Namaskar. In today’s class, we will discuss
about positive psychology, its importance,
relevance of the field and the main objectives
of positive psychology and we will explore
what is Indian psychology versus psychology
in India, connections between Indian psychology
and positive psychology also we will discuss
in today’s class.
There are various definitions of positive
psychology. Seligman has mentioned that psychology
is not just the study of weakness and damage,
it is also the study of strengths and virtue.
Treatment is not just fixing what is broken,
it is nurturing what is best within us also.
There are various definitions of psychology
where psychologists have focused on certain
positive aspects to define positive psychology.
Let us take some of these definitions. Positive
psychology is the scientific study of optimal
human functioning.
Positive psychology is the scientific study
of human happiness is another definition.
Positive psychology has three central concerns;
positive emotions, positive individual traits,
and positive institutions.
The field of positive psychology at the subjective
level is about valued subjective experiences
which are in the past, for the future, and
in the present also. So, it explores various
aspects. When we take into account the past
- well-being, contentment, satisfaction, etc.
For the future - hope and optimism, and for
present - flow and happiness is being explored
in positive psychology. This field is found
on the belief that people want to lead meaningful
and fulfilling lives to cultivate what is
best within themselves and to enhance their
experiences of daily activities.
Traditional psychologists ask the question
what is wrong with you and how can we fix
it, but positive psychology asks what is right
with you and how can we promote it, as Mark
Holder mentioned in his book. Healing what
is weak and nurturing what is strong as the
21st century unfolds; however, we positive
psychologists are beginning to ask another
question, what is right about people?
So positive psychologists have discovered
that there is a set of human strengths that
most likely buffers against mental illness
- courage, optimism, interpersonal skills,
work ethics, hope, honesty perseverance, etc.
and therefore we need to foster these virtues
in young people. I think it is clear to us
that positive psychology mainly focuses on
positive aspects. It focused on positive personality
traits, on character strengths, on virtues,
and positive direction of human behaviour
it has.
So where are your strengths, how you can improve
those strengths is subject matter of positive
psychology.
Before talking more about positive psychology,
let us know a little bit on importance of
positive psychology. Why it was established
as an independent field in the field of psychology?
There are various studies - meta-analytic
studies, which are showing importance of positive
psychology. When it was initiated, then various
meta-analytic researches showed that psychologists
are focusing more on negative aspects of human
behaviour as compared to positive aspects
of human behaviour. So, this data was showing
that we had multi-faceted research on negative
aspects as compared to positive aspects.
For example, this psychological abstracts
study between 1967 is showing us that positive
aspects have been addressed comparatively
quite low as compared to negative aspects.
For example, this analysis showing that a
number of studies happened on negative aspects
of human behaviour as well as on positive
aspects of human behavior; say for anger,
there were 5584 studies, for anxiety 41,416
studies, and on depression studies were 54,040.
On the other hand, on positive aspects like
joy, studies were only 415, on happiness,
studies were 1710 only, and life satisfaction
- 2582.
Another study was by Myers. He did a meta-analysis
and reported that psychological abstracts
have included approximately 13 times more
studies on negative emotions, and data showed
that studies on anger were 10,735, on anxiety
- 70,845, and on depression it was 86,767.
On the other hand, on positive aspects like
on joy - studies were 1161, on life satisfaction
- 7949, and on happiness - 3938 only.
So, it means this is about 13:1 ratio between
negative to positive aspects of human behaviour.
However, it has been observed that there is
even need to address negative aspects of human
personality, or studying negative aspects
of human behaviour. As Kadison has mentioned
that we should focus on negative aspects also
and he gave example of depression. He said
depression is 10 times higher than it was
in 1960 and mean age for depression is 14.5
years now and was 29.5 years in 1960.
So, this was study conducted in 2005, I think
depression is gradually increasing only. He
also mentioned that 80% of Harvard students
were depressed at least once last year, 45%
of college students are depression nationwide
and 94% are overwhelmed. To some extent, this
study showed importance of studying negative
behaviours like depression. However, we have
well-established fields for addressing disorders
and negative affects such as we have abnormal
psychology.
