilitate thriving after adversity. At a community level, there is evidence to suggest that communities in which physical activity is seen as the social norm may be healthier and increase the social capital of communities. In line with Seligman's (2011) PERMA (Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishment model, I will argue that physical activity is positive psychology in motion as it helps to produce several of the components of the PERMA model including positive emotions, engagement and flow and accomplishment as well as preventing and reducing more negative experiences and states (e.g. stress, anxiety, depression). Embracing a positive psychology paradigm may provide a platform for novel and effective messaging about the benefits of physical activity at a population level in a way that is gain-framed and appealing to many.

Positive technology for elderly well-being: A review

In the last decades, given the necessity of assisting fragile citizens, of which elderly represent a significant portion, a considerable research effort has been devoted to the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in daily living to promote activity, social connections, and independence. With similar purposes, in recent years psychologists proposed the novel paradigm of Positive Psychology (PP), the scientific study of positive human functioning and flourishing on multiple levels. The joint effort between ICT and PP has led to the definition of the emerging field of Positive Technology (PT), with the aim of developing technology consciously designed to foster well-being in individuals and groups. In this paper we review PT focusing on frameworks involving computer vision and machine learning for promoting cognitive, physical, emotional and social elderly well-being. Our discussion highlights a significant gap between theoretical needs and technological systems availability, suggesting future lines of research.

The roles of employee work well-being on innovative work behaviour mediated by organisational commitment

In the era of Industry 4.0, innovation has become more important for companies for maintaining their competitive advantages. In the digital business industry, innovative work behaviour has been considered as a key performance indicator. Individual performance becomes the basis of the company performance which will further increase the value of the company. This study employs the paradigm of positive psychology, focusing on how performance improvement can be achieved by increasing employee work well-being. Previous studies show that there is an inconsistency in the relationship between work well-being and performance. So, it needs to be understood further through the role of mediation variables that can explain when an employee work well-being can improve performance. This study aims to examine the role of employee organisational commitment as a mediator of the relationship between employee work well-being and innovative work behaviour. Taking the digital business industry in Indonesia as a research context, this research reveals that employee organisational commitment fully mediated the relationship between employee work well-being and innovative work behaviour.

The roles of employee work well-being on innovative work behaviour mediated by organisational commitment

In the era of Industry 4.0, innovation has become more important for companies for maintaining their competitive advantages. In the digital business industry, innovative work behaviour has been considered as a key performance indicator. Individual performance becomes the basis of the company performance which will further increase the value of the company. This study employs the paradigm of positive psychology, focusing on how performance improvement can be achieved by increasing employee work well-being. Previous studies show that there is an inconsistency in the relationship between work well-being and performance. So, it needs to be understood further through the role of mediation variables that can explain when an employee work well-being can improve performance. This study aims to examine the role of employee organisational commitment as a mediator of the relationship between employee work well-being and innovative work behaviour. Taking the digital business industry in Indonesia as a research context, this research reveals that employee organisational commitment fully mediated the relationship between employee work well-being and innovative work behaviour.

Investigating the impact of a combined approach of perceived organisational support for strengths use and deficit correction on employee outcomes

Orientation: The positive psychology paradigm suggests a balanced focus on employee strengths and deficits. However, an overemphasis on strengths has raised questions regarding the value of a focus on strengths use, deficit improvement or a combined approach with a balanced focus on both.Research purpose: The primary objective was to examine whether perceived organisational support (POS) for strengths use, POS for deficit improvement or a combined approach would be the strongest predictor of work engagement, learning, job satisfaction and turnover intention.Motivation for the study: In the literature, there is little empirical evidence to support an approach where both employees’ strengths are used and their deficits improved.Research design, approach and method: This study was conducted among 266 teachers from four public schools in the Western Cape. A cross-sectional survey design was used.Main findings: The results suggest that both strengths use and deficit improvement are important predictors of work engagement, learning, job satisfaction and turnover intention. Learning was higher and turnover intention lower for individuals experiencing a combined approach compared to those believing that their school did not support them in either using their strengths or improving their deficits. Furthermore, a combined approach was associated with higher job satisfaction than a strengths-based approach, and a deficit-based approach was shown to be associated with higher levels of work engagement and lower turnover intentions compared to an environment where neither employees’ strengths nor deficits were addressed.Practical or managerial implications: The results urge organisations to invest an equal amount of resources in their employees’ strengths and deficits, as opposed to neglecting either one. Such a combined approach may be associated with increased work engagement, learning and job satisfaction and lower turnover intention.Contribution: This study provides empirical evidence that supports a combined approach where both employees’ strengths are used and their deficits developed.

