Positive Psychology: Fundamentals and Applications

Lesson 1 • Key Constructs and Terminology

Defines well-being, flourishing, resilience, and related terms precisely. Prevents conceptual confusion throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Core Assumptions and Principles

Examines the philosophical and empirical assumptions underlying positive psychology. Grounds students in the values that shape research questions and interventions.

Lesson 3 • History and Origins of the Field

Traces the emergence of positive psychology from humanistic roots to Seligman's 1998 APA address. Contextualizes why a science of flourishing was needed.

Lesson 1 • Psychological Well-Being Theory

Presents Ryff's six-dimension eudaimonic model. Contrasts it with hedonic models to deepen students' theoretical range.

Lesson 2 • PERMA and PERMA-V Models

Unpacks Seligman's PERMA framework and its extended version. Students apply each element to real-world well-being assessment.

Lesson 3 • Comparing and Integrating Models

Synthesizes overlaps and tensions among major well-being theories. Prepares students to choose and justify a framework for practice.

Lesson 4 • Self-Determination Theory Overview

Introduces Deci and Ryan's framework of intrinsic motivation and basic psychological needs. Connects need satisfaction to sustained well-being.

Lesson 1 • Strengths in Everyday Life

Examines how deploying signature strengths increases engagement and well-being. Connects research findings to daily behavioral choices.

Lesson 2 • The VIA Classification System

Introduces the 24 character strengths organized under six virtues. Establishes the empirical and philosophical basis of the classification.

Lesson 3 • Strengths-Based Interventions

Presents evidence-based protocols for facilitating strength use in coaching and group settings. Students practice designing and delivering interventions.

Lesson 1 • Positivity Ratios and Balance

Examines the concept of positivity ratios and the debate around optimal emotional balance. Students learn to avoid toxic positivity while cultivating genuine positive affect.

Lesson 2 • Applying Positive Emotions at Work

Translates broaden-and-build principles into workplace interventions. Demonstrates links between team positive affect and performance outcomes.

Lesson 3 • The Science of Positive Emotions

Defines the discrete positive emotions and their neurological and behavioral correlates. Establishes why positive emotions are more than the absence of negative ones.

Lesson 4 • Cultivating Positive Emotions

Presents evidence-based practices for intentionally increasing positive emotional experiences. Connects each practice to broaden-and-build mechanisms.

Lesson 1 • Growth Mindset Theory and Evidence

Presents Dweck's implicit theories of intelligence and their behavioral consequences. Reviews replication evidence and nuanced applications.

Lesson 2 • Building Resilience Through Practice

Translates resilience research into structured skill-building activities. Students design personal resilience plans using evidence-based components.

Lesson 3 • Defining and Measuring Resilience

Clarifies resilience as a dynamic process rather than a fixed trait. Introduces validated scales and behavioral indicators used in research.

Lesson 4 • Grit: Passion and Perseverance

Examines Duckworth's grit construct, its measurement, and its predictive validity. Addresses controversies and boundary conditions of the grit model.

Lesson 1 • Facilitating Purpose Discovery

Provides structured coaching and workshop tools for helping others clarify purpose. Integrates values clarification, narrative methods, and future-self visualization.

Lesson 2 • Purpose Across the Lifespan

Analyzes how purpose develops, shifts, and deepens across life stages. Highlights developmental windows and transitions as purpose-formation opportunities.

Lesson 3 • Flow Theory and Deep Engagement

Presents Csikszentmihalyi's flow theory and the conditions that produce optimal experience. Links flow to intrinsic motivation and performance excellence.

Lesson 4 • The Psychology of Meaning

Examines how humans construct meaning through coherence, purpose, and mattering. Connects meaning-making to mental health and resilience outcomes.

Lesson 1 • Compassion, Empathy, and Kindness

Distinguishes compassion from empathy and examines the well-being benefits of prosocial behavior. Introduces compassion fatigue and sustainable helping practices.

Lesson 2 • High-Quality Connections

Introduces Dutton's concept of high-quality connections and their micro-level dynamics. Teaches behaviors that create energizing versus depleting interactions.

Lesson 3 • Active-Constructive Responding

Presents Gable's research on how responses to good news shape relationship quality. Students practice active-constructive responding skills.

Lesson 4 • Building Positive Relationship Cultures

Scales individual relationship skills to team and organizational culture design. Covers psychological safety, trust-building, and conflict as growth opportunities.

Lesson 1 • Positive Psychology Coaching

Applies positive psychology principles to a structured coaching methodology. Students practice goal-setting, strengths-based questioning, and progress monitoring.

Lesson 2 • Positive Organizational Interventions

Designs workplace programs grounded in positive organizational scholarship. Addresses employee engagement, strengths deployment, and culture change.

Lesson 3 • Clinical Applications and PPT

Introduces Positive Psychotherapy as a complement to traditional clinical approaches. Reviews evidence for PPT with depression, anxiety, and trauma populations.

Lesson 4 • Designing and Evaluating Programs

Provides a systematic framework for planning, piloting, and assessing positive psychology programs. Students produce a complete program design with evaluation metrics.