We have counseling psychology, clinical psychology,
psychiatry and in these ways outrightly we
can focus on negative aspects of human being
as well as on different psychological disorders.
Why we want to have positive psychology as
an independent discipline? Seligman during
his American Psychological Association presidentship
observed that before world war II psychology
had 3 distinct missions. Number one 1, to
cure mental illness, number two to make everyone’s
lives happier, and more productive and fulfilling,
and the third was to identify and nurture
human talent and genius.
Shortly after the world war II, the primary
focus of psychology shifted to the first priority
that was treating abnormal behaviour and mental
illnesses and that is why we started to focus
more on treatment, more on negative aspects
of human behaviour rather on positive behavior.
I think for having difference between abnormal
mood and normal mood or positive mood, we
should study some models to describe how we
address abnormal behaviour, how we can address
healthy behaviour. So, this is an example.
I think this disease versus health model tells
us what we focus when we are talking about
negative aspects of human personality, what
we address when we are talking about positive
aspects of human nature.
So, let us compare this disease model to understand
more how abnormal setting is taking place
in this field and how positive settings could
take place in this field. So, first of all
what do we study in disease model is neurosis,
anger, anxiety, depression, psychosis, etc.
On the other hand, in health model we focus
more on well-being, on satisfaction, on joy,
on excitement, and on happiness, etc. Disease
model focuses more on weaknesses and we try
to avoid pain and our focus is on overcoming
deficiency, and we are running from unhappiness
and we want to get a little bit happiness
or at least neutral level of happiness.
On the other hand, in health model we focus
on strengths and our objective is to seek
pleasure. Building competencies is subject
matter this side and we are pursuing happiness
during this model or this treatment we can
say, or this process. Tensionless as ideal
for disease model because we had tension which
is negative and which is disturbing us that
is why if we don’t have tension that is
an ideal for us. On the other hand, this side
we are creating tension, don’t be confused
please because this tension is actually positive
tension and this tension helps to grow further,
to get certain meaning in life, to have some
purpose in life, so this tension is positive
tension and for creativity or having something
good in our life we create certain tensions.
Having here neurosis, anger, anxieties, depression
free is our neutral state and that is our
ceiling. On the other hand, no ceiling in
health model and every day we are going, we
are getting betterment in our life, and progressing
in our life in that direction.
So, I think that is clear to you now. Disease
model focuses more on stress, anxiety, illness,
problems and we want to be stress-free, anxiety-free,
illness-free and that is our zero point or
the neutral point we can say. On the other
hand, this model also talking about health
- on strengths, on meaning, engagement and
in this direction every day we are growing
and there is no ceiling. So, I hope it is
clear to you what is disease model and what
is health model and this health model is promoted
in positive psychology.
We have various programs. In some, we focus
on preventions and sometimes we have some
enhancement kind of plans. So, for preventing
the bad and promoting the good we may have
4 types of programs, primary prevention, secondary
prevention, primary enhancement, and secondary
enhancement. Primary prevention stops the
bad before something happens to psychological
and physical health. On the other hand, in
secondary prevention, we fix the problem and
we use various psychotherapies and counseling
for this.
Primary enhancement makes life good, psychological
and physical health we have. On the other
hand, for secondary enhancement, ‘make life
the best possible’ - that is our objective.
So, for prevention, for enhancement we have
various programs. Some of them are found in
neutral mood and others help to grow further.
Main objective of positive psychology is another
point here and I think we should know what
are the main objectives of positive psychology
because it will help us to understand next
chapters and why we have selected some of
these chapters. First objective of positive
psychology is identifying, amplifying and
concentrating on the character strengths.
So broadly we want to identify all those character
strengths, virtues, positive personality traits
which are helping us to have better life or
helping us to have well-being, happiness,
satisfaction in our life.
After knowing all those character strengths,
second pint is need to measure, need to assess
individuals on the basis of these character
strengths. For example, I think simplest example
here could be psychological testing. We have
various psychological tests and by using these
tests, we can say who has high level of, who
has lower level of, on these constructs. For
example, happiness level, for example forgiveness
level, for example greed level, for example,
character strengths level.
