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positive assumptions - Coggle Diagram
positive assumptions
acknowledgement of free will
according to Seligman happiness is not down to good genes or luck
we have free will over our lives and emotions
we can choose to recognise our own strengths and we can choose to do things that make us happy and which help make us feel better if our mood is low
happiness is not due to unconscious conflict or biologically determined by genes or due to environmental determinism
we can use free will to minimise negativity
Diener and Seligman found that students who chose to use their free will to invest time in their family and friends had the strongest relationships and were happier
researchers have found a negative correlation between happiness and depression
the authenticity of goodness and excellence
authenticity- real, genuine, true
goodness- being a good person and having kind thoughts and feelings towards others
excellence- achieving good things
Seligman suggests that a problem in psychological research has been the belief that traits such as happiness have been viewed as less authentic than negative states e.g. anxiety
feelings of happiness and goodness are just as natural according to the positive approach. therefore, psychologists should be scientifically studying these positive states of mind just as much
Seligman argues that we each have 'signature strengths' these are a set of good qualities such as kindness, humour, love of learning etc. that make a person who we are
in order to be happy and change our lives we need to understand how to develop these traits in order for an individual to achieve goodness and excellence. these will provide a buffer to protect the individual from suffering excessively when facing difficult life events
the focus on the good life
according to positive psychology there are three stages to leading a happy and full life
the starting point is pleasant life
once this has been achieved people should strive towards the good life- where we pursue activities that positively absorb and engage us
there are three elements to the good life
first is positive connections to others (developing love and trust) second is developing our positive individual traits such as morality and courage. the third element that we focus on developing is life-regulation qualities to help us control our behaviour and accomplish goals
once the good life has been achieved people can ultimately strive to lead the most fulfilling life we can known as the meaningful life