By Sherri Fisher -

Out of Focus

This academic year, I met a student who I will call James.  He is one of several high school and college student clients that were referred to me with new diagnoses of attention deficit disorder (ADD) and related organizational difficulties. Imagine struggling through school for 10 or 12 or more years, and then finding out that there is a reason besides laziness for your procrastination, inefficiency, and forgetfulness. Just yesterday,  James was able to articulate for perhaps the first time his new awareness of how difficult initiating and focusing on work can be for him. He announced when he came into my office that his procrastination problem has become huge and he needs to find strategies that he can actually use and that will work for him. “All they do at home and school is pester me,” he sighed. What tools from positive psychology can help James?

Perspective: Managing Your Outlook

Like most of us, James has a lot of “life” in his life right now. Some of this busyness is atypical, but other things, while expected at this time in his life, are also difficult for James. For example his family was displaced from their home after a fire there in January. They have been living in temporary housing for more than two months, and will not be back in a home of their own before summer. While that is out of the ordinary, as a senior, James is in the graduation home stretch known as senioritis and like his classmates he is expected to take on a long-term project of his own choosing that he will manage and complete alone. Feeling both hopeful and anxious, as he waits for the fat envelopes that will contain his college acceptances, James is ambivalent about leaving his family when he attends college this fall. Where James lives, the days are now appreciably longer and brighter, and warm days draw him to pleasant times outside after school rather than doing homework.

Taking Perspective #1

Faced with the task of self-regulating through difficult life experiences, James now realizes that he needs help to focus on the schoolwork which pales compared to  bigger things looming in the background of his life. It may seem quite clear to the adults in James’s life that he “just needs to get his work done”, because school assignments look small and doable to his teachers and parents. But to James, who has difficulty self-regulating, his everyday work is just not stimulating enough to capture his attention. It suffers from duration neglect, and as a result, nearly anything else, from having his dog present a tennis ball with the hope of playing fetch, to the smell of dinner cooking, will get James off-track.

James needs to put his responsibilities into perspective and calm the chatter that is preventing him from completing his daily work. In his diagram, James has his life circumstances including the fire and anticipating leaving home as a background against which school work is imposed. Being outside spending time with his dog and driving around with his friends are the things he values most and he puts them above all else. By reframing schoolwork not as an imposition but as a window that he can see through, James can use self-determination theory, making his education about himself, instead of about his teachers and parents’ pestering.

Priming: Creating a Good Work Surface

Taking Perspective #2

James also needs to make it possible to accomplish his work, not just to think about it differently. While his family has been moving to different temporary housing, James has found it almost impossible to settle down and complete homework or projects. By staying after school every day and going to the library, however, he is priming himself for work. Priming, according to James, is what he does to be sure he has a “good surface” so his attention, learning and work stick. James is using his VIA strengths, especially “humor,” “perspective,” and “hope and optimism” to bolster his need for more self-regulation in the longer view of things. He’s setting artificial deadlines (no short-term gain!) to increase the stimulation threshold required for him to consider daily schoolwork important. He’s rewarding himself as soon as (but not before) the work is done, with the things he values most: spending time with his friends, and playing with his dog outside. He’s also using positive psychology’s other people matter and the peak-end rule, getting his friends to support him by meeting up at 4 PM each day when the school library closes. This way the experience wraps up with a pleasurable peak.

Visual Metaphors: Keeping the Goal in View

If you look at the second diagram again, you will notice that the schoolwork bar is still transparent, allowing James to be aware that there are many other big things happening in his life but that schoolwork has to be in front of all that. Otherwise, his big goal of leaving home for college in the fall might not happen.

Deliberate and mindful practice will be necessary to keep James on track as he builds better habits. Knowing what he’s doing, why it’s working and becoming independent in applying positive psychology strategies now will be a great foundation for James, for college and beyond.

Author’s invitation:

Want to dig deeper? Read and follow the links to other articles on this site that give even more information about the empirical basis for the Positive Psychology applications discussed above!

This article first appeared on Positive Psychology News. To see the original article, click here. To comment on this article, click here.

By Christine Duvivier -

Service Through Habitat for Humanity

“A good place to start is by asking your child to think about times in his life when he felt confident, energized, connected, or felt he was making a valuable contribution,” I replied.   Four years ago, when my daughter Lauren was doing this exercise, she realized that a number of her best moments came during community service projects.   

So I took notice last week when the college she chose, Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU), won a 2009 presidential award for community service. 

“Did you know OWU was so strong in community service when you picked it?” I asked Lauren, now a junior.

