Positive psychology is a concept, which is actively discussed in modern society due to the advantageous potential influence on the lives of people. This science can be defined as the psychological discipline, which emphasizes the ability of people to remain successful and reach wellbeing and prosperity (Weiten, Dunn and Hammer 511). Nowadays, it is gaining popularity and consists of various principles, which are in high correlation with the presence of positive emotions (Weiten, Dunn, and Hammer 511). The primary goal of this essay is to discuss the core concepts of positive psychology by focusing on emotions, flow experiences, mindfulness, posttraumatic growth, and positive institutions while evaluating the effects of positive emotions with the assistance of personal experiences and additional research. In the end, the drawbacks and unclear matters are presented.
Firstly, positive subjective experiences are discussed, as the reading reveals that, positive emotions tend to eliminate the consequences of stress and negative feelings and increase the ability to think critically and openly (Weiten, Dunn, and Hammer 518). For instance, the study related to the influence of the psychology of the practice extends the impact of positive emotions while increasing the level of hope and significance of positive communications and gratitude (Leontopoulou 113). As for me, I agree with this concept, as I tend to read motivational quotes and watch comedies to overcome stress. It helps me feel relaxed, and I can focus on the task and perform it successfully. However, this approach does not apply to some of my friends since viewing the success of others makes them depressed while losing hope for accomplishment.
Another aspect is the flow experiences, as they tend to increase the positive effects on the individual by a high involvement and excitement (Weiten, Dunn, and Hammer 518). In turn, several studies revealed that the flow experiences are the primary reasons for the emotional growth, as they attribute to the expansion of personal traits and help forget about the problems (Hanin 151). I highly agree with the correlation between flow experiences and positive emotions. As for my personal experience, I actively play various board games and sports with my friends. I can freely claim that enthusiasm and participation in the process assist me in forgetting about the problems. Additionally, I understand that flow experiences have an advantageous influence on my personality, as now; I cherish relationships with my friends and family. In turn, I consider challenges positively since I associate them with the positive experience of the games.
In turn, mindfulness meditation is vehemently used as a tool to upsurge people’s ability to feel the world and be present in the current moment (Weiten, Dunn, and Hammer 522). This approach increases the awareness of the current processes and enhances the ability to feel the emotions while extending personal traits (Weiten, Dunn, and Hammer 522). Furthermore, the presence of this practice could be considered as one of the definers of the development of positive emotions (Robinson, Watkins, and Harmon-Jones 468). Consequently, positive emotions have an advantageous influence on attention while expanding their scope (David, Boniwell, and Ayers 19).
In this instance, I have not tried the mindfulness meditation previously, as I do not have enough time to perform this practice. In this case, the potential influence of this phenomenon is unclear to me due to the lack of awareness and knowledge. Nonetheless, some of my friends tried to perform this meditation and felt relaxed and happy after the completion of the process. The meditation was the primary source of the arousal of the positive emotions, and the positivity and refreshment contributed to the ability to reach the desired goals during the day. This trend existed due to the development of intensified attention.
Additionally, posttraumatic growth contributes to the understanding and reevaluation of the ideals of life while discovering strengths (Weiten, Dunn, and Hammer 526). In this instance, people determine difficulties as positive events, and their lives and behavior change in a positive direction (Weiten, Dunn and Hammer 526). Various publications tend to support the outcomes of the posttraumatic growth and highlight the phenomenon’s ability to affect the prioritization of the changes and increase the involvement in the spiritual life (Tedeschi and Calhoun 1). Nonetheless, the reflection of these findings has to be depicted about the positive emotions and the presence of these matters in my life. Speaking of my knowledge, I have never experienced the events, which were the primary causes of negative attitudes and depression. In this instance, I have no practical information concerning the potential impact of the ability of posttraumatic growth on the changes in attitudes. It could be said that this matter is the primary concern, as it does not have a presence in my personal life.
Additionally, the positive institutions are the principal sources of positive feelings and emotions, which utilize the cultivation of gratitude and spirituality as crucial concepts (Weiten, Dunn, and Hammer 527). In this case, these entities encourage an advantageous growth of the individuals while supporting their development (Weiten, Dunn, and Hammer 527). It remains apparent that the existence of the organizations has an impact on the people’s wellbeing, personal development, and essentiality of social values. In this instance, these institutions are represented by families, educational establishments, and religious entities (Weiten, Dunn, and Hammer 527). In this case, my family had a systematical effect on my emotional development, as it formed my perception of life. Additionally, the respect of interrelationships contributed to the enhancement of the interactions while interacting in society and the ability to view the difficulties positively. In turn, communications within my family tend to generate positive emotions, but this approach is not applicable while evaluating the relationships in the families of my friends.
Despite having a profound analysis of positive psychology discussed in the selected publication, some questions remained unsolved due to the lack of particular information. In this case, it is unclear whether the teachings and findings of positive psychology have an actual advantageous influence on the emotional wellbeing, as the outcomes of the previous researches tend to be biased (Simmons, Nelson and Simonsohn 1359). Additionally, the reading provides a universal formula for reaching success, but it is uncertain whether these techniques are suitable for everyone. In turn, some of the psychological notions cannot be evaluated based on the practical experience, as the particular events were absent in my life. In this instance, a combination of these matters is the primary reason for the generation of doubt, as the efficiency of the particular approaches has a tendency to exist only in theory or has unsuitable logical support.
Works Cited
David, Susan, Ilona Boniwell and Amanda Ayers. Oxford Handbook of Happiness, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013. Print.
Hanin, Yuri. Emotions in sport, Champaign: Human Kinetics, 2000. Print.
Leontopoulou, Sophie. “A Positive Psychology Intervention with Emerging Adults.” The European Journal of Counselling Psychology 3.2 (2015): 113. Print.
Robinson, Michael, Edward Watkins and Eddie Harmon-Jones. Handbook of Cognition and Emotions, New York: The Guilford Press, 2013. Print.
Simmons, Joseph, Leif Nelson and Uri Simonsohn. “False-Positive Psychology: Undisclosed Flexibility in Data Collection and Analysis Allows Presenting Anything as significant.” Psychological Science 22.11 (2011): 1359-1366. Print.
Tedeschi, Richard, and Lawrence Calhoun. “Posttraumatic Growth: Conceptual Foundations and Empirical Evidence.” Psychological Inquiry 15.1 (2004): 1-18. Print.
Weiten, Wayne, Dana Dunn and Elizabeth Hammer. Psychology Applied to Modern Life: Adjustment in the 21st Century, Belton: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2012. Print.