WEBSITE: Authentic Happiness

Post date: Feb 17, 2013 6:27:12 PM

Website

www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Default.aspx

Authentic Happiness is the homepage of Dr. Martin Seligman, Director of the Positive Psychology Centre at the University of Pennsylvania and founder of positive psychology, a branch of psychology which focuses on the empirical study of such things as positive emotions, strengths-based character, and healthy institutions.

Review date 13-2-13

Review

Dr Martin Seligman is one of the founder members of the Positive Psychology movement and author of two seminal texts in the field: Authentic Happiness (2002) and Flourish (2011), which updated his earlier theory of happiness with the 'PERMA' acronym, which stands for his 5 elements of happiness and wellbeing: Positive emotion; Engagement; Relationships; Meaning and purpose; Accomplishment.

According to the home page 'The best place to start is by learning more about the latest theory and initiatives in positive psychology, by taking one of our well-being questionnaires, or by checking out recent presentations and selected media.' Links are also included to a range of positive psychology initiatives including: Positive Health; Positive Education; Comprehensive Soldier Fitness; Positive Psychotherapy; and Positive Neuroscience.

The site is simply structured and the tabs from the home page link to the 4 main sections of the site:

REGISTER: you need to register if you wish to take one or more of the questionnaires. These questionnaires have been developed by teams of psychologists, and are widely used and tested. They include the VIA survey of character strengths. These are core to positive psychology, which has identified the importance of the universal 'virtues' (sometimes called 'signature strengths' or 'character strengths').

INITIATIVES: This is the academic section of the site, with its explanation of the PERMA theory and the experiences from various initiatives in which positive psychology theory has been put into practice.

QUESTIONNAIRES: These questionnaires are designed for individuals to use, and once registered you can retain and access your questionnaires. They relate to four main life areas: emotion, engagement, meaning, and life satisfaction.

RESOURCES: This page is about positive psychology research initiatives seeking participants. It contains basic information and links.

Academic interest: There is highly academic content from the centre at he heart of the positive psychology movement, which is currently engaged in a range of initiatives and research projects. There is also a University of Pennsylvania Master of Applied Positive Psychology Programme (MAPP) which 'provides an important opportunity for psychologists, educators, life coaches, and health and business professionals interested in the application of the science of Positive Psychology.' It is worth drilling down to find in-depth articles on specific topics,

Practitioners: See academic interest (above) for information on MAPP. For psychologists, coaches and practitioners who wish to improve the wellbeing of their clients, the site offers academic and practical resources, and links to useful books and resources.

Self-helpers: Anyone can access the site and make use of the questionnaires. You may also wish to get involved as a participant in the research – for example they are currently they are looking for people to participate in a new PERMA questionnaire they are developing.

Best Bits

Professor Martin E.P. Seligman, in announcing the recipients of the Templeton Positive Neuroscience Awards:

"Research has shown that positive emotions and interventions can bolster health, achievement, and resilience, and can buffer against depression and anxiety. And while considerable research in neuroscience has focused on disease, dysfunction, and the harmful effects of stress and trauma, very little is known about the neural mechanisms of human flourishing. Creating this network of positive neuroscience researchers will change that." [Online, accessed 17-2-13 at http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/newsletter.aspx?id=1545 ]

A quote on positive education, drawn from an article by Martin E.P. Seligman, Randal M. Ernst, Jane Gillham, Karen Reivich, and Mark Linkins (2009) Positive education: Positive psychology and classroom interventions:

“Positive education is defined as education for both traditional skills and for happiness. The high prevalence worldwide of depression among young people, the small rise in life satisfaction, and the synergy between learning and positive emotion all argue that the skills for happiness should be taught in school. There is substantial evidence from well controlled studies that skills that increase resilience, positive emotion, engagement and meaning can be taught to schoolchildren.”

There is an overview of the 14 positive psychotherapy sessions developed by Dr. Tayyab Rashid (this can be found at

http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/newsletter.aspx?id=1553 )

About the author

While Martin Seligman is the central figure here, the work of Positive Psychology movement and of the University department has drawn together many respected researchers, who have developed a body of evidence and who continue to research - see initiatives - in order to establish how best to apply positive psychology findings and measures to improve wellbeing and to promote human flourishing. The centre also obtains funding, leads research projects, and collaborates with positive psychologists elsewhere.