Positive Psychology

Positive Psychology The Scientific and Practical Explorations of Human Strengths


SAGE Publications, Inc
FormatPublished DateISBNPrice
Contents
 
Part I: Looking at Psychology from a Positive Perspective
 
Chapter 1: Welcome to Positive Psychology
Building Human Strength: Psychology’s Forgotten Mission

 
Going From the Negative to the Positive

 
Positive Psychology Seeks a Balanced, More Complete View of Human Functioning

 
Where We Are Now and What We Will Ask

 
A Guide to This Book

 
The Big Picture

 
Appendix: Movies for Review

 
 
Chapter 2: Eastern and Western Perspectives on Positive Psychology: How 'ME + WE = US' Might Bridge the Gap
A Matter of Perspective

 
Historical and Philosophical Traditions

 
Western Influences: Athenian, Judeo- Christian, and Islamic Traditions

 
Eastern Influences: Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and Hinduism

 
East Meets West

 
Individualism: The Psychology of ME

 
Collectivism: The Psychology of WE

 
Different Ways to Positive Outcomes

 
Where We Are Going: From ME to WE to US

 
ME/WE Balance: The Positive Psychology of US

 
 
Chapter 3: Classifications and Measures of Strengths and Positive Outcomes
Classifications and Measures of Strengths

 
Positive Outcomes for All

 
Identifying Strengths and Moving Toward a Vital Balance

 
 
Part II: Positive Psychology in Context
 
Chapter 4: The Role of Culture Developing Strengths and Living Well
Culture and Psychology

 
Understanding Culture: A Matter of Perspective

 
Positive Psychology: Culture is Everywhere

 
Putting Positive Psychology in a Cultural Context

 
Final Thoughts on the Complexity of Cultural Influences

 
 
Chapter 5: Living Well at Every Stage of Life
Resilience in Childhood

 
Positive Youth Development

 
The Life Tasks of Adulthood

 
Successful Aging

 
A More Developmental Focus in Positive Psychology

 
 
Part III: Positive Emotional States and Processes
 
Chapter 6: The Principles of Pleasure: Understanding Positive Affect, Positive Emotions, Happiness and Well-Being
Defining Emotional Terms

 
Distinguishing the Positive and the Negative

 
Positive Emotions: Expanding the Repertoire of Pleasure

 
Happiness and Subjective Well-Being: Living a Pleasurable Life

 
Moving Toward the Positive

 
 
Chapter 7: Making the Most of Emotional Experiences: Emotion-Focused Coping, Emotional Intelligence, Socioemotional Selectivity, and Emotional Storytelling
Emotion-Focused Coping: Discovering the Adaptive Potential of Emotional Approach

 
Emotional Intelligence: Learning the Skills That Make a Difference

 
Socioemotional Selectivity: Focusing in Later Life on Positive Emotions and Emotion-Related Goals

 
Emotional Storytelling: The Pennebaker Paradigm as a Means of Processing Intense Negative Emotions

 
Emotions and Context

 
Working With Emotions to Bring About Positive Change

 
An Emotional Balancing Act

 
 
Part IV: Positive Cognitive States and Processes
 
Chapter 8: Seeing Our Futures Through Self-Efficacy, Optimism, and Hope
Putting Temporal Futures in Perspective

 
Self-Efficacy

 
Hope

 
Cultural Caveats About Temporal Perspective

 
Appendix A: A Summary of Hope Theories

 
Appendix B: Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory Items

 
 
Chapter 9: Wisdom and Courage: Characteristics of the Wise and the Brave
Becoming and Being Wise

 
Theories of Courage

 
Becoming and Being Courageous

 
Courage Research

 
Finding Wisdom and Courage in Daily Life

 
 
Chapter 10: Mindfulness, Flow, and Spirituality: In Search of Optimal Experiences
Moment-to-Moment Searches

 
Mindfulness: In Search of Novelty

 
Flow: In Search of Absorption

 
Spirituality: In Search of the Sacred

 
The Search Continues

 
 
Part V: Prosocial Behavior
 
Chapter 11: Empathy and Egotism: Portals to Altruism, Gratitude, and Forgiveness
Altruism

 
Gratitude

 
Forgiveness

 
Personal Benefits of Altruism, Gratitude, and Forgiveness

 
The Societal Implications of Altruism, Gratitude, and Forgiveness

 
“I Have a Dream”: Toward a Kinder, Gentler Humankind

 
Appendix A: The Helping Attitude Scale

 
Appendix B: The Gratitude Questionnaire—Six Items From GQ-6

 
Appendix C: The Heartland Forgiveness Scale (HFS)

 
Appendix D: The Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Scale (TRIM)

 
 
Chapter 12: Attachment, Love, and Flourishing Relationships
Infant Attachment

 
Adult Attachment Security

 
Love

 
Flourishing Relationships: A Series of Purposeful Positive Relationship Behaviors

 
The Neurobiology of Interpersonal Connection

 
More on Flourishing Relationships

 
Future of Love

 
Building a Positive Psychology of Close Relationships

 
 
Part VI. Understanding and Changing Human Behavior
 
Chapter 13: Balanced Conceptualizations of Mental Health and Behavior
Moving Toward Balanced Conceptualizations

 
Our Fascination With Abnormal Behavior

 
Neglect of the Environment and of the Positive

 
The Lack of a Developmental Emphasis

 
Understanding Behavior in a Cultural Context

 
The Limits of the Categorical Diagnostic System

 
Going Beyond the DSM-5 Framework

 
 
Chapter 14: Preventing the Bad and Promoting the Good
In the Words of a Psychotherapy Client...

