The History of Positive Psychology

Peterson defines positive psychology as the “scientific study of what goes right in life" (2006, p. 4). Although positive psychology did not emerge as a field until the 1990s, many of the concepts studied under this umbrella term were not new to the field of psychology or to history more broadly.

As we explore positive psychology topics, you will see that some of the areas have foundations dating back to ancient times. For instance, various religions have debated what should be considered valuable in life, and philosophers have long been asking, “What is the meaning of life?” In more recent history, some positive psychology concepts were studied under the umbrella term of humanistic psychology. We will soon explore the relationship between these two subareas of psychology.

As positive psychology was emerging onto the scene, one of the founding fathers of the field, Dr. Martin Seligman, wrote Positive Psychology: An Introduction.

This article may give you a better sense of the field's foundation and goals. Because the article was published in 2000, a lot of the questions/theories proposed have since been studied and answered, but the article gives you a nice sense of the starting place of positive psychology. As we proceed through the course, many of the topics highlighted in the article will be addressed in the lessons. At the close of the course, we will conclude with the direction in which the field is heading and with future areas of research.