Using the new Positive Psychology. Spiritualityby Ben Dean, Ph.D. The foundations of a person are not in matter but in spirit.. —Ralph Waldo Emerson At the beginning of May 2005, Gallup asked Americans to rate how important religion is in their lives. Of those surveyed, 55% rated religion as very important and 28% rated religion as fairly important. Only 16% stated that religion was not important at all. Peterson and Seligman (2004) observed that spirituality is universal: “Although the specific content of spiritual beliefs varies, all cultures have a concept of an ultimate, transcendent, sacred, and divine force” (p. 601). One explanation may be that the concept of spirituality doesn’t fit neatly into our current research molds. We prefer to use the term religion in its classic sense as a broad individual and institutional domain that serves a variety of purposes, secular as well as sacred.
In this article, you may notice that I make reference to more studies on religion than spirituality. Benefits of Spirituality 1. 2. Using the new Positive Psychology. Using the new Positive Psychology. Ppprogressarticle.pdf. Ppintroarticle. Martin Seligman: The new era of positive psychology.
Optimism and Pessimism. Research in optimism is a burgeoning field. There have been more studies on optimism in the last seven years than in the previous twenty. Reviewing the field of research on optimism, one is at first struck by the overwhelming number of positive outcomes associated with optimism and then by the widespread propensity that humans have for optimism or for a positive bias in their outlook on life and their self assessment.
Psychologists classify the population as largely optimistic by their measurements. i.e. Segerstrom (2006) claims some 80% of people are classified as optimistic, and Seligman (1990) claims 60% of people are somewhat optimistic. Optimism has been highlighted as being an important evolutionary part of survival. In order to evaluate whether this research has indeed proven that optimism is such a positive virtue, we need to understand the historical background that gave rise to the first wave of studies into optimism. Carver and Scheier -Dispositional Optimism Explanatory Style. 'Learned Optimism' by Martin E. P. Seligman - notes by J. Zimmerman. Seligman's Learned Optimism has become so important in the self-help field because it justifies its claims through its scientific foundation.
The book is not only about optimism. It also validates the possibility of personal change through one's efforts and will. Seligman on Explanatory Style Seligman observes that there are three enormous differences in the Explanatory Style (the way in which a person tends to explain situations to herself) between pessimistic people and optimistic people: Temporary versus Permanent: how long something lasts and how frequently it occurs. Seligman says that you can use a different, more optimistic, way of explaining setbacks to yourself, and that this can protect you from allowing a crisis to drop you into depression. Seligman found that people who give up easily have not argued against their negative interpretation of failure and their self-disparagement. How can you figure out your style? How can you change your style? Adversity that is encountered.
Positive Thinking - Understanding the Psychology of Positive Thinking. "I always hear people talk about the benefits of positive thinking. What exactly is positive thinking and how can it be used to improve health and wellness? " Answer: Do you tend to see the glass as half empty or half full? You have probably heard that question plenty of times. Your answer relates directly to the concept of positive thinking and whether you have a positive or negative outlook on life. Research has found that positive thinking can aid in stress management and even plays an important role in your overall health and well-being.
What Is Positive Thinking? "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. " - Abraham Lincoln So what exactly is positive thinking? Some researchers, including positive psychologist Martin Seligman, often frame positive thinking in terms of explanatory style. Positive thinkers are more apt to use an optimistic explanatory style, but the way in which people attribute events can also vary depending upon the exact situation. References. Readings in Positive Psychology.