Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness and Flourishing Third Edition presents perspectives on positive emotional states, research and theory on positive traits, coverage of positive institutions, and a look at the future of Positive Psychology.
Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
1. An Introduction to Positive Psychology
Welcome to Positive Psychology
Dimensions of Positive Psychology
Scope of Positive Psychology
Basic Themes of Positive Psychology
A Short History of Well-Being in the Western World
Positive Psychology Today
2. Foundations: Emotion, Motivation, and the Nature of Well-Being
Basic Emotions
Components of Emotion
Moods and Well-Being
Positive Psychology and Motivation
Well-Being and Positive Emotion
Research Models of Happiness and Well-Being
3. Subjective Well-Being
Measurement of Subjective Well-Being
Top-Down Predictors of Subjective Well-Being
Bottom-Up Predictors of Subjective Well-Being
Increasing Happiness and Life Satisfaction
Can You Be Too Happy?
4. Leisure, Flow, Mindfulness, and Peak Performance
Leisure
Flow and Optimal Experience
Mindfulness
Savoring
Peak Performance
5. Romantic Love and Positive Families
Genes, Hormones, and Marriage
The Varieties of Love
Finding Romance and Love
Relationship Satisfaction: What Makes Them Feel Good?
Relationship Stability: What Makes It Last?
Minding Relationships
Positive Families
What Hurts Relationships?
How to Nurture Positive Relationships That Last
6. Positive Health
Wellness
Positive Health
Psychological Factors Important to Health
Hardiness and Mindfulness Meditation
Positive Aging
Positive Coping
7. Excellence, Aesthetics, Creativity, and Genius
Pursuit of Excellence
Foundations of Excellence
Aesthetics and the Good Life
Creativity
Genius
8. Well-Being Across the Life Span
Well-Being Over the Life Span
Adjusting to Difficult Life Events
9. Models of Optimal Well-Being
Wisdom: What Did King Solomon Have?
Early Psychodynamic Ideas on Optimal Personality
Existentialism and Authenticity
Humanistic Perspectives
Purpose in Life, the Quiet Ego, and Personal Growth
The Optimal Personality: Common Themes
Your Inner Hero
10. Religion, Spirituality, and Well-Being
A Sense of Meaning and Purpose in Life
The Sacred Emotions
Religious Experiences
Contemplative Spirituality
Contemplative Religious Traditions
Mysticism and the Brain
Psychological Theories of Religious Maturity
11. Positive Institutions and Cultural Well-Being
Employee Engagement and Job Satisfaction
Careers That Use Positive Psychology
Positive Communities
Cross-Cultural Subjective Well-Being
12. A Look Toward the Future of Positive Psychology
How Do We Recognize a Life Well Lived?
Theories That Integrate Multiple Perspectives
New Research Methods
Alternative Perspectives on Well-Being
Integrate Positive Psychology With Psychology
The Question of Values
Cross-Cultural Considerations
Toward the Future With Optimism
References
Index
Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness and Flourishing Third Edition presents perspectives on positive emotional states, research and theory on positive traits, coverage of positive institutions, and a look at the future of Positive Psychology.
Topically organized, Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness and Flourishing presents a highly engaging, up-to-date introduction to positive psychology. Authors William C. Compton and Edward Hoffman invite students to apply practices to their own lives, contexts, and experiences to ensure understanding. The text examines how positive psychology applies to stressors and health within such traditional research areas as developmental, clinical, personality, motivational, social, and behavioral psychology. Furthermore, the text offers perspectives on positive emotional states, research and theory on positive traits, coverage of positive institutions, and a look at the future of positive psychology. The Third Edition reflects significant growth in field with hundreds of new references and expanded content on topics including mindfulness, money and subjective well-being, and romantic love.
