Activities for Teaching Positive Psychology: A Guide for Instructors
For individuals in the U.S. & U.S. territories
Positive psychology is a rapidly expanding area of study that is of great interest to students at the graduate, undergraduate, and high school levels. But the field is so broad that teachers who want to cover all the bases when designing a positive psychology course may have difficulty locating and selecting materials.
Activities for Teaching Positive Psychology addresses this problem by presenting a comprehensive set of fun, interactive classroom activities devised by contributors who are experienced teachers as well as leading scholars in their areas.
Chapters cover all the topics typically included in existing positive psychology textbooks, emphasizing the hands-on experience that makes positive psychology courses so powerful. Extensive reading lists point interested readers towards a fuller understanding of the topics.
The book is a rich source of ideas for all teachers of psychology, from novice to experienced instructors.
Contributors
Preface
Introduction
Jeffrey J. Froh and Acacia C. Parks
I. Conceptual Explorations
- Courage
What Makes an Action Courageous?
Cynthia L. S. Pury - Humility
Humility, the Modest Strength
Robert A. Emmons - Strengths
Using a Strengths Approach to Build Perspective-Taking Capacity
Michelle C. Louis - Eudaimonia
Contrasting Two Conceptions of Happiness: Hedonia and Eudaimonia
Alan S. Waterman - Work
The Value(s) of Work
Christopher Michaelson - Culture and Identity
Integrating an Understanding of Cultural Context Into a Discussion of Positive Traits
Jennifer Teramoto Pedrotti - Purpose
Understanding Purpose Through Interviews
Timothy S. Reilly and William Damon - Spirituality
Spiritual Struggles as a Fork in the Road to the Sacred
Maria R. Gear Haugen and Kenneth I. Pargament
II. Experiments
- Positive Emotion
How Positive Emotions Broaden and Build
Bethany E. Kok and Barbara L. Fredrickson - Positive Health
Heart Rate Variation With Positive Psychology Exercises
Sarah D. Pressman and Tara L. Kraft - Relationships
Capitalizing on Positive Events
Shelly L. Gable - Empathy
Perspective Taking and Prosocial Behavior: Caring for Others Like We Care for the Self
Michael W. Myers and Sara D. Hodges - Culture and Subjective Well-Being
Culture Influences the Ingredients of a Good Life and Conceptualizations of Happiness
Christie Napa Scollon, Derrick Wirtz, and Xuan-yi Wei - Wealth and Subjective Well-Being
Spending Money on Others Leads to Higher Happiness Than Spending on Yourself
Lara B. Aknin and Elizabeth W. Dunn - Mindfulness
Cultivating Mindfulness Through Listening
Shauna L. Shapiro and Timothy R. Mariels - Forgiveness
Teaching Forgiveness in Positive Psychology
Everett L. Worthington Jr., Aubrey L. Gartner, David J. Jennings II, and Don E. Davis - Flow
Flow and Optimal Learning Environments
David J. Shernoff and Brett Anderson
III. Self-Reflections
- Gratitude
Taking Care of Business With Gratitude
Philip C. Watkins, Amy Sparrow, and Amy C. Webber - Curiosity
Curiosity as a Social Lubricant: Transforming Conversations to Be Interesting, Engaging, and Meaningful
Todd B. Kashdan and Paul J. Silvia - Happiness Promotion
Using Mindful Photography to Increase Positive Emotion and Appreciation
Jaime L. Kurtz and Sonja Lyubomirsky - Hope
Hope Projects to One's Future Self
Jeana L. Magyar-Moe - Materialism
A Teaching Tool for Disengaging From Materialism: The Commercial Media Fast
Yuna L. Ferguson and Tim Kasser - Savoring
The Savoring Expedition: An Exercise to Cultivate Savoring
Patrick R. Harrison, Jennifer L. Smith, and Fred B. Bryant - Motivation
Internalized Motivation in the Classroom
Kennon M. Sheldon - Engagement
Civic Engagement
Constance Flanagan and Brian D. Christens
Index
About the Editors
Jeffrey J. Froh, PsyD, is an associate professor of psychology at Hofstra University and a leading scholar in positive youth psychology. His research, which has been featured in mainstream media such as The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, focuses on the wellsprings, assessment, outcomes, and enhancement of gratitude in children and adolescents. He is past associate editor for the Journal of Positive Psychology, and his research has been funded by the John Templeton Foundation.
Acacia C. Parks, PhD, is an assistant professor of psychology at Hiram College. She received her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, where she worked under Martin Seligman at the Positive Psychology Center. Her research focuses on the efficacy of positive interventions and the psychological and behavioral characteristics of individuals who use them. She serves as an associate editor of the Journal of Positive Psychology and was recently guest editor of the special issue "Positive Psychology in Higher Education." She is also editor of a forthcoming handbook of positive psychological interventions from Wiley-Blackwell. Dr. Parks is an active teacher of positive psychology and critical writing, and maintains a blog at Psychology Today.
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