Wiley-Blackwell is proud to announce the Exchanges Online Conference Series. Each event will focus on an area of interdisciplinary interest and will include:
*Podcast keynote addresses
*Scholarly articles with expert commentary
*Publishing workshops
*Live Q&A with presenters
*A book and journal exhibition with discount
*Participate when it suits your schedule
Wellbeing: A Cure-All for the Social Sciences?
15-19 November 2010
Basic Civil Engineering first year Notes- Chapter 4 Building.pptx
What Positive Psychology has Learned About Wellbeing
1. Wellbeing:
A Cure-All for the Social Sciences?
Date: 15-19 November 2010
Location: www.wileyblackwellexchanges.com
2. Keynote Lecture:
What Positive Psychology has
Learned About Wellbeing
Christopher Peterson
Arthur F. Thurnau professor of psychology
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, USA
3. What is Positive Psychology?
• Positive
psychology is an
umbrella term
describing the
scientific study of
what makes life
worth living
4. Outline
• What is positive psychology?
• Criticisms and cautions
• The subject matter
• What have we learned?
• Conclusions
5. • Is positive psychology narrowly American?
• Does positive psychology tell people “don’t
worry, be happy?”
• Running ahead of the data
• Complacency: safety science versus growth
science
6.
7. What Positive Psychologists Have Learned
• Most people are happy
• Money makes an ever-diminishing contribution to well-being
• However, money can make someone happy if it is spent on
other people
• Happiness has important consequences, including academic
and vocational success and good health and long life
• Happiness is contagious, spreading through social networks
and meaning that an emphasis on happiness is not selfish
• Good days have common features
• Character matters, although it is important to talk about the
specific character strength and the particular outcome
• For many outcomes, the “heart” matters more than the “mind.”
• Most people are resilient
• Happiness, strengths of character, and good social
relationships are buffers
• Engagement at work—and at leisure!—matters
• Meaning and purpose matter, whether provided by religion or
by secular activities that connect the person to something
larger and external
• Other people matter … the single most import lesson
from positive psychology research
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13. 13
24 Character Strengths Under 6 Virtues
1. Wisdom and Knowledge
creativity
curiosity
judgment/open-mindedness
love of learning
perspective
2. Courage
bravery
honesty
perseverance
zest/enthusiasm
3. Humanity
kindness
love
social intelligence
4. Justice
fairness
teamwork
leadership
5. Temperance
forgiveness/mercy
modesty/humility
self-control/self-regulation
prudence/caution
6. Transcendence
appreciation of beauty &
excellence
gratitude
hope/optimism
humor/playfulness
religiousness/spirituality
14. 14
Consequences of Character
Consequence Strength(s)
Life satisfaction Love, hope, gratitude, curiosity, zest
Military leadership Love
Academic achievement Perseverance, love, gratitude
Not being a delinquent Modesty
Teacher effectiveness Zest, humor, social intelligence
Work satisfaction Zest, hope
Child happiness Parental self-regulation
Physical health and longevity Hope
Employee health Managerial kindness, fairness
Recovery from illness Bravery, kindness, humor
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20. In Sum …
• Attention to what goes well provides a
usual vantage
• Well-being is complex and diverse – there
are many routes to a satisfied life
• The good life can be taught, and it can be
learned