“Yeah,” she said.  “Don’t you remember?’’    My memory’s not what it was…    “That was one of the questions I always asked colleges because I loved the Honduras work [done in high school] so much,” Lauren explained (patiently).  I guess I was the only one surprised by how that played out four years later.

How Does a College Foster a Service Culture?

This made me curious: how does a college foster a service culture that is noticeable even to a high school student? I asked OWU’s Susan Pasters, Director of Community Service Learning, and Rock Jones, President.   

Rock Jones and Sue Pasters

SP:  Each student’s motivation is uniquely individual, but OWU attracts students who are predisposed toward participating in community service.    Many of our students want to be engaged in service-learning activities outside the classroom.  Others find that community service is a good way to make friends and feel good about themselves. 

RJ: Ohio Wesleyan has a long heritage of combining rigorous classroom work with real-world experiences, including volunteer service.  There is a particularly strong culture of service on the campus that is embraced by virtually everyone at OWU. 

CD:  Many colleges have community service.  When you arrived at OWU, did you expect that this was an area where the school would stand apart?

Sue Pasters

SP: I arrived in July 1989 to establish a community service office.  I knew that OWU had a long history of producing a large percentage of graduates who entered a life of service…[but] in 1989, I had no idea that Ohio Wesleyan would end up being an exemplary school for service and service-learning. 

 RJ: I learned in the interview process of the longstanding commitment to service at Ohio Wesleyan, dating from the early 20th century when OWU sent large numbers of graduates to serve as Methodist missionaries to the late 20th century when OWU was recognized for being one of the universities to send the largest number of graduates to service in the Peace Corps.  Service is in the genetic code of OWU.

CD:  How do you encourage students to get involved? 

RJ: We start talking about it during the admission process, we talk more during Orientation, and we host a Volunteer Fair during the first week of classes. 

SP: We advertise through every means possible, but there is also a great word-of-mouth network where students recruit their friends to get involved because they are having such great experiences. 

Do Students Find Meaning in Service?

CD: Finding meaning isn’t always easy.  Does community service add meaning for OWU students?

RJ: Yes – it happens every day.  Many students share with me stories of the deep meaning they have found through volunteer service.  I believe that a part of our educational mission is to help students understand the connection between their academic work and their most cherished values that provide the source of their understanding of life purpose. 

CD: What else does participation in community service do for a student? 

SP:   In my opinion, students who engage in service have a better idea of what they want to do in life, have more hands-on experience to put on their resumes, and are apt to be more compassionate toward people different from themselves.

RJ: When I interview graduating seniors, many of them cite community service as a source of important growth and personal transformation during their years at OWU.

Community service is one of the ways to bring out gifts that don’t show up in the classroom and to bring meaning to life.   I recommend encouraging your child,  whether or not her school does (and you may be surprised!).   

This article first appeared on Positive Psychology News. To see the original article, click here. To comment on this article, click here.

By Kathryn Britton -

Imagine you are in the hospital following surgery. You have 70 staples holding things together, and they hurt. Your nurse sees that you are in pain and offers to take out 5 of the staples. Then he says you get to choose which ones.

After he finishes, you still have 65 staples. But the pain you experience is greatly reduced. Why would that be?

This thought experiment is based on a story I heard from a close friend. After the 5 staples were taken out, she was able to fall asleep. The first three staples were easy to choose — they were the ones causing the most misery. For the other two, she wiggled around for several minutes before she made her choice. It was almost a feeling of luxury.

Palliative Care

To me, this was a brilliant care-taking act. In so many ways, people lose control of their lives in hospitals. They depend on other people for even small things that they can usually do for themselves, and they cannot manage their own schedules. Even small acts that put people back in control of some aspects of their lives have a positive impact on well-being, in this case, by reducing the perception of pain.

When it is not possible to take away pain, it may still be possible to help people deal with it by asking them what they want and helping them see their choices, even within narrow bounds. In the words of Doctors Christian Feudtner and David Munson, leaders in palliative care for severely ill children, this means “empowering families to reflect broadly on the situation and to mold medical care to conform to their deepest values.”

Nurses as Advocates

Nurse

They found that advocacy actions occur rather haphazardly, affected both by how well patients (or their family members) expressed their wishes and by how empowered the nurses felt. Highly motivated nurses were more likely to analyze patient’s pain care preferences, respond to their preferences, and counsel both patients and their care givers. Earlier experience with chronic pain increased the likelihood that nurses analyzed patient’s pain care preferences. Nurses who perceived that they had influence over pain care plans were more likely to analyze patients’ pain care preferences and counsel them about pain care.

