positive psychology: happiness, flourishing and flow in learning and in life happiness, flourishing...

POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY:POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY:

happiness, flourishing and flow in happiness, flourishing and flow in learning and in lifelearning and in life

Positive PsychologyPositive Psychology

Background to Positive Psychology

The importance of Happiness/Well-

being

Ideas and strategies to use with

students (and for ourselves)

Connections to other approaches

used in teaching and learning

2Jean Johnston, ILSA Annual Conference 2011

Positive PsychologyPositive Psychology Martin Seligman launched Positive Psychology in 1998

when he became President of the American Psychological Association

Positive Psychology identifies and studies the factors that create well-being rather than at cures for psychological illnesses

It proposes to make people happier and more fulfilled by using and developing their strengths

It is based on scientific research that has been carried out through controlled experiments and longitudinal studies


The Importance of The Importance of Happiness/Well-BeingHappiness/Well-Being

Why is this important to us as L/S or SEN teachers?

What difficulties do our students face?

What effects can this difficulties have?


Difficulties that Students Difficulties that Students FaceFace

Mental Health Difficulties: 8% of students – 83,083 in number (Epsen

Implementation Report: p. 72)

Adolescent ‘depressive episodes’ affect between 5-10% of young people (Buckley, Gavin and McNicholas: 2009)

Depression is now ten times as prevalent as it was in 1960 in developed countries – forty years ago, the mean age of first episode was 29.5

years- now it is 14.5 years (Seligman: 2003)

5

Jean Johnston, ILSA Annual Conference 2011

Mental/Emotional HealthMental/Emotional Health


Negative EmotionsNegative Emotions

Negative emotions such as anger, fear, disgust and so on help us to respond appropriately to our environment – their adaptive value is easy to explain and understand (B. Fredrickson, 2003)


Fredrickson 2003Fredrickson 2003

Barbara Fredrickson (2003) developed the Broaden-and-Build Theory of positive emotions. It explained that positive emotions are important to survival. They:

broaden and build cognitive processes

expand cognition and behavioural tendencies

increase the number of potential behavioural options

Fredrickson found that the expanded cognitive flexibility that is evident during positive emotional states results in resource building that becomes useful over time

.


Emotional ChemistryEmotional Chemistry ‘The brain is a supremely flexible organ that changes its chemistry in adaptive

response to what is going around it .‘ ( Nettle, 2005)

Every feeling we have is a ‘neuro-chemical event’ Danger, stress and anxiety trigger the release of adrenalin and cortisol

These narrow your focus, sharpen your thinking and temporarily

increase your strength to enable you to run away fast

Dopamine is the ‘motivation chemical’ Its release into the bloodstream is energising It increases our ability to focus

Serotonin is the ‘feel good’ chemical and is calming and rewarding (MacConville 2008)


Emotional Chemistry(cont.)Emotional Chemistry(cont.) Endorphins are small neuropeptides produced by the body

They are natural opiates (endogenous morphine)

They are released every time you laugh, relax and exercise

Each release makes more connections in the brain, creating

new

neural pathways

They create more bonding in the brain so they expand

cognitive processes They enable broader, more flexible, more creative thinking

(MacConville 2008)

We can increase our well-being by choosing to do activities that produce

endorphins In the same way, we can also make our thinking broader and more

flexible


ResearchResearch

The concepts and claims of PositivePsychology are supported by

research evidence which includes:

physiological evidence

neurological evidence

psychological evidence


HappinessHappiness

• Increases positive emotions.

• Reduces the impact of negative emotions

Nettle, Happiness: The science behind your smile (2005)


What Happiness is Good What Happiness is Good ForFor

Briefly, happiness/positivity Increases our engagement in our everyday lives Broadens our mindset, our actions and our social

resources Enables creative and more flexible, global thinking Improves attention, short term memory and

problem-

solving Allows us to build up intellectual and psychological

reserves Undoes negative feelings Increases resilience and tolerance

Sonja Lyubomirsky: http://thesciencenetwork.org/search?topics+Human+Flourishing


What is What is Happiness?Happiness?

Take a minute to Take a minute to think about it. think about it.


