23 Dec Happiness…and the future of positive psychology
by Chris Peterson – Psychology Today
As the year comes to an end, thoughts turn to the future. What comes next for the field of positive psychology (cf. Linley, Joseph, Harrington, & Wood, 2006)? It is of course impossible for me to make predictions about the future say with any certainty _ã” if I could, I_ã_d move to Las Vegas or Wall Street and set up shop _ã” but here are some of my ideas. If your diet allows, take them with several grains of salt.
First, positive psychologists will expand the so-called natural homes of the field: settings where doing well is recognized, celebrated, and encouraged. Contrary to our original thinking about natural homes, they should include the psychological clinic in addition to those initially suggested, like schools and businesses. One way to help people with problems is to base solutions on what they do well.
And I for one never thought that the military would be a natural home for positive psychology, but at present, there is there considerable interest, especially in the United States Army. I predict that this interest will grow in the years ahead (Novotney, 2009).
My previous blog entry on third places suggests yet another natural home _ã” or more exactly, a community of natural homes _ã” for positive psychology: cafes, taverns, recreation centers, and maybe even Internet chat rooms as one reader of that blog entry suggested.
Our future happiness lies in the future developments of positive psychology science. If you’re looking for the secret to happiness then this is where you’ll find it. Want to read more? Click here