Positive Psychology At The Movies

For educators, practitioners, researchers, and everyone striving for personal growth and a fulfilling life! This completely revised edition of a classic in the field provides a unique way to learn about positive psychology and what is right and best about human beings. Positive Psychology at the Movies now reviews nearly 1,500 movies, includes dozens of evocative film images, and is replete with practical aids to learning. Positive psychology is one of the most important modern developments in psychology. Films brilliantly illustrate character strengths and other positive psychology concepts and inspire new ways of thinking about human potential. Positive Psychology at the Movies uses movies to introduce the latest research, practices, and concepts in this field of psychology. This book systematically discusses each of the 24 character strengths, balancing film discussion, related psychological research, and practical applications. Practical resources include a syllabus for a positive psychology course using movies, films suitable for children, adolescents, and families, and questions likely to inspire classroom and therapy discussions. Positive Psychology at the Movies was written for educators, students, practitioners, and researchers, but anyone who loves movies and wants to change his or her life will find it inspiring and relevant. Watching the movies recommended in this book will help the reader practice the skill of strengths-spotting in themselves and others and support personal growth and self-improvement. Read this book to learn more about positive psychology – and watch these films to become a better person!

Psychology at the Movies explores the insights to be gained by applying various psychological lenses to popular films including cinematic depictions of human behavior, the psychology of filmmakers, and the impact of viewing movies. Uses the widest range of psychological approaches to explore movies, the people who make them, and the people who watch them Written in an accessible style with vivid examples from a diverse group of popular films, such as The Silence of the Lambs, The Wizard of Oz, Star Wars, Taxi Driver, Good Will Hunting, and A Beautiful Mind Brings together psychology, film studies, mass communication, and cultural studies to provide an interdisciplinary perspective Features an extensive bibliography for further exploration of various research fields

For educators, practitioners, researchers, and everyone striving for personal growth and a fulfilling life! This completely revised edition of a classic in the field provides a unique way to learn about positive psychology and what is right and best about human beings. Positive Psychology at the Movies now reviews nearly 1,500 movies, includes dozens of evocative film images, and is replete with practical aids to learning. Positive psychology is one of the most important modern developments in psychology. Films brilliantly illustrate character strengths and other positive psychology concepts and inspire new ways of thinking about human potential. Positive Psychology at the Movies uses movies to introduce the latest research, practices, and concepts in this field of psychology. This book systematically discusses each of the 24 character strengths, balancing film discussion, related psychological research, and practical applications. Practical resources include a syllabus for a positive psychology course using movies, films suitable for children, adolescents, and families, and questions likely to inspire classroom and therapy discussions. Positive Psychology at the Movies was written for educators, students, practitioners, and researchers, but anyone who loves movies and wants to change his or her life will find it inspiring and relevant. Watching the movies recommended in this book will help the reader practice the skill of strengths-spotting in themselves and others and support personal growth and self-improvement. Read this book to learn more about positive psychology – and watch these films to become a better person!

A thorough and up-to-date guide to putting positive psychology into practice From the Foreword: "This volume is the cutting edge of positive psychology and the emblem of its future." -Martin E. P. Seligman, Ph.D., Fox Leadership Professor of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, and author of Authentic Happiness Positive psychology is an exciting new orientation in the field, going beyond psychology's traditional focus on illness and pathology to look at areas like well-being and fulfillment. While the larger question of optimal human functioning is hardly new - Aristotle addressed it in his treatises on eudaimonia - positive psychology offers a common language on this subject to professionals working in a variety of subdisciplines and practices. Applicable in many settings and relevant for individuals, groups, organizations, communities, and societies, positive psychology is a genuinely integrative approach to professional practice. Positive Psychology in Practice fills the need for a broad, comprehensive, and state-of-the-art reference for this burgeoning new perspective. Cutting across traditional lines of thinking in psychology, this resource bridges theory, research, and applications to offer valuable information to a wide range of professionals and students in the social and behavioral sciences. A group of major international contributors covers: The applied positive psychology perspective Historical and philosophical foundations Values and choices in pursuit of the good life Lifestyle practices for health and well-being Methods and processes for teaching and learning Positive psychology at work The best and most thorough treatment of this cutting-edge discipline, Positive Psychology in Practice is an essential resource for understanding this important new theory and applying its principles to all areas of professional practice.

