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Invitation to Positive Psychology: Research and Tools for the Professional A 6-week Course Course Author: Robert Biswas-Diener Programme Director: Robert Biswas-Diener First published in the United Kingdom in 2008 © Robert Biswas-Diener ISBN: 978-1-906366-04-9 (paperback) British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without either the prior written permission of the publisher, or a licence permitting restricted copying in the United Kingdom issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, Saffron House, 6-10 Kirby Street, London, EC1N 8TS. This book may not be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published, without the prior consent of the Publisher. Requests for permissions should be directed to the Publisher. Printed in the United Kingdom 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Table of Contents Week One: What, and why, is positive psychology? 5 Week Two: The power of positive emotion 22 Week Three: Empirically tested interventions 40 Week Four: A strengths focus 67 Week Five: A case for hope and optimism 88 Week Six: Putting it all together 108 About the author 122 Week One: What, and why, is positive psychology? Welcome to this course on positive psychology. You may have joined the course for any number of reasons…. Perhaps you are looking for new tools that will give you an edge at work, or think that a focus on the positive aspects of human psychology is a refreshing counterpoint to looking at depression or other problems. Maybe the course was recommended by a friend, or possibly you read a popular book on happiness that piqued your interest or helped you in your own life. Whatever the reason, I am pleased to announce that positive psychology has a little something for everyone. It is not a self-help movement or a re-packaging of “the power of positive thinking.” It is not American-style “happy-ology,” and it is not a passing fad. Nor does understanding this exciting new discipline require a doctorate in psychology. Positive psychology is the scientific study of human flourishing, and an applied approach to optimal functioning. The lessons and applications of positive psychology research are appropriate to everyone, and I mean literally everyone. The research that forms the foundation of positive psychology has been drawn from teenagers and the elderly, executives and tribal people. The measures and practical applications that make up the toolbox of positive psychology can be applied across all domains of life. Chances are, you came to this course hoping to gain knowledge and skills you can use in your professional life, whether you are an educator, therapist, coach, manager, human resource worker, or medical programme evaluator. If so, positive psychology in general, and this course in particular, definitely has something to offer you. Importantly, however, the major lessons and important points contained in this course can be as applicable to you personally—in your own life at home—as they are to you professionally. In the last decade or so, positive psychology research has produced many new insights—many of them counter-intuitive— into when and how people function best. In this course, you will be introduced to the foundational studies of positive psychology, as well as to the newest theories and latest interventions At its heart, positive psychology is a radical idea. If you are anything like me, you probably spend at least a portion of each d