Positive Psychology

This course provides an overview of the history of positive psychology and the contributions that positive psychology has made to several traditional research areas in psychology. The course will define and unpack the complex concept of happiness, and examine the mechanisms that cause and maintain it. Topics will be connected to their implications for increasing well-being throughout the course. Training in psychology typically focuses on ‘weakness’, rather than on ‘strengths’. This course addresses a need for programmes in psychology to build on personal strengths, something that can immediately affect students’ lives.