Looking for an introduction to positive psychology that offers real-life examples? This overview of the science of happiness supplies case studies from some of the world's most successful organizations and describes ways to experience the personal impact of this exciting scientific field. Rather than focusing on treating what is "wrong" with a person, positive psychology seeks to understand and foster the things that drive happiness, creativity, and emotional fulfillment. This is a relatively new area of psychological study, and this reference book presents the research and practice of positive psychology in an informative and accessible format. Readers are given a history of the field, its current applications, and the future implications of this psychological discipline. Case studies from companies such as The Body Shop, Volvo, Zappos, and Google highlight the impact of positive psychology when it's applied in a modern business setting. These case studies, along with biographies of leaders in the field, highlight each chapter and connect the dots between the empirical theory of positive psychology and its practice. Readers also receive tools to apply the practices to their own lives.

Positive psychology is the scientific study of what goes right in life, from birth to death and at all stops in between. It is a newly-christened approach within psychology that takes seriously the examination of that which makes life most worth living. Everyone's life has peaks and valleys, and positive psychology does not deny the valleys. Its signature premise is more nuanced, but nonetheless important: what is good about life is as genuine as what is bad and, therefore, deserves equal attention from psychologists. Positive psychology as an explicit perspective has existed only since 1998, but enough relevant theory and research now exist to fill a textbook suitable for a semester-long college course. A Primer in Positive Psychology is thoroughly grounded in scientific research and covers major topics of concern to the field: positive experiences such as pleasure and flow; positive traits such as character strengths, values, and talents; and the social institutions that enable these subjects as well as what recent research might contribute to this knowledge. Every chapter contains exercises that illustrate positive psychology, a glossary, suggestions of articles and books for further reading, and lists of films, websites, and popular songs that embody chapter themes. A comprehensive overview of positive psychology by one of the acknowledged leaders in the field, this textbook provides students with a thorough introduction to an important area of psychology.

Psychology has long been enamored of the dark side of human existence, rarely exploring a more positive view of the mind. What has psychology contributed, for example, to our understanding of the various human virtues? Regrettably, not much. The last decade, however, has witnessed a growing movement to abandon the exclusive focus on the negative. Psychologists from several subdisciplines are now asking an intriguing question: "What strengths does a person employ to deal effectively with life?" The Handbook of Positive Psychology provides a forum for a more positive view of the human condition. In its pages, readers are treated to an analysis of what the foremost experts believe to be the fundamental strengths of humankind. Both seasoned professionals and students just entering the field are eager to grasp the power and vitality of the human spirit as it faces a multitude of life challenges. The Handbook is the first systematic attempt to bring together leading scholars to give voice to the emerging field of positive psychology.

Remediating deficits and managing disabilities has been a central preoccupation for clinical psychologists. Positive Psychology, in contrast, is concerned with the enhancement of happiness and well-being, involving the scientific study of the role of personal strengths and positive social systems in the promotion of optimal wellbeing. Alan Carr's Positive Psychology has become essential reading for anyone requiring a thorough and accessible introduction to the field. This new edition retains all the features that made the first edition so popular, including: accounts of major theories and relevant research learning objectives chapter summaries research and personal development questions suggestions for further reading measures for use in research glossaries of new terms. The book has also been completely updated to take account of recent research and major advances, and includes a new chapter on Positive Psychotherapy, an extended account of research on character strengths and virtues, and a discussion of recent ground-breaking research on emotional intelligence. This new edition of Positive Psychology will prove a valuable resource for psychology students and lecturers, as well as those involved in postgraduate training in related areas such as clinical psychology, social work, counselling and psychotherapy.

Positive psychology exploded into public consciousness 10 years ago and has continued to capture attention around the world ever since. This book evaluates the first decade of this fledgling field of study from the perspective of nearly every leading researcher in the field.