So, on the basis of this, we could have individual
differences and can say how many of us are
flourishing, how many of us are languishing,
how many of us have moderate level of mental
health. So, through assessment, we are able
to say or to give response on what is the
level of positive personality traits of different
people. Third objective is to develop and
test interventions to build these strengths
and this case we want to build up through
some intervention programs better level of
character strength, happiness, mental health,
etc.
So that is mainly area of applied positive
psychology, but even in this course in certain
situations, I will discuss about some of these
intervention programs which are helping us
to have high level of well being. Petersen
and Seligman argued that we don’t have any
manual for character strengths, for virtues
and I will discuss this point once again in
next slides, but just to connect, you know,
about it they are saying that we have various
additions or various revisions or the Diagnostic
Statistical Manual for mental disorders and
latest one is the fifth edition.
On the other hand, we don’t have any manual
which is talking about character strengths,
which is talking about virtues, which is having
list of positive personality traits and they
have proposed first study called UNDSM-1.
UNDSM-1 which has list of character strengths,
instead of DSM which is talking about diagnostic
statistical manual for mental disorders because
we worked more on negative aspects of human
personality, more work on abnormal behaviour
that is why every year we have revisions,
and we have more understanding on mental disorders.
So, this study is saying that the number of
pages (of DSM) has increased from 86 in 1952
and in 1994 it was almost 900. As this study
is showing, the number of pages has increased
from 86 in 1952 to almost 900 nine hundred
in 1994 and the number of mental disorders
has also increased from 106 to 297, because
we focused more on negative aspects of human
personality on mental disorder. So, every
year we are getting higher level of understanding
on mental disorders as well as increasing
number of pages in our manual. On the other
hand, we are not talking about character strengths,
virtues, positive personality traits, that
is why that this information is scattered
here and there.
Empirically validated therapies and interventions
are also promoted in this field. Positive
psychologists are strengthening the strengths
rather than repairing their patient’s weaknesses.
So that is why there are various intervention
programs and in these intervention programs
we have been highlighting on positive personality
traits. We need psychologists who work with
families, schools, religious, communities,
and corporates, to emphasize their primary
role of fostering strengths.
So, we can identify some growths and then
how we can foster character strengths and
virtues in these groups, and for this we have
number of intervention programs that are well-established
in positive psychology now. Applied psychology
or applied approach to uncovering people’s
strength and promoting their positive functioning
is required and it is mainly focused in applied
positive psychology.
So main area here when we are talking about
intervention programs, I think our main agenda
is to improve our normal level to higher level
and through certain intervention programs,
we can easily improve mental health of an
individual and moderate mental health as well
as flourishing level can be changed, can be
improved through certain intervention programs.
Even in history as well as in recent research,
it has been observed that there are various
intervention programs which are really helping
to have better well-being. If we just go with
the history as I discussed in previous class
also Fordyce’s pioneer work showed it was
possible to significantly boost happiness
levels among non-clinical population using
a package of interventions.
So that is even well-established as having
positive results in normal population and
increasing level of happiness in non-clinical
population as these studies happened between
1977 and 1983. However, in recent research,
Rusk and Waters in 2013, they mentioned that
there has been rapid growth in interest and
research in positive mental health in past
15 years and considerable positive outcomes
associated with happiness.
They also mentioned that positive psychology’s
academic output is growing proportionally
faster than psychological research as a whole
and they said positive psychology related
document accounts for between 10% and 36%
of research in the field of counseling, education,
organization sector, behavioural medicines,
and health psychology. So, there are various
areas in which they have adopted positive
psychological approaches and now they are
flourishing and doing number of research studies.
So, a 2013 study showing the progress in positive
psychology. So, if you could see - empirical
studies, non-empirical studies, and total
number of studies. So, every all kind of studies
are gradually increasing and latest data say
of 2011, 12, and 13, these studies are showing
gradual increasing, so it shows progress in
positive psychology.
Basic themes of positive psychology could
be the ‘good life’, contributing to building
positive connections to others, positive individual
traits, and life regulation qualities. So,
these 4 basic themes could be explored in
positive psychology. Let us understand them
one by one. The ‘good life’ - positive
psychology is concerned essentially with the
elements of and predictors of the good life.
