100 Facts About Positive Psychology


Book Description

Introduction to the 100 Somethings Language Learning Series Welcome to an innovative approach to language learning! This series of books is crafted to help you master a new language (Spanish) through engaging with topics that captivate your interest (Positive Psychology). Each book is centered around a theme–whether it's art, science, history, or another subject–and presents 100 carefully selected facts, each a gem of knowledge in both English and the target language. Here's how our unique format works: each fact is introduced in the target language where you do your best to interpret the fact. On the next page, the fact is shown in English, and then repeated in the target language where you can start making sense of any unfamiliar terms. This method is not only repetitive to aid memorization but also concise, ensuring that learning is streamlined with no excess verbiage. The second half of the book presents the content in English, then in the target language, and finally in English again, giving you the chance to translate in both directions and demonstrate true mastery of the material. The benefits of this approach are manifold: - Concise Learning: By focusing on simple, one-sentence facts, the learning process is distilled to its essence. This conciseness ensures that every word you learn is impactful and directly related to your interests, making the information easier to remember. - Reinforcement of Learning: Alternating between English and the target language with each fact helps reinforce your new vocabulary and grammatical structures naturally. It bridges the gap between the two languages, solidifying your learning through constant, practical application. - Contextual and Engaged Learning: Associating each new word with a fact about a topic you are passionate about not only makes the vocabulary stickier but also keeps your learning process dynamic and engaging. This method not only teaches you a new language but does so through the lens of your personal passions. - Dual Knowledge Acquisition: As you navigate through these 100 facts, you're not just learning a new language; you're also deepening your knowledge about a specific subject. This dual focus not only enhances the language learning experience but also enriches your understanding of your chosen topic. Designed for learners who thrive on clear, targeted information, this series promises a learning experience that is both educational and enjoyable. Whether you're a curious beginner or looking to broaden your linguistic skills, these books are tailored to make your educational journey as effective and engaging as possible. Embrace this journey of 100 facts, and let your passions fuel your progress in mastering a new language!




Positive Psychology 101


Book Description

Does happiness matter? What are happy people like? Can people enhance their sense of well-being? One of the most important movements in psychology during the past two decades, positive psychology is a discipline that seeks to understand the factors that contribute the most to a well lived and fulfilling life. Written by a highly respected scholar and educator of positive psychology, this is a concise, accessible introduction to this popular field of study. Appropriate for anyone seeking an introduction to positive psychology and an ideal brief text for relevant college courses, this book surveys the origins and current state of what is known about this evolving field. It places a particular emphasis on well-being as the leading edge of positive psychology research and practice. The text encompasses the key theories and current research supporting positive psychology, and discusses its three ìpillarsî: subjective well-being and positive emotions, psychological traits, and positive institutions. It introduces the foundational concepts underlying positive psychology and describes the specific strengths and virtues upon which it focuses. Woven throughout is the premise that gratitude matters to oneís happiness. The heart of the book explores such major questions as: What is happiness? How do oneís circumstances impact happiness? What are the traits of well-being? Are relationships important to happiness? With a nod to the expanding parameters of human interactions today, the text examines the impact of electronic relationships on well-being. It also discusses and responds to the most significant criticisms of the positive psychology movement and helps readers to understand how the science of positive psychology can enhance their own well-being. Insights into the past and future of positive psychology conclude this thoughtful text. Key Features: Addresses the origins and major tenets of positive psychology Provides a concise and accessible introduction ideal for college courses and seminars Emphasizes well-being as the leading edge of positive psychology research and practice Helps readers understand how positive psychology can help them enhance their own well-being Written by a noted scholar and educator of positive psychology




Pursuing the Good Life


Book Description

Reveals small but significant actions people can take to lead happier lives, offering reflections on such topics as family, relationships, work, school, sports, emotions, and experiences.




