Positive psychology and positive interventions

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The atmosphere was electrifying; 1100 people crowded into Friends House in London for this stimulating event, organised by the London and Home Counties Branch of the British Psychological Society. Professor Seligman explored the power of happiness. He acknowledges that understanding negative emotions can add value, but he asserts that the exploration and use of ‘the positive side of life’ can enable us all and provide growth. He outlined the impact on productivity, growth and health that can be achieved by maximising positive emotions, and in particular engagement and meaning. Professor Seligman suggested that positive emotions jolt us into a different mode of thought and thus enable us to be more successful in terms of top-down thinking and creativity. He provided research to show that happier and more optimistic people are less likely to be divorced and are more likely to have a higher salary.

Compelling research data covered a wide range of psychological applications in the clinical, social, occupational and educational fields. How we treat depression, how to make school life a positive experience, the best ways to coach and develop work teams - all can benefit from the positive approach. For example, Professor Seligman provided clear data to illustrate the short- and longer-term benefits of treating depression, including through engagement exercises and ‘gratitude visits’ - writing a 300-word testimonial to someone who is alive and who did something good for you in your past.

Professor Seligman provided a word of caution about the danger of over-promising without sufficient research and delivery. There is a need to build on the growing body of data available in the field.

His thinking has now developed to identify four core pillars: Positive Emotions and Engagement; Positive Relationships; Meaning and Purpose; and Positive Accomplishment. Professor Seligman believes that we are at the forefront of a political change, a review of the social science implications, and the need to build on ‘what is right’. He sees wider implications for positive psychology, including its impact on physical health and neuroscience.

As an occupational psychologist, I recognised many applications that could expand the quality of interventions within business psychology. I could tell from the audience that psychologists in academia, educational, social and clinical fields could view the same possibilities. However, one of the most interesting aspects of the evening for me was that, unusually, there was a unity and convergence across the psychological disciplines. People were reacting, not so much from their specialist area, but across the self-imposed boundaries and barriers.

In a sense, this evening became an exercise in positive psychology itself. Positive psychology fits neatly with our desire as psychologists to ‘do good’ and to make a difference. In my view, positive psychology should not stand alone: it should be one of many concepts, ideas and theories that transcend psychology across the specialism and beyond, into the wider scientific, social and political arenas. We need to stop thinking in a narrow domain and to start to drive the broader agenda.

Whilst positive psychology will undoubtedly have many applications and will enhance and inform our research, interventions and applications, I hope that one of its greatest legacies will be to help us to take stock and to think as a profession about our direction and our potential impact.

I Hazel H. Stevenson is a chartered occupational psychologist

E-mail: hazel@peopletransform.com