Chronic Disease Outcome Analysis based on Self-Determination Theory

PPND authors have explored Self-Determination Theory (SDT) in the context of business and of education. SDT has also had an impact on medicine. Dr. John Zubailde from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and his colleagues used SDT in their work on defining outcome measures for treatment of chronic disease. Clinical goals generally involve restoration of health, prevention of complications, and preservation of health-related quality of life. For people with chronic diseases, restoration to health isn’t always possible. The authors state, “In fact, when faced with a chronic illness, learning and changing what we value and do can provide a powerful means to improve our quality of our life over time.”

The outcomes proposed by Zubailde and colleagues suggest what the originators of SDT, Richard Ryan and Edward Deci call “Contexts supportive of autonomy, competence, and relatedness.” In place of completely restored health, people with chronic diseases can grow in competence managing their conditions, develop social relationships that give their lives meaning, and take responsibility for adapting as their conditions change.

Summary
My friend exited the hospital with a renewed respect for nurses and the difference they make in the recovery process. When they perceived her need, they gave her ways to participate in her own care and make choices about her own pain management. Though we may think of autonomy as a matter of giving people big choices, it may be that even small ones can make a big difference.

Britton, K. (2008). Two blog postings contain a summary of Self-Determination Theory mentioned in this article: Motivation and Self-Determination Theory. Steps toward Intrinsic Motivation.

Deci, E.L. & Ryan, R.M. eds. (2002). Handbook of self-determination research. Rochester: University of Rochester Press.

Feudtner, C. & Munson, D. (2009). The ethics of perinatal palliative care. In V. Ravitsky, A. Fiester, & A. L. Caplan (Eds.). The Penn Center guide to bioethics (pp. 509-518). New York: Springer Publishing.

Vaartio, H., Leino-Kilpi, H., Suominen, T. & Puukka, P. (2009). Nursing advocacy in procedural pain care. Nursing Ethics, 16 (3), 340-362.

Zubialde, J., Mold, J., & Eubank, D. (2009). Outcomes that matter in chronic illness: A taxonomy informed by self-determination and adult-learning theory. Families, Systems, & Health, 27(3), 193–200

Images
Male nurse courtesy of euthman
Smiling nurse courtesy of euthman
Nurse giving a shot courtesy of Bruce Turner

This article first appeared on Positive Psychology News. To see the original article, click here. To comment on this article, click here.

By Ryan Niemiec -

Kontiki Oscar 1950

These films allow us to explore ourselves (through common dialogue recreated on the screen), feel deeply and learn about the world (through the characters’ journeys), and see the greatness that is possible (through virtuous role models). Let go of preconceptions, approach each film with mindfulness (openness, curiosity, and controlled attention), and the benefits will come.

The Positive Psychology movie awards started with movies earning Honorable Mentions on Friday. This is the countdown to the top.

And the Oscars go to…

Oscar for Flow: Whip It!
Ellen Page portrays a 17-year-old eager to learn a new sport – roller derby. She displays various characteristic of Csikszentmihalyi’s flow – strong engagement, a sense of control, and a rapid learning curve – while improving at an activity that balances her skills with the challenge at hand.

Poster

References:

Fowers, B. J. (2008). From continence to virtue: Recovering goodness, character unity, and character types for positive psychology. Theory and Psychology, 18(5), 629-653.

Frankl, V. (1959). Man’s search for meaning. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Fredrickson, B. (2009). Positivity: Groundbreaking Research Reveals How to Embrace the Hidden Strength of Positive Emotions, Overcome Negativity, and Thrive. New York: Crown.

Haidt, J. (2003). Elevation and the positive psychology of morality. In C. L. Keyes & J. Haidt (Eds.), Flourishing: Positive Psychology and the Life Well-Lived (pp. 275-289). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

Niemiec, R. M. (2007, September 19). What is a positive psychology film? [Review of the motion picture The pursuit of happyness]. PsycCRITIQUES – Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books, 52 (No. 38). Article 18. Retrieved December 15, 2007.

Niemiec, R. M., & Wedding, D. (2008). Positive psychology at the movies: Using films to build virtues and character strengths. Gottingen, Germany: Hogrefe.

Peterson, C. & Seligman, M. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Peterson, C., Park, N., Hall, N., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2009). Zest and work. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 30, 161-172.

Simonton, D. K. (2004). Film awards as indicators of cinematic creativity and achievement: A quantitative comparison of the Oscars and six alternatives. Creativity Research Journal, 16(2 & 3), 163-172.

Wedding, D., Boyd, M. A., & Niemiec, R. M. (2010). Movies And Mental Illness: Using Films To Understand Psychopathology. Cambridge, MA: Hogrefe.

