Relevance of positive Psychology Flashcards
Moskowitz et al (2014
Shows how happiness can boost immune system, and counter depression.
Patients developed 8 skills to help stay positive with life threatening illness
Ppts who were recently diagnosed with HIV assigned 5 sessions of therapy where they learnt the skills.
15 months later, those trained in the 8 skills had fewer negative thoughts related to their illness, carried a lower load of the virus, and were less likely to need antidepressants to help them cope.
How does Moskowitz et al show that positive psychology is helpful
It is proof that a positive outlook can help improve physical well being
Also shows how positive emotions can help boost the immune system which will benefit both school and work environments in terms of attendance as productivity.
GP practitioners may think twice by prescribing patients with antidepressants and offer alternative medication.
Oswald et al (2009)
Demonstrates how happiness can positively impact productivity.
In experiment 1, ppts watched a comedy routine and showed a 12% greater productivity that those who watched a placebo clip.
Experiment 2 were told to fill a questionnaire about their happiness and any negative events that may have impacted them in the last 2 years. After this they were told to do the same task as an experiment 1 and found that productivity decreased by 10%.
What does this suggest about the relevance of positive psychology
Shows the importance of happiness in the workplace.
Encourages employers to create a more uplifting environment for their employees to enhance productivity.
Would have a positive impact on the company profits as well as the wider economy.
Happy workers mean an improved quality of life for employees (funnel theory)
Vrabie (2019)
Workers who are depressed could improve the workplace.
Depressed people have less self-serving biases, can lead to more accurate self and peer assessment. Also more likely to accurately perceive their levels of control (depressive realism.)
Davis (2006) also refutes the statement by quoting findings from a study on research development teams which conclude that challenge stressors helps to foster creativity in the workplace.
how does this suggest that positive psychology is not prevalent
Demonstrates that some stress is necessary to the work place.
Good stress creates a more realistic and analytical environment where both employees and managerial staff are confident in their own and others abilities.
Depression fosters creativity in the workplace.
Dawood (2014)
Lack of empirical evidence on positive psychology programmes in schools.
Dawood studied the effectiveness of positive psychology intervention in schools and found that research tends to be based on a small scale , short term intervention.
Therefore, resulting data is unreliable and doesn’t justify the need for these strategies in schools.
Also argues that schools have limited budgets and have many curriculum demands, thus adding positive psychology to the curriculum means that other courses will be like dropped.
What does this suggest about positive psychology
Argues that if positive psychology is implemented in schools this will have negative impacts on academic performances.
Future generations may leave school with less knowledge and skills which will subsequently have an impact on employment, industries and the economy.
Classic evidence: Myers and Diener
Myers & Deiner found that the workplace can cause high levels of stress and therefore cause negative impacts for the individual (depression,) which will lead to high staff turn over and absences, therefore impacting the wider economy.
Discovered that happiness can actually reviser these effects, and that positive psychology van creates a happier and productive workplace.
Myers & Deiner: Ethics
It is unethical to judge all people by the findings of this research. Some people may thrive in depressed conditions therefore positive psychology may not be appropriate for all.
It is also unethical to put so much emphasis on positive psychology being evident in all areas of life. Perhaps only focusing on one or two areas of life such as the workplace and education, is sufficient for overall well-being.
Conclusion
Positive psychology provides an alternative perspective to traditional psychological approaches.
This is by advising an individual on how to improve their own lives and the society in which they live in, rather than focusing on the negative things in their life.
However, positive therapies are only really available in western society, which ignores a significant proportion of the world (thus, the results can’t be generalised)
Also, because its relatively new, it takes time for the impacts to be felt and it is difficult to decide if the positive impacts of positive psychology outright the current situation.
