Table of 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

About the Author

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, 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, 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!”

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*