Conferences

Of the 470 presenters at ISCS, none had a message more compelling than that of Tania Singer, a social neuroscientist from The Max Planck Institute. Singer seems vitally alive as she presents her work, a scientist who has clearly found her calling and is excited to share her findings. She is also studying a neglected type of motivation, Affiliation Motivation. Like many others there, she is embarked on the quest described by the Dalai Lama in the closing speech, “How can we take knowledge from science and apply it in the service of humanity?”

The Mind & Life International Symposium on Contemplative Studies was a beautiful mix of opportunities to learn about the scientific study of contemplative practices and to experience the practices themselves. In this first article on the conference, I explore why this area of study is booming and why it matters that aging brains are more plastic than once thought.

March 20th is the third International Day of Happiness declared by the United Nations. We want you to know about two ways to recognize the day: the virtual conference on well-being hosted by the MAPP Alumni Association and the 24-hour Happiness Live Stream presented by LiveHappy Magazine.

Yesterday I sketched the 3 main topics highlighted in the Appreciative Education conference in early January. Today I want to talk the ways appreciative education relates to positive psychology, appreciative mindsets, and ways appreciative education can contribute to my own goals around creating positive universities and university experiences.

The Appreciative Education (AE) Conference took place in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in early January 2015. According to conference organizer, Jennifer Bloom, AE aims to improve education in K-12 through higher education by providing “an intentional and positive approach to bettering educational enterprises by focusing on the strengths and potential of individuals and organizations to accomplish co-created goals.”

Tim Kasser made the point that materialism and well-being tend to be related to each other like two riders on a seesaw. When one goes up, the other goes down. This has implications for both individuals and society.

The world premiere of North of Normal will take place on September 5 as part of the Western Positive Psychology Association Conference. Ph.D. students Monica Montijo and Angela Mouton traveled to 22 countries on six continents in order to interview people about love, passion, and peak experience. In addition to their doctoral research, they were inspired to make a documentary film to transmit their findings to a wide audience through the stories of people in diverse cultures and situations.

I shared this particular story in Dr. Rashad’s workshop of Positive Psychotherapy, and he pointed out that I was able to employ the character strength of playfulness to address an ongoing and challenging problem with my mother.

I was thrilled to speak at two back-to-back Positive Psychology conferences this summer. I came away from the two experiences with my brain filled with new resources to integrate into my work and dozens of new connections. I am so grateful to be part of a community that is at the forefront of bringing positive health and wellness to people worldwide.

The 7^th ECPP in Amsterdam from 1st-4th July was a fabulous opportunity to get up-to-date with the latest positive psychology research and practice. I was struck by how often the conference returned to the theme of connection and, in the widest-possible sense, well-being from a community perspective.

New data shows that work engagement is better than usually reported. Workplace bullying needs some active attention. Wellness programs may benefit from sneak approaches, such as using smaller plates in lunch lines. The interface between work and life is smoothest when employers and employees collaborate on the solutions. These are just some of the takeaways from the stimulating Work & Well-Being 2014 conference held on May 30 in Washington, D.C..

Still trying to decide whether to attend the Canadian Positive Psychology Association conference in a few weeks? Read these previews of applications of positive psychology in educational settings. Not able to attend? You still may want to know about the work these people are doing.

Welcome to the fourth episode of PPND TV, an interview with Louisa Jewell. Louisa calls herself a “multi-passionate entrepreneur” who has found many innovative ways teach positive psychology to people who need the information. Like her voice? Check out her video blog or join her at the Canadian Positive Psychology Association conference this summer.

The PPND TV interview series is a way to bring our readers the crux of positive psychology in brief video interviews with researchers and practitioners.

The ability of positive psychology to drive action comes alive at the intersection of disciplines. My passion and work lies at the vertex of positive psychology, business, and social innovation. You can bet that I’m always on the hunt for relevant hubs for discourse, and I found one in the Positive Business conference.

While psychology generally has been a “neck-up” discipline, several positive psychology practitioners and researchers are looking at involving the whole body. Here’s a selection of our great speakers who will be appearing in Ottawa, Canada on July 17 and 18. (Today is the last day to register at the early bird rate.)

At the upcoming Canadian Positive Psychology conference in Ottawa this July, many different keynotes, speakers and presenters will be sharing insights into their research and application of positive psychology. Typically, we think of positive psychology as serving a non-clinical population, but these forward-thinkers are taking positive psychology to populations that may be seen as vulnerable, disadvantaged, or difficult.

The Canadian Positive Psychology Association is pleased to announce its second conference will be held this July 16-18 in Ottawa, Canada. In addition to tthe keynote speakers, Sonja Lyubomirsky, Tim Kasser, Michael Steger, and Bob Vallerand, the CPPA is pleased to provide a forum for emerging researchers and practitioners. This preview is about some of the speakers that will address workplace well-being.

On April 11, 2014, MasonLeads and the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being presented their 5th annual Leading to Well-Being Conference. The theme this year was Thriving Together. In order…

In her keynote address at the Coaching in Leadership and Healthcare Conference, Dr. Amy Edmonson of the Harvard Business School gave us the four critical ingredients in her recipe for success: Aim High, Team-Up, Fail Well, Learn Fast. Like other successful recipes, she urges us to repeat them as often as necessary.

During last week’s Positive Education Summit in the UK, I was exceedingly fortunate to be invited by Martin Seligman to a dinner where the general topic of conversation was the future of positive psychology and positive education. At Seligman’s request, we stuck to the one-conversation rule which meant that everyone could hear and respond to everyone else’s contributions.