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The term “psychology” evokes thoughts of abnormality, depression, suicide and the various pathologies of the mind and character. This is not a coincidence; the majority of psychological history and research has concentrated on the darkest elements of our psyche, and naturally the term psychology began to bear a gloomy connotation. We are morbidly fascinated with violence, horror, fear and similar genres. Evolution hardwired us with the gift of fascination and inclined us to acutely focus on the aspects of our world that threaten our survival.
Over the past century and a half, the field of psychology experienced a shift and began focusing more on treating mental illnesses and understanding the mind as opposed to curiosity-driven experimentation on psychological pathology. The field of psychology began to truly blossom. This transition bore new psychological schools including behaviorism, humanistic psychology and cognitivism, all of which enhanced our understanding of the mind as well as its complexity.
Behaviorism, for example, focused on observable behavior instead of the internal functions of the mind. It postulates that all behavior can be understood and altered through rewards and punishments. Behaviorism’s biggest shortfall was that it neglected the role of mental processes and emotions, although it made invaluable inroads in understanding human behavior and the profound role our environment plays in influencing our thoughts and actions.
Humanistic psychology emphasized studying each person holistically and the inherent goodness of human beings. Abraham Maslow proposed a hierarchy of needs, usually depicted as a pyramid where the most basic needs occupy the lower levels and building up towards more intrinsic needs at the pyramid’s apex.
Cognitivism is a theoretical model that highlights the role of mental processes in how people learn, specifically focusing on how people acquire, store and retrieve information.
Concurrently, American pop culture became captivated by figures such as Jeffrey Dahmer and his ilk. During interviews, Dahmer possessed a jarring ability to maintain a façade of charisma and sanity atop his rotten core, which deepened the incomprehensibility of his homicidal crimes. This broad curiosity with serial killers reflects our conflicting desire to both familiarize and distance ourselves from such atrocities.
In 1998, the field of psychology sprouted a new branch when then-president of the American Psychological Association (APA) Martin Seligman formally minted the field of positive psychology. Positive psychology builds on the work of psychologists such as Maslow and on the ideas of Aristotle. Positive psychology represents a refreshing departure from traditional psychology, which is primarily concerned with understanding and addressing the worst parts of human nature, towards promoting ways we can enhance our positive qualities.
This nascent field gave psychology the potential for greater relevance in the average person’s life. Although many people have clinical depression, learning disabilities and personality disorders that traditional psychology seeks to manage, many do not, and our lives encompass a broader range of aspects that are not adequately studied by traditional psychology. Seeking ways to enhance our ability to be happier, healthier and cultivate our strengths are some of our more ubiquitous concerns.
How can we form healthier relationships? What can we do to experience more gratitude? Which aspects of our lives are the most important? How can we boost our self-esteem? These are all questions asked by positive psychologists…and they’ve also been the subject of intense inquiry by people for millenniums. Positive psychology approaches these same questions through a scientific framework. Although positive psychology is a novel field, its core mission is historically deep.
To conclude, the transformative power of positive psychology helps us become better students, employees, leaders and individuals. West Chester University offers a positive psychology course (PSY 200) that receives an overwhelming number of positive reviews, reflecting the positive impact it has garnered to students. The recent addition of a second positive psychology course — Advanced Applied Positive Psychology (PSY 490), which dives extensively into the application of positive psychology — highlights the growing relevance of this field.
Engaging with positive psychology will have an enduring positive impact in life. The pursuit of happiness is the most fundamental human desire, and positive psychology not only fosters this personal goal, but also enriches our participation in society and interactions with other people. Embracing positive psychology paves the way for healing, contentment, growth and an overall more fulfilling life.
Sameh Sharoud is a fourth-year psychology student with a minor in biology.