So, we are programmed to grow and we want
to have good life and that is why we want
to have all kind of activities which promote
our good life and that is subject matter of
positive psychology. Second theme could be
aspects of our behaviour that contributes
to building positive connections to others
and it includes the ability to love, the presence
of altruistic concerns, the ability to forgive,
and the presence of spiritual connections
to help creating sense of deeper meaning and
purpose in life. So broadly when we connect
with others, then how do we develop positivity
in relationship. Third is positive individual
traits and these positive individual traits
contribute to our personality positively.
Sense of integrity, the ability to play and
be creative and the presence of virtues like
courage and humility is important in this
field. Then final one is life regulation qualities
that allow us to regulate our day-to-day behaviour
so that we can accomplish our goals while
helping to enrich the people and institutions
that we encounter along the way. These qualities
include a sense of individuality or autonomy,
a high degree of healthy self-control and
the presence of wisdom as a guide to behaviour.
So, these are basic themes of positive psychology
and we can have longer list, so basically
the good life, activities which regulate our
life as well as individual traits or the traits
when we are dealing with others, broadly can
be described as inter and intrapersonal character
strengths. In detail, this topic will be discussed
in character strengths chapter.
Character strengths and virtues, I think initial
work we must know. However, as I mentioned
that is our separate topic and we will discover
various positive personality traits or character
strengths, virtues and various scholars work
in this line, but at least initial work we
should know, that is, first book written on
character strength and virtues was written
by Peterson and Seligman and they argue to
have UNDSM-1 based on this book.
In this book they have identified and classified
the positive psychological traits of human
beings and broadly they are talking about
24-character strengths under 6 virtues and
there are some definitions. Definitions which
outrightly focused on positive personality
traits or on character strengths and virtues.
So, this definition is in that direction only.
This definition says positive psychology is
the scientific study of the strengths and
virtues that enable individuals and communities
to thrive. So, what are those character strengths?
This is I think is well-known model in psychology.
So as per this model, there are 6 virtues,
again I am repeating we will do these all
virtues as well as character strengths in
detail in one of the chapters, but here I
think list we should know. So, wisdom and
knowledge is the first virtue and under this
virtue, the character strengths are creativity,
curiosity, open mindedness, love of learning,
and perspective. Another virtue is justice.
It covers citizenship, fairness, leadership.
Then, temperance has forgiveness and mercy,
humility or modesty, prudence, self regulation.
Transcendence has other character strengths
like appreciation of beauty and excellence,
gratitude, hope, humour, spirituality. Humanity
covers love, kindness, and social intelligence.
Courage, bravery, persistence, integrity,
and vitality. As I mentioned, we will discuss
all these traits in detail in the next classes.
So next point here is what positive psychology
is. So if you just take into account certain
areas and that are your chapters also, your
next lessons also, like you know - flow it
is happiness in terms of eudemonic as well
as psychological well-being or happiness and
well-being and hedonic approaches, and motivation,
and goal theories will be covered in some
of those chapters. In terms of positive emotions,
it talks about humour, positive emotions,
emotional intelligence, and it covers all
these virtues which we have already discussed
in the previous slide.
It covers positive coping, positive ageing,
coping with choice, resilience, etc. and applied
positive psychology is also very important
in this field. In applied positive psychology,
we focus on coaching, on positive therapy,
positive education, positive business, positive
ageing, and psychology of time is also covered
in this area. So all that is there which is
having different chapters or different ideas
which can be explored in positive psychology
and some of them will be discussed in the
next chapters.
In this course, we have borrowed various Indian
constructs help to explain human behaviour.
So that is why we should know our roots and
here topic is what is difference between ‘Indian
Psychology’ and ‘Psychology in India’.
What these two are, so topic is Indian psychology
versus Psychology in India
First of all, let us know what is Indian psychology
and that is totally different from mainstream
of psychology which is broadly from the west
and from European countries and we are doing
here in India also. So Indian psychology is
unique field of psychology through which we
can understand human behaviour, but it is
not connected with our mainstream of psychology.
So that is why we should know what is the
difference between Indian psychology and psychology
which is being studied here in India.
