APOSSIBLE — Positive Psychology: FAQs

In 1998, Dr. Martin Seligman, incoming president of the American Psychological Association (APA), had challenged the field of psychology to broaden its focus to study and implement interventions that went beyond human problems and pathology to include the study of human strengths and well-being—basically, what’s going right.2 He thus initiated posi

Together with the Values in Action (VIA) Institute on Character, Seligman and Peterson devised a 240-question inventory for measuring the positive emotional strengths that contribute to our success and well-being in life.10 The goal of the inventory is “to help people evolve toward their highest potential,”

à la fin des années 1990, Martin Seligman, élève d’Aaron Beck, a affirmé que la psychologie devait non seulement aider les gens à résoudre les troubles émotionnels, mais aussi à s’épanouir et à vivre la meilleure vie possible. Il a appelé ce nouveau champ la « psychologie positive ». Seligman, tout comme Beck et Ellis, a étudié les idées et les tec

Their studies suggested that all the strengths can be cultivated, and doing so leads to a happier, more fulfilling, and more meaningful life. This was the beginning of the “positive psychology” movement, social-emotional learning, and a resurgence of interest in character education.