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Positive Psychology: The Study of Happiness and Well-Being (PSYC 2275)
Total Credits:
3
Lecture Credits:
3
Description:
Positive psychology will introduce you to theoretical concepts and scientific research regarding human strengths and virtues. You will examine human behavior that contributes to psychological well-being through topics such as happiness, hope, flow, meaning, optimism, and resiliency. Your investigation will focus on scientific assessments of these and related behaviors, their causes, correlates and interventions that have been shown to promote them. To solidify your learning, you will be asked to apply positive psychological principles through a variety of experiential learning tasks and share your insights. Must be taken A-F.
Topical Outline:
1. Introduction to Positive Psychology: Definition/History/Overview and Research Methods
2. Positive Subjective Experience - Happiness, Pleasure, Gratification, Fulfillment: Physiological Influences, Cross Cultural Research, Environmental Predictors
3. Positive Individual Traits: Character Strengths/Virtue, Talents/Values/Interests, Interpersonal Relationships, Optimism/Flow/Savoring, and Wellness
4. Enabling Institutions: Work/Job Satisfaction, Religion, Culture
5. Future Directions
Learning Outcomes:
1. Define the emerging field of Positive Psychology
2. Understand and critique research methods in positive psychology
3. Explain the key theories and terminology in the field of positive psychology
4. Identify key research findings in topics studied
5. Discover traits, attitudes and behaviors correlated with meaningful living
6. Apply research findings to an analysis of their own behaviors
Prerequisites:
Placement into
READ 0200 or
ESOL 0052 or completion of
READ 0100 or
ESOL 0042
MnTC:
Goal 5