People and places I go to for information and inspiration:
Top websites for Positive Psychology:
Positive Psychology Center. Let's start at the epicentre of the Positive Psychology Movement. This is where it all began back in the late 90's, with Martin Seligman at the University of Pennsylvania. And be sure to visit the sister site on Authentic Happiness.
Greater Good Science Center, at the University of California, Berkeley. The GCSC is dedicated to providing science based practices to promote social and personal well-being. It's a treasure trove of information and on-going research into what makes us truly feel happier and more fulfilled. And if you are looking for concrete exercises to help you grow your happiness, be sure to visit their Greater Good In Action site.
Positive Psychology Program. This site has been growing in leaps and bounds in the past couple of years, thanks to a very dedicated team. Their goal is to be your number one stop for all things related to Positive Psychology. The site is well designed with tons of material and resources.
Greater Good Science Center, at the University of California, Berkeley. The GCSC is dedicated to providing science based practices to promote social and personal well-being. It's a treasure trove of information and on-going research into what makes us truly feel happier and more fulfilled. And if you are looking for concrete exercises to help you grow your happiness, be sure to visit their Greater Good In Action site.
Positive Psychology Program. This site has been growing in leaps and bounds in the past couple of years, thanks to a very dedicated team. Their goal is to be your number one stop for all things related to Positive Psychology. The site is well designed with tons of material and resources.
Learning about yourself:
The first step in making a positive change in your life is to understand where you are now. One of the foundational tenets of Positive Psychology is the idea that the more you use your strengths, the happier you will be. Here are some sites that help you discover what your strengths are.
The VIA Institute on Character has developed an extensive questionnaire designed to determine your personal character strengths, and advises on how you might use those strengths to increase your happiness and well-being. Take the survey to discover your character strengths! This is the only one of the three surveys that have a free version.
The Clifton Strengthsfinder, developed by the Gallup organization, is similar but more workplace and career oriented. Still, it is a valuable tool in helping you understand how you tend to interact in groups.
Realise2: Designed by Alex Linley and his team at Capp, Realise2 uses a 4M model that identifies 60 strengths on 3 dimensions – performance, energy and use. Identifying the strengths in the 4 categories: 1. realised strengths, 2. unrealised strengths, 3. learn behaviours, and 4. weaknesses. Helping you to identify your strengths now, where you want to be, and your future development.
The VIA Institute on Character has developed an extensive questionnaire designed to determine your personal character strengths, and advises on how you might use those strengths to increase your happiness and well-being. Take the survey to discover your character strengths! This is the only one of the three surveys that have a free version.
The Clifton Strengthsfinder, developed by the Gallup organization, is similar but more workplace and career oriented. Still, it is a valuable tool in helping you understand how you tend to interact in groups.
Realise2: Designed by Alex Linley and his team at Capp, Realise2 uses a 4M model that identifies 60 strengths on 3 dimensions – performance, energy and use. Identifying the strengths in the 4 categories: 1. realised strengths, 2. unrealised strengths, 3. learn behaviours, and 4. weaknesses. Helping you to identify your strengths now, where you want to be, and your future development.
Memory:
Many people who take our classes are concerned about memory loss. Here is an excellent, online, science-based test from Cogniciti you can take to see if your concerns are warranted.
Free Happiness Toolkit from Happiness International
I just found this terrific free toolkit from Happiness International. It's a step-by-step research based guide to helping you determine what would be the most expedient way to grow your personal happiness. This is one of the best free tools I have found on the Internet. And it's more than just an assessment tool. There is plenty of excellent follow-up information. Try it out!
People:
Dr. Martin Seligman
The following is an excerpt from Dr. Seligman's bio page from the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania:
"Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman is the Director of the Penn Positive Psychology Center and Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology in the Penn Department of Psychology. He is also Director of the Penn Master of Applied Positive Psychology program (MAPP). He was President of the American Psychological Association in 1998, during which one of his presidential initiatives was the promotion of Positive Psychology as a field of scientific study. He is a leading authority in the fields of Positive Psychology, resilience, learned helplessness, depression, optimism and pessimism. He is also a recognized authority on interventions that prevent depression, and build strengths and well-being. He has written more than 250 scholarly publications and 20 books."
