Contemporary subdisciplines in psychology

There are a wide range of emerging and contemporary subdisciplines within psychology, we will explore some of them in this section, beginning with positive psychology.

Positive psychology

Positive psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on positive human experiences, well-being, and flourishing. Positive psychology attempts to understand and enhance the factors that contribute to a meaningful and fulfilling life, in contrast to traditional psychology, which frequently emphasises the research and treatment of mental illnesses and psychological disorders. In the late 1990s, it became an established field of study. Dr Martin Seligman is frequently cited as one of its pioneers.

In this 23-minute video, Dr Seligman talks about the new era of positive psychology:

Some of the key concepts, issues and debates within positive psychology include:

• Positive emotions: Joy, gratitude, love, and optimism are studied by researchers in the field of positive psychology. In addition to fostering happiness, these emotions are also good for your physical health and psychological resilience.
• Character strengths and virtues: The study of universally valued character strengths and virtues across cultures is a focus of positive psychology. Examples include wisdom, kindness, resilience, and courage. Understanding and developing these strengths can help one grow personally and improve their well-being.
• Subjective well-being: The study of subjective well-being includes both cognitive and emotional evaluations of happiness and life satisfaction. It aims to understand the factors that influence a person's sense of well-being and happiness.
• Flow and engagement: The idea of flow, which describes the state of total immersion and concentration in an activity, is studied by positive psychology. Having a state of flow is linked to increased happiness and improved performance on a variety of tasks.
• Positive relationships: How social connections and positive relationships contribute to happiness and well-being. For a person to maintain good mental and emotional health, strong social support networks are essential.

Methodologies and applications

Positive psychology applications are broad and diverse. They can be applied in many different contexts, including therapy, organisational psychology, education, and personal growth. Positive psychology interventions (PPIs) encourage individuals to focus on their strengths, build positive coping mechanisms, and cultivate positive relationships to improve well-being (Hefferon & Boniwell, 2011).

Suggested wider reading

If you would like to learn more about positive psychology, you can read the following text; it is available through your online reading list:

• Hefferon, K. & Boniwell, I. (2011). Positive psychology. Open University Press.