This article first appeared on Positive Psychology News. To see the original article, click here. To comment on this article, click here.

By Ryan Niemiec -

Movie Camera

What Makes a Positive Psychology Film?

What about the best positive psychology films? In general, a positive psychology film depicts:

• A balanced portrayal of one or more character strengths
• Obstacles, struggle, or conflict the character faces in reaching or maximizing the strength (this may be metaphorical)
• Characters overcoming obstacles, thus expressing, building, or maintaining the strength
• A tone or mood that is inspiring or uplifting

The best positive psychology films include all four of these criteria and engender the subjective experience of cinematic elevation, a term coined by Danny Wedding and me based on Jonathan Haidt’s definition of elevation (an emotion resulting from witnessing acts of moral beauty, accompanied by physical sensations of warmth and tingling, and a motivation to move toward higher moral ends). Cinematic elevation refers to the common movie-going experience in which the viewer is inspired by the moral goodness seen in a character, feels physical sensations of tingling skin and warmth in the midsection, and has a subsequent increased desire to act in virtuous ways. Viewing movies through a positive psychology lens is often transformative.

If the field of positive psychology were to give Academy Awards for the best films of 2009, what would be the most deserving winners representing various positive psychology phenomena? Here are the films just behind the top ten in my personal award list for positive psychology movies. These aren’t in any particular rank order, but for the top films to appear on Sunday morning, I’ll arrange them from 10 to 1.

Note: Unless otherwise noted, the movie images are links to DVDs available from Amazon.com in case you want to see them quickly.

And the Winners Are…

Music video

Come back on Sunday for the countdown to the top Positive Psychology movie for 2009.

References:

Fowers, B. J. (2008). From continence to virtue: Recovering goodness, character unity, and character types for positive psychology. Theory and Psychology, 18(5), 629-653.

Frankl, V. (1959). Man’s search for meaning. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Fredrickson, B. (2009). Positivity: Groundbreaking Research Reveals How to Embrace the Hidden Strength of Positive Emotions, Overcome Negativity, and Thrive. New York: Crown.

Haidt, J. (2003). Elevation and the positive psychology of morality. In C. L. Keyes & J. Haidt (Eds.), Flourishing: Positive Psychology and the Life Well-Lived (pp. 275-289). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

Niemiec, R. M. (2007, September 19). What is a positive psychology film? [Review of the motion picture The pursuit of happyness]. PsycCRITIQUES – Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books, 52 (No. 38). Article 18. Retrieved December 15, 2007.

Niemiec, R. M., & Wedding, D. (2008). Positive psychology at the movies: Using films to build virtues and character strengths. Gottingen, Germany: Hogrefe.

Peterson, C. & Seligman, M. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Peterson, C., Park, N., Hall, N., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2009). Zest and work. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 30, 161-172.

Simonton, D. K. (2004). Film awards as indicators of cinematic creativity and achievement: A quantitative comparison of the Oscars and six alternatives. Creativity Research Journal, 16(2 & 3), 163-172.

Wedding, D., Boyd, M. A., & Niemiec, R. M. (2010). Movies And Mental Illness: Using Films To Understand Psychopathology. Cambridge, MA: Hogrefe.

Image
Bauer 88B Movie Camera courtesy of John Kratz

This article first appeared on Positive Psychology News. To see the original article, click here. To comment on this article, click here.

By Amanda Horne -

Last month I attended the 2nd Australian Positive Psychology Conference run by the Australian Positive Psychology Association (APPA) at Melbourne’s Monash University on 12-13 February. It came at the end of a long and busy week, I was tired, and I had little enthusiasm for leaving home and flying interstate. Thanks to my ‘industry and perseverance’ strength, I made the trip. I returned home feeling energized and enthusiastic. I had greater clarity and confidence about the role we can play in helping to implement Positive Psychology.

I can’t actually put my finger on what specifically caused this happy state. Some of the sessions were fantastic, some were not so great, others were unexpectedly helpful, others not as helpful as I’d hoped. There was time to think and reflect. There was time to just be. There was plenty of time to interact with the 350 participants, all keen to learn, share, and connect. There is something energizing about noticing the healthy state of the field of Positive Psychology in one’s own country.

Positive Education, a great step forward…
A pleasing trend I have observed in Australia is the healthy state of Positive Education. Last year there was a successful Positive Education Conference at Sydney University – yes, a Positive Psychology conference devoted just to Positive Education. In this year’s (general) Positive Psychology Conference in Melbourne we noticed a large number of presentations devoted to Positive Education. And there seemed to be many more participants from schools at this conference than were at the 1st Australian Positive Psychology conference in 2008.

