positive psychology is relevant

• sections

  • in education
  • in workplace
  • in health care
• for debate - in education

  • 80,000 plus young suffer from depression
  • slogan = 3 benefits of curriculum = improve social skills, self worth and grades (347 9th graders)
  • Baltimore school = mindfulness moment room instead of detention and 2 x 15 min daily sessions = 0 expulsions since
• against debate - in education

  • seligman = only useful on motivated middle class students = no evidence for working class
  • spence and Shortt = small scale research decreases population validity and long term effects are unknown
  • MYRIAD trials = Oxford and Cambridge = no universal difference between 400+ schools = control vs PPC condition
• for debate - in workplace

  • mihali = flow increases productivity and lowers absenteeism
  • oswald = those in happy 20 min video condition = more correct answers on pair math test by 12% than control
  • google = provide mindfulness coaches = important
• against debate - in work place

  • flow = new table on old idea = Confucius 551BC = job you loves = never work a day in your life
  • job as a source of pleasure is a rare luxury = need money to live = tedious jobs are still important
• for debate - use in health care

  • Davidson = MBSR vs control = increases positive brain activity and antibodies in response to the flu jab
  • kubonsky and Thurston = longitudinal study of 6000+ over 20 years = aged 25-74 = emotional vitality = enthusiasm = less risk or coronary heart disease
• against debate - in health care

  • critique Davidson = cannot establish cause and effect eg. naturally better immunity?
  • most positive psychology research = correlation but are they happy because their health or healthy because they are happy
• implications

  • gives life long skills
  • blames people eg 1/5 of uk in poverty
  • healthier and happier society
  • better workforce
  • lower NHS costs