 
Primary Prevention: “Stop the Bad Before It Happens”

 
Secondary Prevention (Psychotherapy): “Fix the Problem”

 
Primary Enhancement: “Make Life Good”

 
Secondary Enhancement: “Make Life the Best Possible”

 
The Balance of Prevention and Enhancement Systems

 
Appendix A: Effective Secondary Preventions (Psychotherapies) for Adult Problems

 
Appendix B: Hope Therapy Worksheet

 
 
Part VII: Positive Environments
 
Chapter 15: Positive Schooling and Good Work: The Psychology of Gainful Employment and the Education That Gets Us There
Teaching as a Calling

 
Giving Back to Teachers

 
Gainful Employment

 
Gainful Employment: Happiness, Satisfaction, and Beyond

 
Having or Being a Good Boss

 
The Strengths-Based Approach to Work

 
Capital at Work

 
The Dark Side: Workaholics, Burnouts, and Jobs Lost

 
What Can Be Done to Improve Your Work?

 
When Work Becomes a Calling: The Tale of a Hospital Orderly

 
Appendix A: One Example of Positive Schooling: The StrengthsQuest Program

 
Appendix B: Positive Workplaces in Hong Kong: Building Positive Organizations, Engaging the Heart of Employees

 
 
Part VIII: A Positive Look at the Future of Psychology
 
Chapter 16: The Future of Positive Psychology: A Conversation Between the Authors
 
“Teachers Can’t Get Jobs in the Real World!”
 
“No Child Left Behind” and Beyond
 
The Components of Positive Schooling
Independent Customer Reviews

“The emphasis is not exclusively clinical; it includes applications and implications across a number of environments and draws from a number of perspectives, including neurobiology. This range makes it an excellent choice for anchoring major concepts so students can explore the application of positive psychology to their specific areas of interest.”

Dr. Pamela Rutledge, Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology

This is a good resource that can be used for Psychology sessions and for personal development - I will recommend to our students and library.

Ms JULIE anne DOVE
Health, Northampton College
August 28, 2018

Great introduction to positive psychology, useful for students offering guided self help interventions.

Mrs Lowri Ann Dowthwaite
School of Health, University of Central Lancashire
April 8, 2016

A useful book for students covering a wide variety of disciplines and applications, enabling them to draw upon other avenues of knowledge about psychology. Good consideration of relevant current issues and the application of positive psychology to these issues.

Miss Rebecca Healey
School of Social Sciences and Law, University of Teesside
December 15, 2015

This book maps on to the content of our wellbeing in psychology course really well. The exercises included in this book are engaging and encourage the students to engage in reflection and search for additional information (esp research). This book will be one of three core texts.

Dr Rebecca Jayne Stack
Psychology City, Nottingham Trent University
September 30, 2015
Contributors: 

Shane J. Lopez

Shane J. Lopez, PhD (deceased), was a Gallup Senior Scientist and Research Director of the Clifton Strengths Institute. Dr. Lopez published more than 100 articles and chapters and 10 books in addition to Positive Psychology: The Scientific and Practical Explorations of Human Strengths. These include Making Hope Happen, his first trade book; The Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology (with C. R. Snyder); Positive Psychological Assessment: A Handbook of Models and Measures (with C. R. Snyder); Positive Psychology: Exploring the Best in People; The Encyclopedia of Positive Psychology; and The Psychology of Courage: Modern Research on an Ancient Virtue (with Cynthia Pury). Dr. Lopez was a fellow of the American Psychological Association and of the International Positive Psychology Association. A professor at the University of Kansas in both the Schools of Education and Business for more than a decade, he passed away on July 23, 2016.

Jennifer Teramoto Pedrotti

Jennifer Teramoto Pedrotti, PhD, is associate dean for diversity and curriculum in the College of Liberal Arts and professor in the Department of Psychology and Child Development at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where she has been teaching positive psychology with a multicultural focus for over 10 years. She is also serving in an interim role as the associate vice president for Academic Initiatives for the Office of University Diversity and Inclusion, also at Cal Poly. She is the lead editor on a volume entitled Perspectives on the Intersection of Multiculturalism and Positive Psychology (with Lisa M. Edwards) and often speaks on the topic of including cultural context in positive psychological discussions, including as a keynote speaker at the Asian Pacific Conference on Applied Positive Psychology in Hong Kong, and in presentations at conferences, including those of the American Psychological Association, and the International Positive Psychology Association. Additionally, Dr. Teramoto Pedrotti is the lead author on a second textbook for undergraduate students, Multicultural Psychology: Self, Society, and Social Change (with Denise A. Isom). She has contributed to many different volumes throughout her career such as The Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology, Positive Psychological Interventions, Activities for Teaching Positive Psychology, and the Handbook of Multicultural Counseling. In addition, her work has appeared in multiple journals, including the Journal of Counseling Psychology, Journal of Positive Psychology, and Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. Recently, she was part of the prestigious Emerging Leaders Program 2022 Cohort via the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. In her current role, she encourages students, staff, and faculty daily to use their strengths to make change toward a more equitable and inclusive campus.

 

C. R. Snyder

C. R. Snyder, PhD (deceased), was the Wright Distinguished Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Kansas, Lawrence. Internationally known for his work at the interface of clinical, social, personality, and health psychology, his theories pertained to how people react to personal feedback, the human need for uniqueness, the ubiquitous drive to excuse transgressions, and, most recently, the hope motive. He received 31 research awards and 27 teaching awards at the university, state, and national levels. In 2005, he received an honorary doctorate from Indiana Wesleyan University. Snyder appeared many times on national American television shows, and he was a regular contributor to National Public Radio. His scholarly work on the human need for uniqueness received the rare recognition of being the subject matter of an entire Sunday cartoon sequence by Garry Trudeau. All of these accomplishments were packaged in a graying and self-effacing absent-minded professor who said of himself, “If you don’t laugh at yourself, you have missed the biggest joke of all!”