But … what about workplaces?

However, consider this comment from a participant during a lunchtime discussion forum (Positive Psychology in Organisations): “What happens when the children who have been exposed to positive education enter the workforce and encounter bosses who are not literate in the field of Positive Psychology?” Consider also anecdotes about company executives who, although interested in Positive Psychology, did not attend the conference because they thought the agenda was heavily biased towards education.

Some participants noted that proportionately there were not as many sessions on workplace applications as there were on Positive Education. Why was this so?

All agreed this is not a criticism of the conference.  In fact people were pleased with the progress of positive education in Australia.

Instead, thoughts offered by a range of participants included the following:

• People are implementing positive psychology in workplaces and organizations, but do not yet have rigorous evidence that can be presented at conferences.

• Consultants do not feel comfortable presenting, being uncomfortable about “blatant self promotion.”

• Some executives who are implementing Positive Psychology in their organizations did not think they have a story to tell. One commented, “Just one more year and then I’ll present.” Some realized they do in fact have a story already and could have presented if they’d had the right opportunity.

• Teachers in schools are much more interested and enthusiastic about Positive Psychology than leaders, managers, and executives. The well-being and development of students is the core business of a school. Well-being of employees is not considered core business of some organizations, and anyway, organizations have so many more cynics to educate. Young children tend to be less cynical.

• Positive Psychology is still young, there is nothing to worry about, workplaces are slowly picking it up.

• The Positive Education sessions at the conference provided inspiring information which is transferable to the workplace. “Let’s great creative.”

We had no answers, just comments, thoughts, and curiosity. We also had lots of hope and optimism that there will be increasingly more experiences of successful applications of Positive Psychology in organizations.

So, I wonder: what do you think?
What are you observing in your part of the world? As Positive Psychology matures, what do you think will be the key topics of conversation at conferences and forums?

Photos:
Free Giant Macro Pencil and Pink Eraser by D Sharon Pruitt (Pink Sherbet Photography)
Office block: by Amanda Horne

This article first appeared on Positive Psychology News. To see the original article, click here. To comment on this article, click here.

By Bridget Grenville-Cleave -

Looking for Inspiration

Inspiration, or more precisely the lack of it, strikes fear into the hearts of many students faced with an assignment or test, a blank sheet of paper and a ticking clock. I can remember countless times, sitting nervously  in an exam hall, trying hard not to be distracted by others frantically scribbling as if their lives depended on it, whilst I was casting around for  something, anything worth saying. Usually under the right pressure the penny drops, and ideas suddenly flow. As I prepare to write my Positive Psychology News Daily (PPND) articles, the same frequently applies.

By pure chance I stumbled across a new piece of research by Todd Thrash and colleagues at the College of William and Mary, exploring the link between inspiration and well-being. This is definitely worth a look I thought, bearing in mind my impending mental and emotional tussles with The Muse.

Regular readers of PPND will be familiar with the 50/40/10 equation of Sonja Lyubomirsky’s “Happiness Pie” which is frequently used to explain the origins of happiness to non-scientists. In other words our happiness is derived from an unequal combination of genetic inheritance, intentional activity and life circumstances. The message from positive psychology is that even if we’re unlucky enough to be born under a black cloud, we needn’t stay that way because there are certain things we can do differently which will increase our well-being. In other words, agency is key.

The Intriguing Link between Inspiration and Well-Being

So far so good. But Todd Thrash’s research takes a more left-field approach to well-being, starting with the suggestion that by focusing on agency, and what we can do to intentionally increase our well-being, we might be obscuring other important influences. Now that sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? As I start reading, it occurs to me that this is another example of the paradox of happiness: inspiration may very well be a source of well-being, but you can’t make yourself feel inspired just at the drop of a hat, can you?

So what is this research telling us about the origins or development of greater well-being which is new and useful?

Michael Jordan

Through a series of four linked experiments, Todd Thrash and colleagues showed that

• When people feel inspired, they are in a better mood [inspiration (in this case, inspiration induced by watching between 1 and 2 minutes of the awesome Michael Jordan in action) increased positive affect]
• If you have inspiration as part of your personality, this predicts that three months later, your well-being increases [trait inspiration uniquely and positively predicted an increase in hedonic and eudaimonic well-being (as measured by life satisfaction, positive affect, vitality and self-actualization) over a 3 month period, even when the Big 5 traits, initial levels of well-being and social desirability biases were controlled].
• It appears that inspiration leads to well-being rather than the other way around [inspiration predicted an increase in well-being across a 3 month period, but importantly well-being did not predict a change in inspiration, so it is causal].
• Why does inspiration lead to increased well-being?  It appear that inspiration makes us feel more grateful and to have a higher sense of purpose, and then gratitude and purpose make us feel greater well-being  [both gratitude and sense of purpose mediate the relationship between inspiration and well-being, in other words, inspiration leads to gratitude and sense of purpose, which then lead to well-being].