So first let us know what Indian psychology
is. Indian psychology is an approach to psychology
based on the Indian ethos, the characteristic
spirit of the Indian civilization. One could
also say that it is a psychology rooted in
the consciousness based Indian worldview,
yoga and life-affirming spirituality. It is
not a psychology specifically or exclusively
suitable for people living in the India subcontinent
or of Indian origin, but the Indian tradition
can make valuable contribution to the psychological
understanding of all human beings, irrespective
of their cultural background.
It means the models, the constructs, the theories,
and understanding of human behaviour which
we have, can be applied in any other culture.
We can test human personality in terms of
sattva, rajas, tamas, here in India but it
can be tested in European or in Western countries
or on USA data also. One of the studies we
will discuss later on is how we have done
cross-cultural research. So here author is
saying that these models or these explanations
of human behaviour it is not only for Indian
people. These explanations can be used in
any given culture. We all can have positivity
by doing yoga and meditation.
So Indian psychology - a little bit more information
about it. Indian psychology has its roots
in the diverse traditions of knowledge deliberated
upon in various texts called Shastras as well
as the practices and meaning embodied in various
forms, shared by the people or loka in the
zone of Indian civilization. Another definition
says that it primarily deals with the inner
state of a person, taking consciousness as
the primary subject matter of study. So, I
think this point should be very very clear
to us.
It focuses mainly on consciousness, somewhere
I will discuss about even methodology because
mainly its focus is on first-person and second-person
approach rather on third-person approach.
So, Indian psychology is hallmark of spirituality
and inner directedness. Some scholars have
given even definition and how these definitions
are connected with yoga. Since the time of
the Upanishads, the jiva - jiva means living
organism, has been characterized as jnata,
bhokta, and karta, as one who knows, feels
pleasure and pain, and does action or acts.
So, following the Indian concepts of the jiva
as jnata, bhokta, karta, converted in three
yogas and these yogas help us to have positive
direction of behaviour in terms of gyan yog,
in terms of bhakti yog, in terms of karma
yog. So broadly we are saying that the activities
which we are doing in terms of knowing, in
terms of feeling pleasure and pain, or in
action or if I just say the exact literature
from our religious literature then jnata,
bhokta, and karta - we all are, and that is
subject matter of psychology.
Then in positive direction if we use yogic
path for doing such activities and these yogic
paths could be certain yogas like gyan yog,
bhakti yog, or karma yog or knowledge, devotion,
and action in form of yogas.
After knowing Indian psychology, let us know
Psychology in India. For that, we should revisit
historical background of psychology. If we
just take certain examples, for example Professor
N. N. Sengupta who was head and initiated
department in Calcutta University in 1916.
He was William Wundt’s student - Hugo’s
student, and they worked on depth perception,
psychophysics and attention. Next successor
G. S. Bose, he was medical doctor and a psychiatrist
and his main work was on repression. He was
Sigmund Freud’s student and he initiated
Indian Psychoanalytic Society which was affiliated
to International Psychoanalytic Society. In
1938, they had Indian Science Congress and
these scholars invited scholars from abroad
- Carl Jung, Myers, Spearman and they knew
about psychology which was being used in different
countries. Similarly, Professor M. V. Gopalswami,
at Department of Psychology at Mysore, he
initiated it and he worked with Spearman on
mental testing. Indian adaptation of Western
intelligence tests he initiated and applied
psychological principles, in the field of
education.
So I think it is very clear here that the
scholars or our forefathers of psychology
who initiated different departments in Indian
Universities, they were well trained and worked
with European and Western scholars and that
is why they initiated psychology which was
happening all over the world in different
countries and somehow we skipped Indian concepts
when we started to study psychology in Indian
setting.
What is the relevance of Indian psychology?
If Psychology in India is universal one, then
what is the use of and what is the relevance
of Indian psychology, why we are talking about
Indian psychology, why we are giving more
importance to Indian psychology? In recent
years, in 1965, 67, 80, 81, 86, 97, 98, studies
by Dr. Sinha and other scholars realized that
we are skipping something, we are not able
to cover each and everything when we are studying
human behaviour in Indian setting.
