Introduction

Sadness is the opposite of happiness, right? You may be surprised to learn that sadness is not the opposite of happiness. Rather, the opposite of sadness is the absence of sadness. As such, removing what is making you sad won’t automatically result in you experiencing happiness. In addition to having tools for reducing sadness, you also need to know how to generate positive feelings. Positive psychology focuses on increasing the “goods” in life, including your happiness.

Lesson 1 will introduce you to positive psychology. You will learn that positive psychology encompasses much more than the study of happiness. It embraces strengths, fosters personal growth, and enhances well-being. You will learn how positive psychology is a unique discipline within the field of psychology and a bit about its history. You will be introduced to areas of your life that you can improve and personal qualities that you can cultivate to result in a better way of living.

The goal of this course is for you to develop a better understanding of the field of positive psychology and the key areas of study within that field. Ideally, not only will you familiarize yourself with new concepts and principles, but you will also learn how to apply theories to your own life. Many of the activities assigned in the course are designed to help you do just that.

Lesson Objectives

After completing this lesson, you should be able to do the following things:

Assessed This Lesson

• Define positive psychology and understand how it is a unique discipline within the field of psychology.
• Understand the value of scientific research.

Assessed on the Midterm

• Define positive psychology and understand how it is a unique discipline within the field of psychology.
• Compare and contrast positive psychology and humanistic psychology. 
• Define the three pillars of positive psychology.
• Understand the value of scientific research. 

Lesson Readings and Activities

By the end of this lesson, make sure you have completed the readings and activities found in the Lesson 1 Course Schedule.