This document discusses positive psychology and its focus on optimism, strengths, and improving situations rather than dwelling on weaknesses or what is lacking. It notes that positive psychology takes a constructive meliorist approach, focusing on gaining more of what is wanted rather than just reducing problems. The origins of positive psychology are outlined, from early 20th century psychologists advocating for understanding health and strengths, to Martin Seligman launching the positive psychology initiative in 1998 to complement the traditional focus of mainstream psychology on mitigating problems.

1. Positive
Psychology

2. Is the glass half full or half empty?

3. Optimism in Psychology
A focus on good things.
An expectation of good things.
A particular explanatory style.

4. ◉ “This is the best of all
possible worlds.”
◉ The glass is as full as it
can get.
◉ Relative optimism
G. W. Leibniz

5. ◉ “This is the worst of
all possible worlds.”
◉ The glass is as empty
as it can get.
◉ Relative pessimism.
Schopenhauer

6. Who is right? Who cares?

7. Clues from Etymology
◉ Optimism – from Latin optimus (best)
◉ Pessimism – from Latin pessimus (worst)
◉ Meliorism – from Latin melior (better)

8. 1.
Transition headline

9. ”
“the belief that the world tends to improve, and
that humans can aid its betterment
Meliorism
Merriam Webster dictionary, 2016

10. Meliorism is now a distinctive feature of the pragmatic
movement (Bergman, 2015), where it is believed to be the
middle ground between optimism and pessimism with a
focus on how a given situation can be improved.

11. strong belief that humans can change their lives for the better, and
for his grand ideas for affecting such improvements
(Koopman, 2006, 2009).
PRAGMATIC MELIORIST

12. Two Kinds of Meliorism
◉ Mitigative Meliorism
-Focused on getting less/rid of what we don’t want.
-e.g. appendicitis
◉ Constructive Meliorism
-Focused on getting more of what we do want.
-e.g. physical fitness
◉ Different but related approaches

13. Which Is Better?
Mitigative Meliorism?
Constructive Meliorism?
Which Would You Choose?

14. Psychology
 Mainstream Psychology
Mitigative
Focuses on helping us get less of what we don’t want
 Positive Psychology
Constructive
Focuses on helping us get more of what we do want

15. During the first decades of the twentieth century (before positive psychology), a group
of psychologists (including; James, Jung, Rogers, Frankl, Maslow, Antonovsky, and
Csikszentmihalyi) became advocates of a movement called fortology, which was the
first strength based approach (Strümpfer, 2005).
They were interested in what creates health and strength (salutogenesis) rather than
what causes illness (pathology). They believed that their melioristic approach should
play a more central role in research and the promotion of public health (Lindström &
Eriksson, 2005). And as we know, they paved the way for the movement of positive
psychology.

16. Global Gallop Poll
 Which would help you be more successful in
your life - knowing what your weaknesses are
and attempting to improve on them or
knowing your strengths and building on
them?
 41% US, 38% UK, 24% Japan focused on
weaknesses. No country focused on
strengths.

17. Spearheaded by Martin Seligman
American Psychological Association (1998)
Presidential Initiative
Positive
Psychology

18. Gross National Happiness
Kingdom of
Bhutan
Balance between material and
non-material and social and
spiritual needs