Once More with Feeling?

Thank you

The key to these research findings is intentionality, and as such they are crucial to our understanding and application of positive psychology in the field. For example, many regular PPND readers will already be familiar with the idea that gratitude leads to greater well-being: simple suggestions include expressing your gratitude in some form, such as counting your blessings, and writing a gratitude journal or a Thank You card or letter to someone who has helped you in the past. Similarly, we know than life purpose is central to our well-being: Seligman’s authentic happiness model is based on a meaningful life, as well as a good life and a pleasant life. But as Todd Thrash and colleagues point out, you cannot just adopt a sense of purpose in the same way that you can adopt a goal. “Rather a sense of purpose tends to be furnished (italics in original), at least in part, by inspiration which is itself difficult to bring under volitional control.” Similarly, whilst it is easy to say thank you, doing it in way that makes a difference to the giver and receiver is another matter: “The fact that individuals tend to deny responsibility for their inspiration and feel grateful to its source speaks to the limits if personal volition. One cannot awaken oneself – one must be awoken – to something that is more worthy of concern than one’s current concerns.” Could it be that those activities aimed at expressing gratitude or seeking purpose in life to increase well-being might be made even more effective for more people by focusing first and foremost on finding a source of inspiration? Giving thanks, or eliciting values or purpose could come afterwards.

So perhaps Frank Tibolt (1897-1989) was only half-right when he said that “we should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action.”

I’m off to find some Michael Jordan videos on Youtube.

References:

Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). The how of happiness: A scientific approach to getting the life you want. New York: Penguin Press.

Thrash, T.M., Elliot, A.J., Maruskin, L.A. & Cassidy, S.E. (2010). Inspiration and the promotion of well-being: Tests of causality and mediation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(3). 488-506.

Images:

1. Looking for Inspiration courtesy of Danilo Prates

2. Michael Jordan courtesy of PVBroadz

3. Thank you! courtesy of TheAlienessGiselaGiardino23

This article first appeared on Positive Psychology News. To see the original article, click here. To comment on this article, click here.

By Marie-Josée Salvas -

BOOK REVIEW: Rubin, G. (2009). The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun. Harper.

On an apparently meaningless bus drive home, Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany: “I am not as happy as I could be.” She also realized that the problem might not be the conditions of her life, per se,  but with how she lived and perceived it.  She wondered if she could change her life without actually changing her life, and made a year-long commitment  to work on improving her happiness.

Gretchen Rubin

That being said, Gretchen is well-informed about research. She weaves information about science-based theories and interventions quite seamlessly throughout the book.  Very self-aware and quite willing to disclose her strengths and weaknesses alike, her book is light and fun to read.

As a fitness and wellness consultant, I appreciated that she started her year with resolutions to exercise better and go to bed earlier – building a strong foundation is a good idea prior to tackling the thinking part of a happiness project.

Happiness: A Sign of Poor Mental Rigor or a Difficult Responsibility?
I  particularly enjoyed her reflections on whether happiness is a sign of poor mental rigor. She mentions how it may appear cooler not to be too happy – she used to be one of these argumentative, too-important-to-show-enthusiasm intellectuals herself. But then the former kill-joy realized that it was just safer to criticize than to show sincere appreciation.

She also admits that being happy can be a difficult responsibility. Yes, difficult. Stopping oneself from making negative observations and finding ways to be genuinely supportive instead can be more demanding than following habitually negative habits. And yes, it’s a responsibility. One of the “Splendid Truths” she discovered during her project was “One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy. One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself.” She also realized that when she felt happier, it was easier to act more virtuously. Turns out being and acting happy demands more mental rigor that being critical.

One of Gretchen’s resolutions was to “Act the way I want to feel.” I found the idea clever and tried it myself.  It is quite similar to the old “fake it until you make it,” without the canny feeling that usually tags along.

Happiness from a Sense of Progress
Gretchen emphasized that  everyone’s happiness project would be different — what makes one person happy might not bring equal joy or contentment to another. Still, the majority of her personal discoveries are in line with positive psychology theories and research findings.

For example, one of the experiences that brought her the most happiness was the sense of progress. Finishing a nagging task, clearing an overloaded closet, finishing a book are examples of things that made her feel especially content. And it makes sense. A new article recently published in the Harvard Business Review discusses a survey of over 600 managers that showed that it is “when workers sense they’re making headway [that] their drive to succeed is at its peak.”

