Positive Psychology

If you have ever considered ways to increase your own happiness or well-being, or considered the meaning of life, this course is for you! Positive psychology provides a comprehensive look at historical foundations and contemporary topics in the field for anyone who wants to increase their own happiness and well-being, while also learning about the scientific research behind these topics.

The course begins by defining the key concepts of positive psychology, well-being, and happiness, and provides straightforward ways to increase happiness and well-being in your day-to-day life. You will learn about the researchers who founded positive psychology, and how it originated from a variety of disciplines. The course also presents the major criticisms of positive psychology to promote critical thinking about this topic.

Then the course discusses the factors that influence a person’s appraisal of their own level of happiness and life satisfaction, known as subjective well-being, including positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning in life, and accomplishment. The course also explores other elements related to well-being, including optimism, hope, gratitude, and empathy. In addition, you will learn how positive psychology is used in interventions to increase positive feelings, cognitions, or behavior.

Next, the course examines the current World Happiness Report, which is used to compare well-being across different countries. Cultural differences in desired levels of happiness, ranging from maximizing the number of good things to moderation is explored. You will also learn how policy informs the factors that affect well-being, by examining policies that increase a country’s gross domestic product, well-being scores, and life expectancy.

Last, the course examines helping behaviors, including ways to increase helping. By the end of the course, you will be equipped with the skills to apply positive psychology to your own life and share the findings with others in ways that will increase happiness and well-being.

Learning objectives

• Define positive psychology, well-being, and happiness.
• Discuss simple ways to increase happiness and well-being.
• Explain how earlier psychological research fostered the development of positive psychology.
• Describe the research of the psychologists who founded positive psychology.
• Discuss the major criticisms of positive psychology.
• Identify the factors that affect subjective well-being.
• Discuss how positive psychology is used in interventions.
• Describe how psychological well-being is measured across different societies and countries.
• Discuss cultural differences in desired levels of happiness.
• Explain how policy informs the factors that affect well-being.
• Discuss the factors that determine when individuals help others in need.
• List the steps involved in decisions to help.
• Describe ways to increase helping behavior.