Reconsidering Happiness in the Context of Social Justice Education

That happiness leads to lack of harm and suffering, representing both a good and a means to good, is promoted, for example, by educational philosophers such as Nel Noddings. But happiness should not be seen as an unproblematic goal, for education or otherwise. In this article, we critically investigate the importance of happiness in the educational context. More specifically, we emphasize the necessity of problematizing happiness as an emotional practice in social justice education. In order to contextualize our analysis, we enumerate two theoretical perspectives that endorse happiness in education. These are the educational philosophy of Noddings and the paradigm of positive psychology. After exploring how happiness is promoted theoretically and practically, we elaborate a critical perspective on happiness in relation to education. We use the work of Sara Ahmed, among others, to illustrate some ways in which happiness can function to serve unjust relations in education. We thus explore happiness as an intersubjective affect, as opposed to considering it as an intrasubjective feeling. We argue that educators who want to foster social justice in education need to consider the positive and the negative consequences of encouraging happiness in education. Fostering happiness can be progressive and empowering, but it can also be regressive and unjust.

Positive Psychology in Research with the Deaf Community: An Idea Whose Time Has Come.

The emergence of positive psychology as an approach to studying what makes life worth living has inspired a new wave of research. Studies have focused on the prevalence and degree of positive attributes, attitudes, and characteristics in the wider population. Increasingly, lessons learned from positive psychology have been applied to understanding the more diverse experiences of individuals belonging to various groups. Only recently, however, has positive psychology research incorporated a disability perspective, and very little research from a positive psychology stance has been conducted with deaf people. This article addresses the application of positive psychology constructs in the context of deaf communities and individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. We argue that utilization of a positive psychology paradigm can broaden and enrich a collective understanding of deaf people, and suggest a different set of research questions. A positive psychology mindset encourages scholars to learn how people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and those within the larger deaf community1, may define and attain "the good life."

Palliative care professionals' care and compassion for self and others: a narrative review.

Compassion is arguably central to palliative care. However, calls for the restoring of compassionate care suggest a need for greater understanding and promotion of compassion in practice. Drawing upon the Foucauldian concept 'Care of the Self', this review explored the literature relating to palliative care professionals' self-care, self-compassion, and compassion for others. Three electronic databases were searched using identified key words. A thematic approach was used to synthesise and critically discuss the literature in the form of a narrative review. Four themes were identified: (1) importance of self-care; (2) awareness, expression, and planning; (3) dimensions of self-care; and (4) balanced compassion. Approaches to self-care practice and research focused mainly on compassion fatigue or a coping paradigm. This review highlights both the importance and multifaceted nature of palliative care professionals' self-care, in relation to self-compassion and compassion for others. Despite widespread discussion, empirical knowledge of these variables is limited. Future research could usefully explore health promotion interventions in self-care practice, or a positive psychology paradigm that encompasses compassion and self-compassion as positive emotions associated with wellbeing.

Exploring the relationship between demographic factors, performance and fortitude in a group of diverse 1st-year medical students

Background. The majority of 1st-year students are ill-equipped for university life. This heightens stress levels, which are accentuated by a lack of resilience and impact negatively on academic performance and personal wellbeing. Objectives. To explore, within the paradigm of positive psychology, the relationship between the self, family and support constructs of fortitude, and academic performance of 1st-year medical students. Method. First-year medical students completed a fortitude questionnaire and their academic performances in two academic modules were collated. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were employed for statistical analysis of the variables. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to assess the relationship between academic performance and fortitude subscales, as well as the fortitude composite score. Results . The student population was multicultural, multilingual and had different educational and residential backgrounds. The fortitude instrument was found to be reliable and correlated significantly with student academic performance. Male students had significantly higher fortitude scores than female students. Students who had attended state/government schools had significantly lower fortitude than those who had attended private and ex-Model C schools. Students with prior degrees had higher fortitude than matriculants. Conclusion. The significant, albeit moderate, positive correlation between fortitude and academic performance highlights the need for further exploration of wellbeing and holistic development of medical students. Support programmes are recommended to bridge the gap related to gender and educational background. Low and fair levels of fortitude indicate a need for corrective measures. These could include consulting relevant support networks such as student counsellors, mentors and academic development personnel.

Be Happy in your Work: The Role of Positive Psychology in Working with Change and Performance

ABSTRACTThis narrative targets the role of happiness (subjective well-being) in change and performance in the workforce. Grounded within the paradigm of positive psychology, we draw on theory and research from several performance-related domains (including sport and physical activity) to describe the development of happiness in organizations and associated benefits to individuals and groups. Our review highlights the physical and mental health benefits of happiness, bidirectional associations between happiness and work-based performance (occupational success), and the contribution of individual differences (genetics and personality) to happiness and well-being. Moreover, we list a series of empirically guided techniques – often utilized in the domain of sport and performance psychology – that might be considered in the development of happiness in organizations. These include positive mental imagery, hypothetical thinking, cognitive reappraisal (and the development of a challenge state), physical activity, and writing-based interventions. We conclude by offering potential avenues for research inquiry as they relate to change and performance in organizations.

HeartMath: a positive psychology paradigm for promoting psychophysiological and global coherence

This article proposes HeartMath as a positive psychology paradigm for promoting psychophysiological and global coherence . It provides evidence for the value of psychophysiological and global coherence, with special reference to human functioning through synchronisation between positive emotions, cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, immune and other physiological systems . Various HeartMath tools and techniques are described and evidence for their effectiveness provided, drawing from several related South African studies . Psychophysiological and global coherence bear promise as fertile fields for future research and intervention of great potential to develop humanity and promote global health and wellbeing.