Happiness from Daily Effort
Gretchen cleverly concludes her project by observing that happiness is a resolution more than a goal. A singular goal is something to achieve and then to be celebrated once you’ve finished reaching it.  A resolution is something to live up to everyday. Gretchen’s year actively studying happiness taught her the mental discipline to boost her mood daily. So really, happiness is like hygiene – it requires a little effort every day.

Gretchen, you get gold stars for your dedication to this project, but even more for inspiring others along the way!

For more info on Gretchen’s Happiness Project and free tools to help you start your own, visit www.GretchenRubin.com or www.Happiness-Project.com.

Amabile, T. M. & Kramer, S. J. (2010). The HBR List: Breakthrough Ideas for 2010. Harvard Business Review,

Rubin, G. (2009). The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun. Harper.

This article first appeared on Positive Psychology News. To see the original article, click here. To comment on this article, click here.

By Coert Visser -

BOOK REVIEW: Wilkinson, R. & Pickett, K. (2009). The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger. New York, Bloomsbury Press.

Diminishing Returns of Economic Growth

Richard Wilkinson

Kate Pickett

Their research shows that while economic policies in developed countries stress the importance of economic growth, the contribution of further economic growth reaches a point of dimiminishing marginal returns. The relationship levels off between economic growth and certain objectively measurable outcomes, as shown for life expectancy in the figure below.

Level of Equality as a Better Predictor of Social Well-Being
According to the authors, national income per person and economic growth are not the most important predictors of societal thriving in developed countries. The level of equality explains a great deal more. Wilkinson and Pickett’s research shows the association between many health-related and social problems and the level of inequality of society.

Here is how they did their research. They gathered data from 23 of the richest countries in the world from the World Bank and gathered internationally comparable data on the following health and social problems:

• level of trust
• mental illness (including drug and alcohol addiction)
• life expectancy and infant mortality
• obesity
• children’s educational performance
• teenage births
• homicides
• imprisonment rates
• social mobility

Here is an example graph showing how an index of these measures is related to income inequality.

To cross-validate their findings, the researchers tested these findings in a new data sample which consisted of the 50 American states. This research confirmed their national-level findings. Below is a graph showing how the index of health and social problems is related to income inequality across the United States.

The book contains many more graphs showing specific relationships between income inequality and separate measures of societal functioning. The slides are available online, as described below.

Why is this relevant for positive psychology?

Positive psychologists have done much research into how money is associated with happiness and some of their findings, at first glance, seem to be at odds with Wilkinson and Pickett’s findings. Berg and Veenhoven, for instance, found little relationship between income inequality and average happiness in nations. It seems paradoxical that income equality would be related to many objectively measurable problems but hardly at all with happiness. How can one be equally happy when objectively things are worse? What is going on here?

This question takes us back to the original formulation of positive psychology’s mission. Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi wrote in 2000, “We believe that a psychology of positive human functioning will arise that achieves a scientific understanding and effective interventions to build thriving in individuals, families, and communities.” This wonderful definition supports research that studies any factors that might determine thriving.

In practice, however, positive psychology is usually more narrowly operationalized. For instance, on the Wikipedia page of February 15, 2010, it is defined as follows: “Positive psychology is a recent branch of psychology that studies the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive.” This definition mentions only strengths and virtues as candidates for causal factors of thriving. It makes no mention at all of contextual, situational, or structural factors.

A broader perspective on thriving and its determinants

As psychologists, we have known for a long time how important situational factors are in influencing our perceptions, beliefs, behaviors, feelings, and performance. Wilkinson and Pickett’s research is another example of this, and it fits splendidly within the original definition of positive psychology in the sense that it contributes to the scientific understanding of how communities and their members thrive.

Also, it is an illustration of the limitations of using subjective criterion measures in research. Apparently, we can report well-being while objectively things are not going too well, both on an individual level and on a society level. We should not equate thriving or flourishing with subjective well-being. On this Barbara Fredrickson, author of Positivity, writes:

“Flourishing goes beyond happiness, or satisfaction with life. True, people who flourish are happy. But that’s not the half of it. Beyond feeling good, they’re also doing good -adding value to the world. People who flourish are highly engaged with their families, work, and communities. They’re driven by a sense of purpose: they know why they get up in the morning.”

For positive psychology to thrive, it needs to move beyond a somewhat narrow focus on happiness and strengths and take into account a broader perspective on thriving and its determinants.

