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Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences pp 1–13Cite as

Positive Psychology

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Definition

Positive Psychology is “[…] an umbrella term for the study of positive emotions, positive character traits, and enabling institutions. Research findings from Positive Psychology are intended to supplement, not remotely to replace, what is known about human suffering, weakness, and disorder” (Seligman et al. 2005; p. 410).

Introduction

Martin Seligman’s (1999) American Psychological Association presidential address is commonly seen as the formal founding moment for Positive Psychology(PP). There he argues for PP as: “[…] a reoriented science that emphasizes the understanding and building of the most positive qualities of an individual: optimism, courage, work ethic, future-mindedness, interpersonal skill, the capacity for pleasure and insight, and social responsibility” (p. 559). There had, of course, already been research done on these variables and researchers from early on had highlighted the importance of studying talent and giftedness and had recognized the relevance...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Emil-Abderhalden-Straße 26-27, 06108, Halle (Saale), Germany

    René Proyer

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  1. René Proyer
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Correspondence to René Proyer .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Oakland University, Rochester, USA

    Virgil Zeigler-Hill

  2. Oakland University, Rochester, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    Ilan Dar-Nimrod

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Proyer, R. (2017). Positive Psychology. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1496-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1496-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-28099-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-28099-8

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