Positive psychology

The direction was based on humanistic psychology, positive psychology was based on the achievements of Gordon Allport , Abraham Maslow and Karl Rogers ^[1] , according to one point of view, the term “positive psychology” was first used in his book “Motivation and Personality” (1954) ^{[2] [2]} . He and other representatives of humanistic psychology in the works of the 1950s-1960s urged psychologists to pay more attention to stimulating mental health than to treat diseases and pathologies. Among modern researchers in this field, the most famous are Ed Diner , Mihai Chiksentmihayli , Charles Snyder , Albert Bandura , Daniel Gilbert and John Heidt .

The founder of positive psychology as an academic field is Martin Seligman ^[3] , who, when he was elected president of the American Psychological Association in 1998, devoted his speech precisely to this new area of ​​psychology. In his speech, Seligman emphasized that over the past fifty years, psychology has been researching and treating all kinds of pathologies, not paying attention to the positive aspects of human life, such as creativity, hope or perseverance in achieving their goals. Seligman encouraged his colleagues to “restore balance” and suggested three main areas for future research:

• positive emotions and a subjective feeling of happiness (for example, enjoyment, satisfaction with life, a sense of intimacy, constructive thoughts about yourself and your future, optimism , self-confidence, fullness of energy, “vitality”);
• positive character traits of a person ( wisdom , love , spirituality , honesty , courage , kindness , creativity , a sense of reality , the search for meaning, forgiveness , humor , generosity , altruism , empathy , etc.);
• social structures that contribute to the happiness and development of people (democracy, a healthy family, free media, a healthy workplace environment, healthy local social communities).

Seligman’s speech aroused great interest among his colleagues, including such well-known psychologists as Christopher Peterson, Ed Diener and Mihai Chiksentmihayli , thanks to which the ideas of positive psychology very quickly turned into a new direction in psychological science ^{[ 4]} .

According to recent scientific studies, positive emotions have made human perception of the world more open and allow us to explore and find new solutions to problems. In addition, positive emotions make a person more friendly, and with an increase in the number of friends a person gets better chances of evolutionary survival ^[5] .

Currently, there are three schools of positive psychology:

Center for Positive Psychology

The Positive Psychology Center (PPC ) ^[6] is located in the United States of America. The first stage of the center’s work was the creation of a classification of the strengths and positive features of the individual (similar to the “classification of pathologies”, which is the nosological system DSM-IV ). In 2004, Seligman and Peterson published a list of 24 positive human traits, divided into 6 groups ^[7] :

• The virtues of wisdom and knowledge: creativity , curiosity , openness , love of learning , perspective .
• The virtues of courage: courage , zeal , integrity , vitality .
• The virtues of humanity: love , kindness , social mind .
• Virtues of justice: citizenship , justice , leadership .
• The virtues of abstinence: mercy , moderation , the ability to anticipate , self-control .
• The virtues of transcendence: the ability to appreciate beauty , gratitude , hope , a sense of humor , spirituality

The list of Seligman and Peterson was compiled on the basis of what character traits are most valuable in various cultures and religions ^[7] .

Based on this list, the VIA-Survey questionnaire ( en: Values ​​in Action Inventory of Strengths ) was subsequently created, consisting of 240 questions (this questionnaire is free and available on the Internet [1] (inaccessible link) , at the moment it is translated into 17 languages )

Based on the responses to the VIA-Survey questionnaire, it was revealed which character traits are most conducive to overcoming depression and achieving happiness. These character traits are:

• Hope
• Thanks
• Curiosity
• Love ^[8] .

The VIA-Survey questionnaire can be used in psychotherapy as follows: the client is invited to evaluate their strengths using the VIA-Survey questionnaire, and then try to use these strengths in various new ways (for example, try a new method every day of the week). It is also recommended every day to note in his diary three happy events that occurred on that day, as well as write down what actions led to these happy events ^[4] .

Center for Applied Positive Psychology

The Center for Applied Positive Psychology (CAPP ) ^[9] is located in the UK. The head of the center is Alex Linley. The main direction of research is the use of the ideas of positive psychology in the professional sphere. In the CAPP center, a Realise2 questionnaire was created, which allows to determine what abilities and strengths of a character an individual possesses, as well as to determine the extent to which he uses these advantages in his daily life (the Realise2 questionnaire currently exists only in the English version). Researchers at the CAPP Center are also developing methods to maximize the use of an individual’s strengths and minimize the negative effect of what are weak or underdeveloped aspects of his personality ^[4] .

Gallup Center

This research center was created by the Gallup Institute in the United States of America. Its founder was psychologist Donald Clifton ( Donald O. Clifton ). Based on Clifton's ideas, the Gallup Institute developed a questionnaire ( Strengthsfinder , 2001), currently translated into 24 languages, including Russian ( “Expand Your Strengths” ).

According to Kirk Schneider , positive psychology cannot explain past negative events, such as the actions of the Nazi party or the Stalinist repressions. In addition, Schneider pointed to a study where a positive illusion distorts reality ^[10] . A positive mood can become incapable of psychological growth and tend to maintain racial prejudice. Negative, sometimes manifested in mild to moderate depression, on the contrary, correlates with less distortion of reality. Therefore, negative can play an important role in the dynamics of human prosperity ^[11] . Seligman recognized in his work the point of view of positive illusion ^[12] .

Jan Sempel, in The Guardian , noted that “positive psychologists are also accused of hiding their heads in the sand and ignoring the fact that depressed, even just unhappy people have real problems to deal with.” Sempel quotes Stephen Wolin, a clinical psychiatrist, that research on positive psychology is simply a repetition of older ways of thinking, and that there are not many scientific studies that can support the effectiveness of this method ^[13] .

Barbara Held argued that although positive psychology contributes to the field of psychology, it has its drawbacks. She suggested sorting out topics such as the negative side effects of positive psychology, negativity in the positive psychological movement, and the current division in the field of psychology caused by different opinions of psychologists about positive psychology. She also raised the problem of a simplified approach by some psychologists in the application of positive psychology ^[14] .

• Humanistic psychology
• Meaning of life
• System of values
• Human values
• Axiology
• Praxiology
• Coaching

• Compton, William C. An Introduction to Positive Psychology. Wadsworth Publishing, 2005 .-- P. 1-22. - ISBN 0-534-64453-8 .
• Peterson, Christopher; Seligman, Martin EP Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. - Oxford University Press, 2004. - ISBN 0-19-516701-5 .
• Style, Charlotte. Positive psychology. What makes us happy, optimistic and motivated / per. from English M. Chomakhidze-Doronin; scientific ed. T. Bazarov. - M .: Pretext, 2013 .-- ISBN 978-5-98995-085-0 .
• Carl Ransom Rogers. Marriage and its alternatives. Positive psychology of family relationships . - Separate edition. - Eterna, 2012 .-- 320 p. - 1000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-480-00044-3 .

• Center for Positive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania
• Oxford Happiness Questionnaire