References

Berg, M. & Veenhoven, R. (2010). Income inequality and happiness in 119 nations. In search for an optimum that does not appear to exist. In: Bent Greve (Ed.), Happiness and Social Policy in Europe, Edgar Elgar (in press)

Fredrickson, B. (2009). Positivity: Groundbreaking Research Reveals How to Embrace the Hidden Strength of Positive Emotions, Overcome Negativity, and Thrive. New York: Crown.

Pickett, K. (2010). Why Inequality is bad for your health.

Seligman, M.E.P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive Psychology. An Introduction. American Psychologist, 55 (1), 5-14

Wilkinson, R. & Pickett, K. (2009). The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger. New York, Bloomsbury Press.

This article first appeared on Positive Psychology News. To see the original article, click here. To comment on this article, click here.

By Denise Clegg -

The stories we tell weave moments, days, and years into a meaningful sense of life. Researchers have found that the way we tell those stories about our own lives is directly related to long-term well-being and resilience.

But that connection may have as much to do with the listener as the teller. Studies show that listener feedback and quality of attunement fundamentally impact the teller’s memory, capacity for positive emotional regulation, and ongoing construction of meaning.

What’s Your Story?

How do you describe major life changes and difficult events? Researchers have found narrative themes that consistently correlate with happiness, psychological and physical well-being, and resilience. Preliminary studies have shown:

Storytelling on a Park Bench

• People whose stories emphasized intrinsic (vs. non-intrinsic) memories and growth had higher levels of well-being. Intrinsic themes included focus on meaningful relationships, personal growth, and contributing to society and future generations. Non intrinsic themes highlight concerns about money, status, and physical appearance.

• Similarly, in stories of major life changes, people who emphasized themes of communion (vs. agency) had higher levels of well-being and were happier with the transition outcome. Communion is reflected in a teller’s focus and concern for things like friendship, love, affiliation, and the importance of others. Agency is reflected in a storyteller’s focus on things like personal power, status, and achievement.

• People who describe difficult life events by focusing on the process of coping and end with a positive resolution had higher well-being and became more resilient over time. But it is not happy talk. Importantly, only those people who also fully acknowledged the negative impact of the event had those positive outcomes.

Does this mean that changing your story to match these themes will make you healthier and happier? Life with its ever-changing story is too complex to be transformed by using specific words without their meaning. Your story is crafted by attention, memory, context, and audience. We don’t make this stuff up alone.

Who Is Listening, and How?

Our stories are shaped by others from an early age. Parents and caretakers first teach us how to tell stories about events. In doing so, they teach us how to focus attention, how to remember, and how to share our lives with others. That process continues through life. We quickly learn how to shape stories for different people in different contexts. And how they listen shapes us.

When you tell someone about your day, you remember with them. Repetition and rehearsal helps encode experience into long-term memory. Attentive listeners ask questions, offer emotional support, and focus attention on different aspects of experience. All of these behaviors influence what gets transcribed into long-term memory.

Pasupathi and colleagues have shown that attentive listeners facilitate long-term memory whereas distracted listeners have about the same effect as no listener at all, even though recently learned information was repeated in conversation. Pasupathi and colleagues also show that social remembering can be an important tool for positive emotional regulation if the listener is responsive and supportive.

What Kind of Listener Are You?

There are any number of books and courses on how to be a better listener. To begin, just consider the power and generosity of attentive listening. Positive psychology offers a number of tools, including active constructive responding, appreciative inquiry, and resilience skills, to name just a few.

What a story courtesy of lepiaf.geo
gossip_bench courtesy of ercwttmn
Couple Talking courtesy of r_x
Conversation NYC courtesy of eyetoeye

References:

Bauer, J. J., McAdams, D. P., & Pals, J. L. (2008). Narrative identity and eudaimonic well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 9(1), 81-104.

Pasupathi, M. (2003). Emotion regulation during social remembering: Differences between emotions elicited during an event and emotions elicited when talking about it. Memory, 11(2), 151-163.

Pasupathi, M., Stallworth, L. M., & Murdoch, K. (1998). How what we tell becomes what we know: Listener effects on speakers’ long-term memory for events. Discourse Processes, 26(1), 1-25

About Listening Skills:
Bascobert-Kelm, J. (2005). Appreciative Living: The Principles of Appreciative Inquiry in Personal Life. Wake Forest, NC: Venet.

Reivich, K, & Shattẻ, A. (2002). The Resilience Factor: 7 Keys to Finding Your Inner Strength and Overcoming Life’s Hurdles. New York: Broadway Books.

This article first appeared on Positive Psychology News. To see the original article, click here. To comment on this article, click here.