Positive Psychology: What Works and Why

In this course we will focus on the field of positive psychology to broaden our understanding of what makes people thrive in this hectic world. We will review the literature on the antecedents of happiness, well-being, and grit, and explore the extent to which there are clear, predictable explanations for why some people are more resilient in life than others. To do this, we will begin with popular press representations of positive psychology (books and blogs) and then reverse engineer the process from which they emerged by reading the academic articles that form the basis of these recommendations. Students will use their foundational knowledge in methodology and statistics to assess the practical value of these recommendations to schools, businesses, and society in general. Not open to students who have taken FYSE 1435. (Open to junior and senior psychology majors) 3 hrs. sem.