Table of Contents

Part I: Major Developments in Positive Psychology
1. A Case for Positive Psychology, Shane J. Lopez and Matthew W. Gallagher
2. Positive Psychology: Past, Present, and Future, Ed Diener
3. Positive Emotions, Michael Cohn and Barbara Fredrickson
4. Classifying and Measuring Strengths of Character, Christopher Peterson and Nansook Park
5. Positive Psychology Applications, P. Alex Linley, Stephen Joseph, John Maltby, and Alex M. Wood
6. Positive Psychology within a Cultural Context, Jennifer Teramoto Pedrotti, Lisa M. Edwards, and Shane J. Lopez
 
Part II: Positive Psychology Perspectives on Human Behavior
7. Stopping the "Madness": Positive Psychology and Deconstructing the Illness Ideology and the DSM, James Maddox
8. Widening the Diagnostic Focus: A Case for Including Human Strengths and Environmental Resources, Beatric Wright and Shane J. Lopez
9. Toward a Science of Mental Health, Corey L. M. Keyes
10. Measuring the Dynamics of Positive Human Health: From Covariance Systems to Dynamic Structures, Anthony D. Ong and Alex J. Sautra
11. Positive Ethics: Themes and Variations, Mitchell M. Handelsman, Samuel Knapp, and Michael C. Gottlieb
 
Part III: Positive Psychology across the Lifespan
12. Resilience in Development, Ann S. Masten, J. J. Cutili, Janette E. Herbers, and Marie-Gabrielle J. Reed
13. Positive Psychology for Children and Adolescents: Development, Prevention, and Promotion, Keri J. Brown Kirschman, Rebecca J. Johnson, Jade A. Bender, and Michael C. Roberts
14. The Positive Youth Development Perspective: Theoretical and Empirical Bases of a Strengths-Based Approach to Adolescent Development, Richard M. Lerner
15. Aging Well in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities, Gail W. Williamson and Julie Christie
16. New Territories of Positive Lifespan Developments: Wisdom and Life Longings, Susanne Scheibe, Ute Kunzmann, and Paul B. Bates
 
Part IV: Emotional Approaches
17. Subjective Well-Being: The Science of Happiness and Life Satisfaction, Ed Diener, Shigehiro Oishi, and Richard E. Lucas
18. Flow Theory and Research, Jeanne Nakamura and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
19. Positive Affectivity: The Disposition to Experience Positive Emotional States, David Watson and Kristin Naragon
20. The Social Construction of Self-Esteem, John P. Hewitt
21. Coping through Emotional Approach: Emerging Evidence for the Utility of Processing and Expressing Emotions in Responding to Stressors, Annette L. Stanton, Sarah J. Sullivan, and Jennifer L. Austenfeld
22. The Positive Psychology of Emotional Intelligence, Peter Salovey, John D. Mayer, David Caruso, and Seung Hee You
23. Emotional Creativity: Toward "Spiritualizing the Passions", James Averill
 
Part V: Cognitive Approaches
24. Creativity, Dean Keith Simonton
25. The Role of Personal Control in Adaptive Functioning, Suzanne Thompson
26. Mindfulness versus Personal Evaluation, Ellen Langer
27. Perspectives on Time, Ilona Boniwell
28. Optimism, Charles S. Carver, Michael F. Scheier, Christopher J. Miller, and Daniel Fulford
29. Optimistic Explanatory Style, Christopher Peterson and Tracy A. Steen
30. Hope Theory, Kevin L. Rand and Jennifer S. Cheavens
31. Self-Efficacy: The Power of Believing You Can, James E. Maddux
32. Problem-Solving Appraisal and Psychological Adjustment, P. Paul Heppner and Dong-gwi Lee
33. Self-Determination, Michael L. Wehmeyer, Todd D. Little, and Julie Sergeant
34. Curiosity and Interest: The Benefits of Thriving on Novelty and Challenge, Todd B. Kashdan and Paul J. Silvia
35. Courage, Cynthia Pury and Shane J. Lopez
 
