This book provides an accessible and balanced introduction to positive
psychology scholarship and its applications, incorporating an overview
of the development of positive psychology. Positive Psychology: The
Basics delineates positive psychology's journey as a discipline, takes
stock of its achievements and provides an updated overview of its core
topics, exploring the theory, research and interventions in each.
Launched as a rebellious discipline just over two decades ago, positive
psychology challenged the emphasis of applied psychology on disease and
dysfunction and offered a new, more balanced perspective on human life.
From its foundations in the late 20th century to recent "second-wave"
theories around the importance of recognizing negative emotions, this
compact overview covers the key ideas and principles, from research
around emotional wellbeing, optimism and change, to posttraumatic growth
and positive relationships. The first jargon-free introduction to the
subject, Hart introduces the reader to a range of issues, including
self-regulation and flow, character strengths and virtues and positive
relationships, concluding with a chapter on how interventions can affect
happiness and wellbeing.
Positive Psychology: The Basics is an essential resource for students,
practitioners, academics and anyone who is interested in understanding
the essence of a life well lived.