Three Levels of HappinessThree Levels of Happiness Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 (Momentary feelings) (Judgements about feelings) (Quality of life)

Joy Well-being Flourishing Pleasure Satisfaction Fulfilling one’s Potential

More immediate More sensual and emotional More reliably measurable More absolute

More cognitive More relative More moral and political Involving more cultural norms and values

(Nettle, 2005)


Maslow’s Hierarchy of Maslow’s Hierarchy of NeedsNeeds

Physical, sensual needs

Well-being and satisfaction

Fulfilling one’s potential


Levels of HappinessLevels of HappinessA study by Lyubomirsky (2007) has shown that our level of happiness is made up of three main components:

set point: this is what we are born with – it accounts for about 50% of our level of well-being

circumstances: account for about 10% of our level of well-being. Even if our circumstances change dramatically, we quite quickly return to our set point

intentional behaviours: the

good news is that we have a

lot of influence on our own level

of happiness. Our own actions/activities

account for about 40% of our level

of well-being (MacConville 2008)

set pointintentionalbehaviours

circumstances17


USING POSITIVE USING POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY IN OUR PSYCHOLOGY IN OUR TEACHINGTEACHING


Approaches that Promote Happiness and Learning

The following strategies have been found to develop positive emotions that are based on the exercise of strengths– a happiness that Seligman calls ‘authentic’.


‘Practising releasing

endorphins through

exercise, meditation,

optimistic thinking and

relaxing can have huge

impact on the quality of

students’ lives’

Ruth MacConville

(2008)

An increase in happiness is generally achieved by pleasant activity training Nettles, (2005: p.151)


Effects of Exercise Effects of Exercise • Produces serotonin and endorphins• Gives feelings of self-esteem and mastery• Allows ‘Time-Out from stress – potential

for engagement/Flow/meditation• Provides opportunities for social contact and reinforcing friendshipsEvidence from research:• SMILES

- the Standard Medical Intervention and Long-term Exercise Study

(Archives of Internal Medicine 1999:159, 2349-2356)


ExerciseExercise

Younger children do not always get opportunities for outdoor play◦ Restrictions at home and in school

As students get older, many exercise less and less, girls in particular ◦Many students opt out because of the

competitive nature of sport


Meditation/Reflection/ Meditation/Reflection/ MindfulnessMindfulness Half an hour’s meditation each day is

essential, except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed.

Meditation actually comprises a family of techniques

that go by different names (Zen, transcendental, Vipassana etc.) and

different categories (concentrative, mindfulness, contemplative)

The core ingredient that underlies them all is the cultivation of attention

An avalanche of studies has shown that meditation has multiple

positive effects on a person’s happiness and positive emotions, on

physiology, stress, cognitive abilities and physical health as well as on

other harder-to-assess attributes, like ‘self-actualisation’ and moral

maturity (Sonja Lyubomirsky, 2007: 250-251)

St Francis de Sales 1567-1622


RelaxationRelaxation


HEALTH WARNING!!!Research shows that soaps in particular leave the viewer slightly depressed

Optimistic ThinkingOptimistic Thinking Research shows that optimists are more likely to persevere

in the face of difficulty

PRACTICEPRACTICE Identify barrier thoughts Visualize a future where everything is as you wanted it to be – you’ve tried your best, worked hard and achieved your goals. Describe in writing

what you imagine. Identify long-term goals and break them into sub-

goals – if barriers come into your mind, generate

resolutions25


OPTIMISMOPTIMISM

Optimism is not about providing a recipe for self-deception. The world can be a horrible and cruel place, and at the same time it can be wonderful and abundant. These are both truths. There is not a halfway point – there is only choosing which truth to put in your personal foreground (Lee Ross,

quoted by Sonja Lyubomirsky, 2007: 110)


Signature StrengthsSignature StrengthsChris Peterson and Martin Seligman devised a

classification system for character strengths

This classification is based on strengths that are traditionally acknowledged as representing what is best in humanity

Seligman referred to these as signature strengths and described their classification as “ a classification of the sanities”

They provide a counterbalance to classifications of psychological illnesses


Happiness ChallengeHappiness Challenge

Three Good Things Wishing Others Well Feeling and Communicating Gratitude Practising Mindfulness


Three Good Things

The student keeps a daily record of three good things that have happened during the course of the day. The events may be small, but the student recalls what happened and perhaps records her/his contribution to the event.