Stumbling on Happiness


Book Description

A smart and funny book by a prominent Harvard psychologist, which uses groundbreaking research and (often hilarious) anecdotes to show us why we’re so lousy at predicting what will make us happy – and what we can do about it. Most of us spend our lives steering ourselves toward the best of all possible futures, only to find that tomorrow rarely turns out as we had expected. Why? As Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert explains, when people try to imagine what the future will hold, they make some basic and consistent mistakes. Just as memory plays tricks on us when we try to look backward in time, so does imagination play tricks when we try to look forward. Using cutting-edge research, much of it original, Gilbert shakes, cajoles, persuades, tricks and jokes us into accepting the fact that happiness is not really what or where we thought it was. Among the unexpected questions he poses: Why are conjoined twins no less happy than the general population? When you go out to eat, is it better to order your favourite dish every time, or to try something new? If Ingrid Bergman hadn’t gotten on the plane at the end of Casablanca, would she and Bogey have been better off? Smart, witty, accessible and laugh-out-loud funny, Stumbling on Happiness brilliantly describes all that science has to tell us about the uniquely human ability to envision the future, and how likely we are to enjoy it when we get there.




Positive Health


Book Description

This comprehensive compendium offers a wealth of research-informed tools that can boost both physical and mental wellbeing throughout the lifespan. Filled with more than 100 activities to help you live life better, this book is the first of its kind to integrate the latest research from the fields of positive psychology and lifestyle medicine. Striking a careful balance between theory and practice, the book first reviews what is known about positive psychology and health, presenting a novel approach to holistic wellbeing. It then goes on to provide more than 100 tools designed to increase physical, mental and social health and wellbeing, and also to decrease the risk of illness and disease. The tools described can be used by people of all ages, whether well or experiencing illness. It includes tools that you can use to improve your nutrition and sleep, to increase your physical activity, to develop positive relationships, to develop a positive mindset and to pursue a meaning in life. These tools provide research-informed, practical advice to help you to make lasting changes and become the best possible version of yourself. This book is invaluable for anyone who wishes to maintain and enhance their health and wellbeing using tools that have been shown through research to be effective. It is also a key text for students in positive psychology and healthcare, as well serving as an evidence-based reference book for coaches and health professionals who wish to recommend research-informed tools to their clients and patients.




Character Strengths and Virtues


Book Description

"Character" has become a front-and-center topic in contemporary discourse, but this term does not have a fixed meaning. Character may be simply defined by what someone does not do, but a more active and thorough definition is necessary, one that addresses certain vital questions. Is character a singular characteristic of an individual, or is it composed of different aspects? Does character--however we define it--exist in degrees, or is it simply something one happens to have? How can character be developed? Can it be learned? Relatedly, can it be taught, and who might be the most effective teacher? What roles are played by family, schools, the media, religion, and the larger culture? This groundbreaking handbook of character strengths and virtues is the first progress report from a prestigious group of researchers who have undertaken the systematic classification and measurement of widely valued positive traits. They approach good character in terms of separate strengths-authenticity, persistence, kindness, gratitude, hope, humor, and so on-each of which exists in degrees. Character Strengths and Virtues classifies twenty-four specific strengths under six broad virtues that consistently emerge across history and culture: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. Each strength is thoroughly examined in its own chapter, with special attention to its meaning, explanation, measurement, causes, correlates, consequences, and development across the life span, as well as to strategies for its deliberate cultivation. This book demands the attention of anyone interested in psychology and what it can teach about the good life.




Positive Psychology


Book Description

Remediating deficits and managing disabilities has been a central preoccupation for clinical psychologists. Positive Psychology, in contrast, is concerned with the enhancement of happiness and well-being, involving the scientific study of the role of personal strengths and positive social systems in the promotion of optimal wellbeing. Alan Carr's Positive Psychology has become essential reading for anyone requiring a thorough and accessible introduction to the field. This new edition retains all the features that made the first edition so popular, including: accounts of major theories and relevant research learning objectives chapter summaries research and personal development questions suggestions for further reading measures for use in research glossaries of new terms. The book has also been completely updated to take account of recent research and major advances, and includes a new chapter on Positive Psychotherapy, an extended account of research on character strengths and virtues, and a discussion of recent ground-breaking research on emotional intelligence. This new edition of Positive Psychology will prove a valuable resource for psychology students and lecturers, as well as those involved in postgraduate training in related areas such as clinical psychology, social work, counselling and psychotherapy.




