Wellbeing
Explain the concept of wellbeing by addressing the elements of Martin Seligman’s acronym ‘PERMA’ and Christopher Peterson’s ‘3 Pillars
A construct with several measurable elements that contribute to well-being, but none defining well-being.
Think weather and freedom...defined by elements
No single measure defines it completely, but several things contribute to it.
The construct of well-being is the focal topic of positive psychology.
Goal: to Increase flourishing by increasing positive emotion, engagement, meaning, positive relationships, and accomplishment.
5 Elements: PERMA
Positive emotion:
speaks to the “what and how” people feel..."the pleasant life"
includes: Happiness and life satisfaction
Assessed subjectively
Engagement: correlates with the idea of flow...being so engrossed in an activity that a person becomes lost in the moment...represents the coming together of a person and an environment
Relationships: Peterson says that positive psychology is about other people. Other people are the best antidote to the downs of life and the single most reliable up...the pursuit of relationships is a rock-bottom fundamental to human well-being
Meaning: belonging to and serving something that you believe is bigger than the self...Religious affiliations, political attachments, environmental causes, or other positive organisations are all ways in which people strive to find meaning in life
Accomplishment: It is “[exerting] mastery over the environment,” and achieving a goal because it can be achieved...for people to experience a life of well-being, Seligman believes that people need to have accomplishment in their lives
For Peterson, positive psychology is about two things: “describing and understanding the good life” (2006, p. 20) and “other people”
To help a person fully understand and live the good life, Peterson developed his three pillars of positive psychology.
Positive subjective experiences: relate to happiness, gratitude and fulfilment stemming from positive experiences in life...without them, the good life would not be possible
Positive individual traits: relate to the values, traits, strengths, etc., that help people become the best versions of themselves
Positive institutions: the most important pillar...relates to positive or enabling institutions...include concepts such as “families, schools, businesses, communities, [and] societies...
Positive institutions empower individuals to use and develop their positive traits, which in turn result in positive life experiences, which lead to the good life...
People’s involvement with positive institutions “facilitate” the formation and practice of the other two pillars
Positive Institutions facilitate positive traits which facilitate positive experiences.
Wellbeing equates to living the good life
Simple Outline:
- Wellbeing defined
- Seligman's PERMA
- Peterson's Pillars