This foregrounds positive feelings in the student’s

mind


Writing the SelfWriting the Self Writing regularly about oneself is extremely effective in boosting positive emotions The writing does not need to be about happy events Nettle (2005) believes that it is effective because writing gives us space to be more mindful of our thoughts


WOW!WOW!Wishing Others WellWishing Others Well

Give opportunity for students to: share/listen to good newschoose a ‘person to be kind to this week’

(needs very careful management and mature students!)

write a letter to a prisoner of conscience

FEELING GRATITUDEFEELING GRATITUDESuggest that they might:Write a letter, visit or email someone to whom you are grateful for some thing and

tell him/her how you feel


Random Acts of KindnessRandom Acts of KindnessClosely related to WOW and to ‘Three Good Things’ is the idea of doing one unsolicited ‘Good Deed’ for another person each day. It could be:

Clearing the table Picking up something that someone has dropped Holding open the door Washing the car Putting out the wheelie bin Doing the shopping –

or one of thousands of other small but significant acts that make other people’s lives just a little bit more pleasant


MindfulnessMindfulness

We engage all the time in ‘future-mindedness’, or what Seligman calls ‘mindlessness’

Activity

In order to bring our minds into the present, a simple breathing exercise for a few moments can help to focus the mind on the present. This is done by simply sitting quietly breathing in and out, watching the breathing and thinking simply of the breathing. If the mind strays away from the breathing, observe that it has happened and just return to concentrate on the breathing

This has the effect of slowing down, relaxing and opening the mind


Mindfulness Practise with Mindfulness Practise with Younger StudentsYounger Students

Ruth MacConville has some lovely suggestions for younger students:

Mind in a Jar - Fill a clean glass jar with water. Point out its clearness to the children and compare it perhaps to your mind when it is quiet a peaceful. Now put in a little bit of sand and swirl it around. Now it’s like your mind when it’s busy, full of all kinds of thoughts. Quietly watch the sand as it sinks to the bottom and your mind clears

Rain Stick – this is a tube with beads or rice inside. The children take it in turns to turn the rain stick over and listen to the beads falling. Listen to the silence when the ‘rain’ stops

(MacConville, 2008)


FlowFlow Flow is a term coined by the psychologist Dr Mihaly

Csikszentmihalyi, an associate of Martin Seligman

It describes a state of optimal experience and involvement in an activity during which we are performing at our best

During flow individuals are completely involved in what they are doing; our skill level matches the challenges of the task, we feel compelled to persist at what we are doing until we get it right and we lose track of time

Flow provides an important pathway to happiness as it provides the deep satisfaction of successful engagement

(Ruth MacConville, 2008)


FLOWFLOW

Csikszentmihalyi, (2002)


CONDITIONS FOR ‘FLOW’CONDITIONS FOR ‘FLOW’

COMFORT ZONE

STRETCH ZONEScaffolding may be put in place to support weaker students in achieving FLOW in their work

PANIC ZONE

Tal Ben-Shahar (2007)

This area equates to Lev Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development/Learning(Vygotsky, 1978)


Setting GoalsSetting Goals

Csikszentmihalyi (1990) explains that having meaningful

goals and a clear sense of purpose is essential to attaining

flow

Achievement of flow may be assisted in the classroom by:

the provision of clear goals and success criteria for all tasks that are set

allowing adequate time for the students may engage with each task


Well-Being and Well-Being and ‘Flourishing’‘Flourishing’

Well-Being TheoryPERMA

Positive Emotion Engagement Relationships Meaning Achievement


Happiness, Flourishing and Flow in Learning and in Life


References and Further References and Further ReadingReadingBooks

Csikszentmihalyi, M. Finding Flow (1997) Csikszentmihalyi, M. Flow {2nd Edition} (2002) Frederickson, B. Positivity (2009) Lyubomirsky, S. The How of Happiness (2007) MacConville , R.,Teaching Happiness (2008) Nettle, D., Happiness: The science behind your smile (2005) Seligman, M., Authentic Happiness (2003) Seligman, M., Flourish (2011) Thich Nhat Hanh, Happiness (2009)Websiteshttp://www.evenhappier.com/docs/broaden-and-build.pdfhttp://www.fredrickson.socialpsychology.orghttp://www.positivityratio.comhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/24_01_11_happiness_challenge_finalhttp://www.actionforhappiness.org

http://www.icepe.ie (Teaching Happiness: Positive Psychology for behaviour and learning)

http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/questionnaires.aspx 41Jean Johnston, ILSA Annual Conference 2011

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