Authentic Happiness


Book Description

In this important, entertaining book, one of the world's most celebrated psychologists, Martin Seligman, asserts that happiness can be learned and cultivated, and that everyone has the power to inject real joy into their lives. In Authentic Happiness, he describes the 24 strengths and virtues unique to the human psyche. Each of us, it seems, has at least five of these attributes, and can build on them to identify and develop to our maximum potential. By incorporating these strengths - which include kindness, originality, humour, optimism, curiosity, enthusiasm and generosity -- into our everyday lives, he tells us, we can reach new levels of optimism, happiness and productivity. Authentic Happiness provides a variety of tests and unique assessment tools to enable readers to discover and deploy those strengths at work, in love and in raising children. By accessing the very best in ourselves, we can improve the world around us and achieve new and lasting levels of authentic contentment and joy.




The Psychology of Happiness


Book Description

What is happiness? Why are some people happier than others? This new edition of The Psychology of Happiness provides a comprehensive and up-to-date account of research into the nature of happiness. Major research developments have occurred since publication of the first edition in 1987 – here they are brought together for the first time, often with surprising conclusions. Drawing on research from the disciplines of sociology, physiology and economics as well as psychology, Michael Argyle explores the nature of positive and negative emotions, and the psychological and cognitive processes involved in their generation. Accessible and wide-ranging coverage is provided on key issues such as: the measurements and study of happiness, mental and physical health; the effect of friendship, marriage and other relationships on positive moods; happiness, mental and physical health; the effects of work, employment and leisure; and the effects of money, class and education. The importance of individual personality traits such as optimism, purpose in life, internal control and having the right kind of goals is also analysed. New to this edition is additional material on national differences, the role of humour, and the effect of religion. Are some countries happier than others? This is just one of the controversial issues addressed by the author along the way. Finally the book discusses the practical application of research in this area, such as how happiness can be enhanced, and the effects of happiness on health, altruism and sociability. This definitive and thought-provoking work will be compulsive reading for students, researchers and the interested general reader




The Happiness Advantage


Book Description

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • An engaging, deeply researched guide to flourishing in a world of increasing stress and negativity—the inspiration for one of the most popular TED Talks of all time “Powerful [and] charming . . . A book for just about anyone . . . The philosophies in this book are easily the best wire frames to build a happy and successful life.”—Medium Happiness is not the belief that we don’t need to change; it is the realization that we can. Our most commonly held formula for success is broken. Conventional wisdom holds that once we succeed, we’ll be happy; that once we get that great job, win that next promotion, lose those five pounds, happiness will follow. But the science reveals this formula to be backward: Happiness fuels success, not the other way around. Research shows that happy employees are more productive, more creative, and better problem solvers than their unhappy peers. And positive people are significantly healthier and less stressed and enjoy deeper social interaction than the less positive people around them. Drawing on original research—including one of the largest studies of happiness ever conducted—and work in boardrooms and classrooms across forty-two countries, Shawn Achor shows us how to rewire our brains for positivity and optimism to reap the happiness advantage in our lives, our careers, and even our health. His strategies include: • The Tetris Effect: how to retrain our brains to spot patterns of possibility so we can see and seize opportunities all around us • Social Investment: how to earn the dividends of a strong social support network • The Ripple Effect: how to spread positive change within our teams, companies, and families By turns fascinating, hopeful, and timely, The Happiness Advantage reveals how small shifts in our mind-set and habits can produce big gains at work, at home, and elsewhere.