Positive Approach - Contemporary Debate: Relevance of positive psychology in today’s society Flashcards
what is the contemporary Q
How psychology is relevant in today’s society
what are the main points to talk about
- relevance in the military
- relevance in the workplace
- relevance in health
- relevance in education
–then–> why it’s relevant on a personal and/or economic level
why is positive psychology relevant in the military
P: Positive psychology is relevant in modern-day society because it helps soldiers cope with the immense stresses of their job, which is particularly important given the ongoing relevance of war, such as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
E: A longitudinal study by Lester et al. assessed the impact of the 10-day ‘Master Resilience Training’ (MRT) within the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF) programme. The training taught soldiers resilience skills and prepared them to train others in their units, including fellow soldiers and their families. The study found that soldiers exposed to this resilience training were less likely to receive a diagnosis for mental health or substance abuse problems.
T: This therefore proves that positive psychology serves as an effective protective measure against the psychological and emotional toll of combat, benefiting soldiers and their families on a personal level and reducing healthcare and recruitment costs on an economic level.
why is positive psychology not relevant in the military
P: Positive psychology may lack relevance in modern-day society due to limited scientific evidence supporting its application, and even where evidence exists, such as the Lester et al. study, it relies on self-report measures.
E: Self-reports are prone to validity issues like social desirability bias, particularly in a military setting where individuals may avoid disclosing their true mental state out of fear of job loss in a culture that emphasizes toughness.
E: the CSF programme was developed in 2008 for soldiers engaged in conflicts like Iraq and Afghanistan. Since then, significant changes in warfare, such as the rise of technological combat and the reduced frequency of direct frontline engagement due to the withdrawal of western forces
T: This could make the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF) programme appear more successful than it actually is, suggesting it has limited real-world application and relevance. It also suggests that the programme may no longer be as relevant to current military challenges.
Why is positive psychology relevant in the workplace
P: Positive psychology is relevant in modern-day society because it can enhance workplace productivity and improve mental health, ultimately benefiting the economy.
E: Research by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi highlights that work can be a major source of happiness when individuals achieve a state of ‘flow,’ which can be facilitated through positive psychology-based interventions. Supporting this, Oswald et al. (2009) conducted an experiment to assess the effect of happiness on productivity. Participants who were shown a comedy clip to induce happiness were 12% more productive at a sum-calculating task compared to those in a control condition.
T: This suggests that incorporating positive psychology practices into the workplace could not only improve workers’ mental well-being but also increase their efficiency, which benefits employers and contributes to economic growth. Such interventions are particularly relevant during the current cost-of-living crisis, as fostering a productive workforce is crucial to maintaining and strengthening the economy.
Why is positive psychology not relevant in the workplace
P: Positive psychology may lack relevance in the workplace due to limitations in the supporting evidence and its practical application.
E: For instance, Oswald et al.’s experiment, which found that happiness increased productivity by 12%, was conducted in a lab setting. This lowers its ecological validity, as the results cannot necessarily be generalized to real workplace environments with their complexities and pressures. Additionally, while the idea that enjoying work contributes to happiness is not new, not everyone has the privilege to choose jobs they enjoy; many people are compelled to work in roles they need, rather than ones they want. For positive psychology interventions to foster happiness, individuals would need jobs that provide both challenge and achievement, which is not feasible for all roles. Furthermore, these findings are irrelevant to groups unable to work, such as older adults, limiting the broader societal applicability of positive psychology in this context.
T: This suggests that its relevance in addressing workplace or societal well-being may be overstated.
Why is positive psychology relevant to health
P: Positive psychology is highly relevant in modern-day healthcare as it can provide both physical and mental health benefits, ultimately reducing strain on health services and supporting the economy.
E: Kubzansky and Thurston (2007) conducted a prospective study of over 6,000 adults aged 25–74. At the start of the study, participants completed interviews using the General Well-being Schedule to assess their ‘emotional vitality,’ defined by their sense of energy, positive well-being, and emotional regulation. Fifteen years later, researchers reviewed hospital records and found that individuals with high levels of emotional vitality had a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. This suggests that positive emotional states may serve as a protective factor against heart disease in both men and women.
T: These findings are particularly relevant today, given the pressures of an ageing population and underfunding in the NHS. By promoting positive psychology interventions to improve emotional vitality, healthcare systems could save money and create healthier workers, ultimately boosting the economy.
Why is positive psychology not relevant to health
P: Positive psychology may have limited relevance in healthcare due to the lack of robust evidence supporting its impact on physical health.
E: For instance, while Kubzansky and Thurston (2007) found a correlation between emotional vitality and a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, the data collected was qualitative and subjective. Emotional vitality was not measured using a concrete or standardized unit, and as the study was correlational, confounding variables could not be ruled out. This means no causal relationship can be established between happiness and reduced heart disease risk.
T: If such evidence is inconclusive, it would be more practical to allocate funding to treatments and interventions that are already proven to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, rather than focusing on less substantiated positive psychology approaches.
Why is positive psychology relevant in education
- Seligman proposed that a positive psychology curriculum (PPC) can improve students well-being and behaviour and increase engagement in learning and achievement
- due to current increases in depression in young people
- PPC can anecdote this + increase life satisfaction + learning + creative thinking = relevant to both individual and society
- One PPC is the Penn Resiliency Programme (PRP) who’s main goal is to increase students’ ability to handle day to day stressors
- Gilligan et al (1995): found students on PRP programme showed reduced symptoms of depression compared to the control group. 24 months after intervention: PRP group = 22% showed symptoms, control group = 44%
- suggests it is relevant to society on a personal level (improving mental health: 1 in 6 children aged 6-16 have a mental health condition) and on an economic level (students work harder = better jobs = benefit economy + society)
Why is positive psychology not relevant to education
2 reasons:
1) lack of evidence for psychology programmes
- Spence and Shortt (2007): most research that exists tends to be based on small-scale or short-term intervention
- therefore it shouldn’t be invested in without more long-term research to back it up
- Seligman et al (2009) admits that further research needs to be done to ensure the programmes work for students of all socio-economic and cultural background
2) Adding positive psychology to curriculum = other courses are dropped
- school as are limited with budgets and other demands, so can’t add positive psychology to the curriculum without dropping other essential subjects
- An editorial in the Financial Times (2007) suggests that society may end up paying more for students to leave schools with fewer academic achievements as a result
—-> therefore not relevant
What are the ethical implications of this debate
- positive psychology international target wealthier people, as some actions require money/resources,
- e.g. being able to work a job they want in order to achieve flow isn’t achievable for everyone. Sometimes, people do the jobs they do because they need the money
- Therefore it implies that achieving happiness may not be accessible to everyone
- this is problematic as it puts those who are financially more at risk of anxiety and depression, and those who would most likely benefit from such initiatives cannot afford to do so
- this shows the social issues that needs to be overcome before positive psychology can be relevant in todays society
What is the economic benefit of positive psychology that suggests it is relevant to today’s society
- if it can reduce illness = good; illness costs the economy money
- staff sickness costs the UK economy £26 billion per year (Foresight Mental Capitala and Wellbeing Project, 2008)
- it also then produces happier workers
- lab research by Oswald et al found happy workers to be 12% more productive, suggesting a direct link between happiness and productiveness
- if workers are more productive = companies function better = boost economy
