The History of PSYCH 243

As noted by Peterson (2006), when psychology emerged as a field, there tended to be a focus on negative issues. (For example, I imagine you are quite familiar with many of the psychological disorders explored by clinical psychologists.) Although not all areas of psychology focused on the negative, many of the applied psychologies focused on such issues as overcoming traumas, surviving difficult childhoods, and so on. While these areas of study have merit, this weakness-oriented approach often neglected ways to promote positive well-being. Positive psychology emerged when some psychologists became disheartened with the emphasis on negatives and weaknesses and were determined to further explore the positives in life.

In reality, the human experience involves both positive and negative events, so to focus on one at the exclusion of the other does not accurately reflect the entire human experience. As such, while positive psychology focuses on the positives, it is important to maintain a balanced approach. So, rather than decide whether you want to embrace positive psychology or the weakness model, understand that it doesn’t have to be an either/or consideration. It is important to have a good understanding of an individual's strengths, weaknesses, negatives, and positives.

While this course focuses on the positives, there are a few course activities that are designed to alleviate negative emotions and thoughts. It is often necessary to alleviate negative emotions before you can focus on strengthening positive ones.