Psychology in India has remained dissociated
from its own vast storehouse of knowledge
inherent in the Indian philosophical texts
and Dr. Sinha gave a call for integration
of modern psychology with Indian thought.
A large number of publications have become
out during this period critically reviewing
the state of psychology in India and he wrote
various research papers writings in 67, 81,
86, 97, and 98.
Another scholar, you know, K. G. Agarwal,
he said actually we are doing adoptology.
We are not addressing our core roots of socio-cultural
issues when we are studying human behaviour
in Indian setting. As Misra in 1990 also pointed
out that rural and urban India constitute
largely independent subsystems that require
separate tools for data collection and separate
parameters for analysis and understanding.
One can’t understand the rural by applying
the principles and parameters derived from
the urban samples.
So, it means these scholars gave importance
to socio-cultural factors for understating
of human behaviour in specific context. So,
they have highlighted indigenous psychologies.
Indigenous or local psychology is a psychological
current helping to understand human behavior
in their native cultural context. So as per
criticism of these scholars about studying
human behaviour in Indian setting, we should
give importance to socio-cultural factors,
cultural factors as well as we should try
to understand human behaviour with Indian
philosophical and Indian religious spiritual
literature messages.
Now, about positive psychology and how Indian
psychology is connected with it. If we just
take 2 topmost work - yoga and meditation
and how these 2 are interacting with positive
psychology, then broadly we can say positive
psychology and Indian psychology are connected
and to some extent we should have middle path
when we are doing psychology in India. So,
first yoga and meditation which have been
taken from Indian as well as from Western
cultures, and now these two practices are
counted as intervention programs -as positive
intervention programs.
And yoga and meditation - it cultivates positivity
in our behaviour and thoughts and sometimes
we are using even in intervention programs
as tool for well-being. Yogic ideas and meditation
are contemporary to Western positive psychology
and they are counted for the attainment of
deep and lasting happiness, so that is why
not only we have western perspective, but
we have to have some Indian perspectives to
understand positive aspects of human personality.
It has been highlighted by other scholars
also.
Positive psychology and Indian psychology
are like birds of a feather flock together
as Kiran Kumar in 2006 mentioned because focus
of both is on achieving well-being. However,
this achieving well-being is quite different
in Indian perspective and quite different
in Western perspective, even way of studying
this well-being is totally different with
the Indian perspective and Western perspective.
There are several books coming on the psychological
relevance of Bhagwat Gita.
Maslow’s theory of motivation is very similar
to the concept of Nishkama karma outlined
in the Gita. Similarly, there are some concepts
which have been borrowed from Indian religious
literature or Indian religious spiritual literature
and then even western scholars have tried
to define human behaviour by using such kind
of terms. So that is why we should know a
little bit more about Indian constructs which
could help us to understand positive aspects
of human personality.
As Cohen in 2008 also gave respect to eastern
historical background and he had deep respect
for eastern historical and cultural context
of yoga and said using these practices could
support us in more fully embracing our own
lives.
When we say Indian psychology is based on
philosophical and religious spiritual literature,
then we are connecting actually human behaviour
with this dimension. However, in recent literature,
even western scholars have highlighted religious
and spiritual domain. For example, if we just
talk about these 3 books, first book is by
Professor Bhawuk. He is talking about Spirituality
and Indian psychology and in this book, he
has borrowed various modules to define human
behaviour from Bhagwat Gita.
On the other hand, another example is Religion
and Spirituality Across Cultures book. In
this book, authors have highlighted various
religions like Islam, like Hinduism, Buddhism,
Sikhism, etc. and they have identified certain
practices which help us to have positivity
in our life. Similarly, another book which
was published in 2018 only - Why Religion
and Spirituality Matter for Public Health.
So, such kind of literature or books showed
importance of religion and spirituality domain
to have better well-being.
That is why now not only Indian psychology
but Western scholars also give importance
to religion and spirituality in their studies
and review of ancient Indian literature. So
philosophical, religious spiritual literature
will be addressed in some of the topics on
positive psychology. Positive factors from
Indian psychology are revealed and discussed
in this course and that is why very important
to address religion and spiritual domain to
understand well-being and other positive personality
traits.