Part VI: Interpersonal Relationships
36. Relationship Connection: A Redux on the Role of Minding and the Quality of Feeling Special in the Enhancement of Closeness, John Harvey and Brain Pauwels
37. Compassion, Eric J. Cassell
38. Adult Attachment Security: The Relational Scaffolding of Positive Psychology, Frederick G. Lopez
39. Empathy and Altruism, C. Daniel Batson, Nadia Ahmad, and David A. Lishner
40. Forgiveness, Michael E. McCullough, Lindsey M. Root, Bengamin A. Tabak, and Charlotte Witvliet
41. Furthering the Science of Gratitude, Philip Watkins, Michael Van Gelder, and Araceli Fias
42. Love, Clyde Hendrick and Susan S. Hendrick
43. For Richer...In Good Times...and in Health: Positive Process in Relationships, Natalya C. Maisel and Shelly L. Gable
 
Part VII: Self-Based Approaches
44. What's Positive about Self-Verification?, Rebecca J. North and William B. Swann, Jr.
45. Reality Negotiation, Raymond L. Higgins and Matthew W. Gallagher
46. Humility, June Price Tangney
47. The Motive for Distinctiveness: Identity Construction in a Cultural Context, Vivian L. Vignoles
 
Part VIII: Biological Approaches
48. A Role of Neuropsychology in Understanding the Facilitating Influence of Positive Affect on Social Behavior and Cognitive Processes, Alice M. Isen
49. Toward a Biology of Social Support, Sally S. Dickerson and Peggy M. Zoccola
50. The Central Role of the Heart in Generating and Sustaining Positive Emotions, Rollin McCraty and Robert A. Rees
51. Toughness, Richard A. Dienstbier and Lisa M. Pytlik Zillig
 
Part IX: Positive Institutions
52. Family-Centered Positive Psychology, Susan M. Sheridan and Jennifer D. Burt
53. Positive Schools, E. Scott Huebner, Rich Gilman, Amy L. Reschly, and Russell Hall
54. Positive Psychology on Campus, Laurie A. Schreiner, Eileen Hulme, Roderick Hetzel, and Shane J. Lopez
55. Positive Workplaces, Fred Luthans and Carolyn M. Youssef
56. Positive Institutions, Law, and Policy, Peter H. Huang and Jeremy A. Blumenthal
 
Part X: Specific Coping Approaches
57. Meditation and Positive Psychology, Shauna L. Shapiro
58. Spirituality: The Search for the Sacred, Kenneth I. Pargament and Annette Mahoney
59. Sharing One's Story: On the Benefits of Writing or Talking about Emotional Experiences, Kate G. Niederhoffer and James W. Pennebaker
60. Benefit-Finding and Growth, Suzanne C. Lechner, Howard Tennen, and Glenn Affleck
61. Making Sense of Loss, Perceiving Benefits, and Post-Traumatic Growth, Christopher G. Davis and Susan Nolen-Hoeksema
62. Happiness, Resilience, and Positive Growth Following Physical Disability: Issues for Understanding, Research, and Therapeutic Intervention, Dana S. Dunn, Gitendra Uswatte, and Timothy Elliott
 
Part XI: Toward Better Lives
63. The Promise of Sustainable Happiness, Julia Boehm and Sonya Lyubomirsky
64. Meaning in Life: Michael F. Steger
65. The Future of Positive Psychology: Pursuing Three Big Goals, Shane J. Lopez

About the Author

Shane J. Lopez, Ph.D., is Associate Professor, Department of Psychology and Research in Education, University of Kansas.

C.R. Snyder, Ph.D., was Wright Distinguished Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Kansas.

Reviews

"This is an excellent book on a unique approach to psychology. The international authorship helps readers see positive pyschology from many different vantage points. The book ends on a helpful note, talking about the importance of the work of therapists in helping clients and families find meaning and happiness-- a point everyone can agree on."--Doody's Health Sciences Review, a 4-star review!