Martin Seigman, the American psychologist, who was instigator of the Positive Psychology Movement, Head of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania and former President of the US-based American Psychological Association (i.e., APA), wrote the book, Flourish. Corey Keyes and Jonathan Haidt (Seligman's colleagues) had edited, Flourishing a few years earlier. The subtitle for Flourishing is Positive Psychology and the Life Well-lived. It seems there was a zeitgeist: all parents wanted their child not just to survive – but to flourish.
Martin Seligman brought a team from the University of Pennsylvania to Australia and conducted classes in Positive Education in Australia. In his book, Seligman referred to (University of Cambridge academics) Felicia Huppert and Timothy So's early work in defining, identifying, and measuring flourishing. There was a tendency to identify what each country in Europe, was doing to enhance its citizen's' flourishing.
Initially, it was stated that tin order to flourish, one must exhibit all the Core Features (Positive Emotions, Engagement - interest and Meaning - purpose) as well as three of the six Additional Features' (i.e., Self-esteem, Optimism, Resilience, Vitality, Self-determination and Positive Relationships).
Seligman shared the various activities that had been observed to improve happiness and increase flourishing, such as the Gratitude Visit. Three Blessings and the Signature Strengths exercises.
Martin Seligman later introduced the concept of PERMA, an acronym that helps people to remember and apply the activities that increase well-being and improve flourishing while simultaneously decreasing anxiety, depression and stress. PERMA stands for: Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Achievement or Accomplishment,
The Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania includes a questionnaire that enables individuals to determine their level of Authentic Happiness (the name of another of Seigman's books) and also the Values in Action (VIA) questionnaire which helps to identify one's strengths, The VIA Character Strengths 240 item questionnaire (developed by Martin Seligman and Chistopher Peterson) helps individuals identify their greatest strengths from 24 listed strengths. Research conducted at the Positive Psychology Center demonstrated that by utilizing 'signature' strengths in new ways, this increased one's level of well-being or happiness, thus building one's ability to flourish.
The Positive Psychology Movement has now spread well beyond Seligman, the University of Pennsylvania and the borders of the USA. Throughout the world, all adults want youth to flourish.
© Michele Juratowitch
michele@clearingskies.com.au