We also wrote one chapter and which is culture
specific and it has been published in Positive
Nations and Communities. In this Positive
Nations and Communities book there are various
practices which have been borrowed from different
nations as well as from different communities
and then they are saying how these practices
are helping us to have better well-being.
So, in this book, we wrote a chapter, ‘Satsang,
culture specific effective practice for well-being’.
So that is why in this course, you will find
some studies based on universal ideas and
some studies which are really based on particular
socio-cultural settings and that is very important
for us in this course to understand uniqueness
of certain things.
So, in the background of Indian philosophical
research and ancient religious spiritual literature,
today psychology and positive psychology in
India should be both positive psychology and
Indian psychology’s interaction. And then
finally we are saying ‘Positive Psychology
in India’. So, it means if we find some
factors are really important to add to Positive
Psychology from Indian psychology to understand
positive aspects of human behaviour, then
we should not hesitate to borrow. Or at least
positive psychology in India should be contributed
by both mainstream of psychology, that is
positive psychology and our local or our Indian
psychology and its explanations and we can
have some of these theories, models to understand
human behaviour further in positive direction.
I think before completing this chapter, we
should know 2 more concepts because these
concepts will be taken into account again
and again in next chapters, so we should know
about them, which are focused on culture.
First one is individualistic versus collectivistic
culture. On the basis of this parameter, we
can divide cultures in two, individualistic
versus collectivistic culture. Individualism
or individualistic culture is psychology of
Me or I, on the other hand collectivism is
study of We. What are the differences between
individualistic and collectivistic cultures?
People from individualistic cultures are more
likely to have an independent view of themselves.
They see themselves as separate from others
or as individually. In fact, they define themselves
based on their personal traits and see their
characteristics as relatively stable and unchanging.
On the other hand, people from collectivistic
cultures are more likely to have an interdependent
view of themselves.
They see themselves as connected to others,
define themselves in terms of relationships
with others and see their characteristics
as more likely to change across different
contexts. So, in some studies, you will find
when we are talking about happiness, when
we are talking about mindfulness, resilience,
etc., sometimes I will give example of individualistic
versus collectivistic culture. So, you should
know what does it mean. Indian culture is
counted, almost all Asian cultures probably
are counted as collectivistic culture and
sometimes culture will be highlighted in the
studies of flow or happiness in the next chapters.
So, then another point is culture and time
orientation. It is also observed that sometimes
we focus differently in different cultures
when we take into account time orientation.
One way of looking at cultural attitudes to
time is in terms of time orientation, a cultural
or national preference towards past, present,
or future thinking. For example, America is
often considered to be a future-orientated
country, on the other hand France present-oriented,
and past-oriented are Britain and India. Some
scholars realize that, often but not always,
a past orientation arises in cultures with
a long history like India or China and a future
orientation in young countries like USA and
that is why time orientation would be important
for us in certain studies.
So, I think various aspects you have learned
in this course, but we must know there are
different fields in positive psychology in
modern times, say we have positive education
- in school setting various programs are going
on, even in India, happiness curriculum in
Delhi schools we have. Some scholars are focusing
outrightly on positive health, on positive
assessment, positive assessment means when
we have testing based on positive personality
traits, positive psychotherapies are going
on. Positive organisations, means they change
setting to have positive personality traits
or having higher level of well-being and lot
of literature available even in terms of nations,
in terms of communities in which we are highlighting
practices provided over there in positive
direction. So, in all these cases, we want
to have some settings change or socio-cultural
changes in the environment to have higher
level of well-being, higher level of happiness,
etc.
So, I think in this class all concepts are
clear to you. You must know positive psychology’s
definitions and should be able to discuss
at least an overall view of positive psychology.
Then you should know about the importance
which we discussed here with the help of various,
you know, meta-analytic researches, what is
relevance of this field and the main objectives
of positive psychology, what are our different
areas which we want to cover in positive psychology,
then difference between Indian psychology
and psychology in India also you should know
and to some extent you should be able to connect
Indian psychology and positive psychology.
However, this concept will be discussed further
in next chapters.
There are some books, you could purchase or
you could read these books if you want to
know more about positive psychology (check
the ‘about the course section’ for the
list).
Thank you very much.
