Gabriel Sebastian Lizada

gsnlizada@addu.edu.ph

Positive Psychology - SIG

June 6, 2020 (Saturday)

Positive Psychology SIG
Disclaimer: Views and
opinions to not
necessarily reflect the
position of the
organizations I am
affiliated with.
I am not receiving any
financial support, royalty
or any form of benefit
from the companies,
individuals, and groups
mentioned in this
webinar
What makes you Happy?
 Imagine you are in an airplane and your
seatmate asks you about your profession.
You say you are a Psychologist.
What do you think this person will think?
 Negativity Bias
“attend to, learn from, and use
negative information far more than
positive information (Vaish et al.,
2008, p.383)

Negativity Bias was meant for

survival
Happiness Myths

M
#1 Happiness is the natural state of

Y
human beings

#2 If you’re not happy, you’re

T
defective

#3 To create a better life, we must

H
get rid of negative feelings
Robert Biswas-Diener Todd Kashdan
 8

Happiness Myth

Hedonic Adaptation
 Seligman’s Vision 9

Before World War II

Treat Mental Illness

Make life more productive and fulfilling

Identify and Nurture Talent

-10 +10
 -10 +10

Mission 1: Mental Illness

 -10 +10

Mission 1: Mental Illness

Mission 2: Productive Life

Mission 3: Nurture Talent

 14

Happiness Myth

We cannot control
our happiness
Lyubomirsky’s Happiness Pie
We shift our attention
to what’s working
rather than what is
wrong.
Who are the Positive
Psychologists you
know?
POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

Martin Mihaly
Seligman Csikszentmihalyi
 The scientific study of positive human
functioning and flourishing on multiple levels
that include the biological, personal,
relational, institutional, cultural, and global
dimensions of life (Seligman &
Csikszentmihalyi, 2000)
 Positive Psychology 20

IS NOT

• Being happy all the time

• Trying to make everyone happy
• “Think Positive”, “Look at the bright side”
• Ignoring Weakness
• Giving Every Student an “A”
Positive Psychology 21

IS

• What makes life worth living

• Strengths and Virtues
• Focused on well-being
 Brief History of Positive Psychology 22

1963
Erikson: Psychosocial
1951 Development

Rogers: Fully Functioning

Person
1954 - 1971
Maslow’s Hierarchy of
Needs
1961
Allport: Mature
Individuality
 Brief History of Positive Psychology 23

1977
Deci and Ryan: Self-
Determination Theory

1996
Ryff: Psychological Well-
being

1990
Csikszentmihalyi: Flow
Theory
1991 - 2006
Seligman: Learned
Helplessness & Authentic
Happienss
(Smith, 2008)
 25

Happiness Myth

Money Cannot Buy

Happiness
 26

Truth Bomb

People who seek

material happiness
are less happy
Is Positive Psychology only
about the PERMA theory?
 Some Positive Psychologists
Shawn Achor Todd Kashdan Sonja Lyubomirsky Ryan Niemiec

Ilona Boniwell Shane Lopez Karen Reivich Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Angela Duckworth Alex Linley Edward Deci Barbara Fredrickson

Carol Dweck Corey Keyes Richard Ryan Ed Diener

Robert Emmons Ellen Langer Robert– Biswas Diener Chris Peterson

Shelly Gable Fred Luthans Tayyab Rashid Martin Seligman

Felicia Huppert Nansook Park Tal Ben Sha-har Lea Waters

Aaron Jarden James Pawelski Paul Wong Denise Quinlan

Sue Langley Lindsay Oades Carol Ryff Tal Ben-Shahar

 Eudaimonia and Hedonia 29

E H
The eudaimonic perspective of wellbeing –
based on Aristotle’s view that true
happiness comes from doing what is worth
doing – focuses on meaning and self-
realization, and defines wellbeing largely in
terms of ways of thought and behavior that
provide fulfillment”
(Gale et al., 2013)
Focuses on happiness and defines well-
being in terms of pleasure attainment and
pain avoidance
Happiness is thus not reducible to physical
hedonism, for it can be derived from
attainment of goals or valued outcomes in
varied realms
(Deci & Ryan, 2001b)
 Psychological Well-being (Ryff & Keyes,1995) 30

“refers to optimal psychological experience and functioning”

Self-acceptance Environmental Mastery

Personal Growth Autonomy

Purpose in Life Positive Relationship with Others

 Subjective Well-being (Diener)
31

Cognitive Affective Contextual

Factors Factors Factors
 Broaden-and-Build Theory of
Positive Emotions (Fredrickson)
• Positive emotions broaden
awareness and over time enable
the building of resources.
• Increase our thought action-
repertoire
• Negative emotions narrow
actions
• Positive emotions broaden
action
 Broaden-and-Build Theory of
Positive Emotions (Fredrickson)
10 Positive Emotions
• Joy
• Gratitude
• Serenity
• Interest
• Hope
• Pride
• Amusement
• Inspiration
• Awe
• Love
 Quick Update:
The Losada Ratio (3:1) is no longer
accepted and has been since retracted.
 Flow Theory (Csikszentmihalyi) 35

Flow is focused motivation involving single-minded immersion in an appropriately challenging goal-based activity.

Reduce Distractions. Challenge Yourself

Do not multitask

Work on a specific task Take care of your

and have a clear goal physiological needs.
 THE PLEASANT LIFE
What is Happiness? increasing positive emotions by doing
what is pleasurable.

THE GOOD LIFE

using strengths, skills to enrich one’s life

THE MEANINGFUL LIFE

contributing to the greater good
PEM Model of well-being
THE PLEASANT LIFE
Positive Emotions

THE GOOD LIFE

Engagement

THE MEANINGFUL LIFE

Meaning
 “Your 2002 theory can’t be right, Marty. “The
2002 theory in the book Authentic Happiness,
is supposed to be a theory of what humans
choose, but it has a huge hole in it: it omits
success and mastery. People try to achieve
just for winning’s own sake”

Senia Maymin
June 27, 2020
2PM
 41

Happiness Myth

Success = Happiness
Strengths Theory
Character Strengths are the backbone of Positive Psychology (Peterson &
Seligman, 2004)

Chris Peterson Martin Seligman Ryan Niemiec Alex Linley

 “pre-existing capacity for a particular way of behaving,
thinking, or feeling that is authentic and energizing to the
user, and enables optimal functioning, development and
performance” (2008, p. 9).
WHEN IS SOMEONE
MOST LIKELY
USING THEIR
STRENGTHS
High Levels of
Authenticity
Effortless
Focused
Prioritize
Self-Motivated
Passion
What happy people do:
• Prioritize social connection
• Helping Others
• Make time for gratitude
• Healthy Practices increase happiness
• Spend energy and time the right way
• Be present
 Happiness during COVID PANDEMIC

• Do Random Acts of Kindness

• Practice Gratitude
• Maintain Healthy Practices
• Be present (mindfulness)
• Maintain Social Connections
• Apply Strengths in a new a way
• Self-compassion
• Forgive