For more information, You can visit his biography page here. And here is a video with Dr. Seligman explaining his most current research on Happiness and Well-being.
"Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman is the Director of the Penn Positive Psychology Center and Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology in the Penn Department of Psychology. He is also Director of the Penn Master of Applied Positive Psychology program (MAPP). He was President of the American Psychological Association in 1998, during which one of his presidential initiatives was the promotion of Positive Psychology as a field of scientific study. He is a leading authority in the fields of Positive Psychology, resilience, learned helplessness, depression, optimism and pessimism. He is also a recognized authority on interventions that prevent depression, and build strengths and well-being. He has written more than 250 scholarly publications and 20 books."
For more information, You can visit his biography page here. And here is a video with Dr. Seligman explaining his most current research on Happiness and Well-being.
Dr. Ellen Langer
This biographical information was taken from Ellen Langer's official website:
"Ellen Langer, Yale PhD, Harvard Professor of Psychology, artist. Among other honors, she is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and three Distinguished Scientist Awards, the World Congress Award, the NYU Alumni Achievement Award, and the Staats award for Unifying Psychology, and has authored eleven books and over 200 research articles on the illusion of control, perceived control, successful aging, decision-making, to name a few of the topics. Each of these is examined through the lens of her theory of mindfulness. Her research has demonstrated that by actively noticing new things—the essence of mindfulness—health, well being, and competence follow. Her best selling books include Mindfulness; The Power of Mindful Learning; On Becoming an Artist: Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity; and her most recent book, Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility.
The citation for the APA distinguished contributions award reads, in part, “…her pioneering work revealed the profound effects of increasing mindful behavior…and offers new hope to millions whose problems were previously seen as unalterable and inevitable. Ellen Langer has demonstrated repeatedly how our limits are of our own making.”
"Ellen Langer, Yale PhD, Harvard Professor of Psychology, artist. Among other honors, she is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and three Distinguished Scientist Awards, the World Congress Award, the NYU Alumni Achievement Award, and the Staats award for Unifying Psychology, and has authored eleven books and over 200 research articles on the illusion of control, perceived control, successful aging, decision-making, to name a few of the topics. Each of these is examined through the lens of her theory of mindfulness. Her research has demonstrated that by actively noticing new things—the essence of mindfulness—health, well being, and competence follow. Her best selling books include Mindfulness; The Power of Mindful Learning; On Becoming an Artist: Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity; and her most recent book, Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility.
The citation for the APA distinguished contributions award reads, in part, “…her pioneering work revealed the profound effects of increasing mindful behavior…and offers new hope to millions whose problems were previously seen as unalterable and inevitable. Ellen Langer has demonstrated repeatedly how our limits are of our own making.”
Gretchen Rubin
Gretchen Rubin is the author of The Happiness Project. Gretchen began a career in law, then realized she wanted to be a writer. Her book The Happiness Project spent months on the New York Times bestseller list, and seems to have completely refocused her life and work. Please visit her website for tons of great advice, motivation and support for bringing greater happiness to your life.
Drs. Helga and Tony Noice
Dr. Helga Noice teaches psychology and Dr. Tony Noice teaches Drama and they have been conducting research into the relationship between drama and cognition for over 20 years. Their work has been recognized by the Gerontological Society of America and the National Center for Creative Aging, Click here to watch an excellent video that describes the Noices' research.
Sonja Lyubomirsky
Sonja Lyubomirsky received her PhD. from Stanford University, and is a Professor of Psychology at University of California at Riverside. Her book, The How of Happiness is a comprehensive guide to understanding the elements of happiness based on years of groundbreaking scientific research. It is also a practical, empowering, and easy-to-follow workbook, incorporating happiness strategies, excercises in new ways of thinking, and quizzes for understanding our individuality, all in an effort to help us realize our innate potential for joy and ways to sustain it in our lives.
She writes a regular blog for Psychology Today that you can read here.
She writes a regular blog for Psychology Today that you can read here.
