6.3: Positive Psychology and Signature Strengths

David Featherston

Positive psychology

Positive psychology is a relatively new branch of psychology which focuses on positive emotions. A positive emotional frame of mind offers a wide range of thoughts and actions, and fosters play, exploration and creativity by allowing the individual to be more open to new ideas and experiences.⁽¹⁾To read more on positive psychology, open the fact sheets prepared by the Black Dog Institute on Happiness and Positive Psychology.⁽¹⁾ Positive Psychology.pdf and Happiness.pdf

Reflective exercise

The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS) has been developed as a tool to monitor mental well-being. It focuses entirely on positive aspects of mental health.⁽²⁾Complete the well-being scale and then answer the following questions. WEMWBS.pdf

What is your current level of well-being?

Is there anything you would like to do to improve this?

Happiness and signature strengths

There has been growing interest in the nature of ‘happiness’ and ‘well-being’. Research has now demonstrated that it is possible to improve happiness regardless of one's personal circumstances or temperament. An appreciation that happiness is not simply the flip-side of ‘depression’ is important and indeed, the definitions can be as elusive.⁽³⁾

The Authentic Happiness website at http://www.authentichappiness.org/offers a range of surveys, including the Authentic Happiness Inventory.

The author of Authentic Happiness, Dr Martin Seligman, has been promoting the field of positive psychology through the study of positive emotion, positive character traits and positive institutions.⁽⁴⁾ He believes that happiness occurs when a person identifies a signature strength and uses it towards something larger than the self. A ‘signature strength’ is a personal strength such as playfulness, kindness, honesty, critical thinking, and the role of positive psychology is to help a person identify and develop their signature strength. Our signature strengths can be nurtured throughout our lives, with benefits to our health, relationships and careers.

Reflective exercise

Use the Signature Strengths Survey found at http://www.authentichappiness.org/ to assist you in answering the following questions.

Do you know your signature strengths? What are they?

Can these assist you with any changes you want to make?

Research

For additional research into the area of positive psychology and happiness the following resources have been recommended.

Lyubomirsky S. The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want. Penguin Putnam, 2008.
Csikzentmihalyi M. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper Perennial, 1991.
Csikzentmihalyi M. Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life. Basic Books, 1997.

References

Black Dog Institute. Positive psychology: fact sheet. Available from http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/docs/PositivePsychology.pdf
Tennant R, Hiller L, Fishwick R, et al. The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS): development and UK validation. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 2007;5(63).
Black Dog Institute. Happiness: fact sheet. Available from http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/docs/Happiness.pdf
Available from www.authentichappiness.org
Seligman MP. Authentic Happiness: Using the new positive psychology to realize your potential for lasting fulfillment. Free Press, 2002.

Continue to Module 6.4: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunity, Threat