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Summary Lecture Notes Positive Psychology | Seligman | Thomas More | 2025/26

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Lecture notes from Lesson 1 on the foundation of positive psychology at Thomas More Hogeschool, covering Martin Seligman's pioneering work and the birth of positive psychology as a science. The notes detail the historical shift from pre-WWII psychology's three goals to the post-WWII focus on mental illness, and introduce Seligman's alternative vision of human functioning and well-being. Topics include the disease model (pros and cons), understanding the well-being scale from -10 to +10, the concept of flourishing, moving the psychological curve, nature therapy (ecotherapy), and practical stress management tools like EHBT (Eerste Hulp Bij Tegenslag). Ideal for students preparing for exams or assignments in the Positieve Psychologie course, with clear explanations of foundational concepts and real-world applications.

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Les 1: the foundation of positive psychology......................................................................2
1.1 The start of positive psychology................................................................................2
The history of psychology................................................................................................ 2
1.2. What is positive psychology?....................................................................................3
1.3 De doelgroep van de positieve psychologie...............................................................4
1.4. Positive Psychology Interventions (PPI’s)..................................................................5
Second Wave Positive Psychology – tweede golf.............................................................7
Third Wave Positive Psychology – derde golf...................................................................7
Chapter 2: the good life...................................................................................................... 8
2.1 A preference for well-being – pleidooi voor welbevinden...........................................8
2.2 Aristotle: the pleasant life and the inspired life – het plezierige leven.......................9
Hedonia........................................................................................................................ 9
Eudaimonia................................................................................................................. 10
Implications hedonia - eudaimonia.............................................................................10
Chapter 3 meaning........................................................................................................... 12
Why do you need to have meaning in life?....................................................................13
Positieve psychologie sem 2............................................................................................. 16
4. emotionele wendbaarheid......................................................................................... 16
1 evolutionaire visie op negatieve emoties................................................................16
2 broaden & build en de functie van positieve emoties..............................................17
Broaden-hypothese.................................................................................................... 18
Build-hypothese.......................................................................................................... 19
Neutraliserend effect (undoing hypothesis)................................................................19
3 cultiveer positieve emoties......................................................................................19
4 emotionele wendbaarheid.......................................................................................20
hoe emotioneel flexibel worden?................................................................................20
5 infinity sign.............................................................................................................. 21
HD5: Krachtige relaties..................................................................................................... 22
1 het belang van positieve relaties................................................................................22
drie ingredienten van positieve relaties:....................................................................22
sociale steun – deel 1 (Cohen, 2014).............................................................................24
sociale steun – deel 2.................................................................................................... 25
2 active-constructive responding...................................................................................25
3 Empathie en compassie.............................................................................................. 27
HD 6: Voor & na & tegenslag............................................................................................ 31
Psychologisch kapitaal (PsyKap/psycap)........................................................................32


1

, 2.1 PSYCAP: Optimisme................................................................................................. 32
permanent vs tijdelijk................................................................................................. 34
universeel vs specifiek................................................................................................ 34
Persoonlijk vs omgeving............................................................................................. 35
2.2 PSYCAP: hoop.......................................................................................................... 35
2.3. PSYCAP: zelfvertrouwen.......................................................................................... 36
Zelfzorg......................................................................................................................... 37
Posttraumatische groei.................................................................................................. 39




LES 1: THE FOUNDATION OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

1.1 THE START OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

 De geboorte van de positieve psychologie
 Prof. Dr. Martin Seligman 1998
 Herorientatie met de nadruk op optimisme, moed, vermogen tot plezier…

APA The President’s Adress

 A new science of human strengths
 A vision of the good life that is empirically sound and, at the same time,
understandable and
Attractive
Show the world what actions lead to well-being, to positive individuals, to
flourishing communities, and to a just society

THE HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY

 Before WWII
De psychologie was gericht op drie taken:
 Geestelijke stoornissen genezen
 Normale levens verbeteren
 Bijzonder talent identificeren, versterken
After WWII: massive human crisis led to focus on mental illness  because of the
war. PTSS (post traumatic stress disorder) Big focus of mental illness.
Vooral aandacht aan: geestelijke stoornissen genezen

 Seligman’s alternative: back to the roots of psychology
 The science of human functioning. When it goes bad or just really good!

Psychology is aiming to bring the balance between positive
and negative back!



2

,Maslow  ‘what is it like to blossom, flow, …’  for example ‘we talk more about the
darker things than the brighter things’  we focus on dangers, toxic relationships, … We
willen waakzaam zijn over de gevaarlijke dingen!

DISEASE MODEL

 Pro
 several mental disorders are treatable today
 (depression, anxiety disorder, trauma, some personality disorders…)
 We have several mental disorders we can treat today/ they are cure-able

 Only 1 out of 10 has an mental disorder. 9/10 don’t!
 We know so many psychologist words, we have words for everything that
can happen. They are on top of mind.
 Con
 guilt-inducing & pathologising
 we make people feel sick/guilty even when they are maybe not.
 whole area of human functioning is neglected in research

1.2. WHAT IS POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY?

om goed te begrijpen wat het woord ‘positief’ wil zeggen, zetten we het op een schaal
van psychisch welbevinden.

The plus - zero part.

 +10 People who say ‘I have a good life’
 -10  people who are struggling
 0  People who are surviving.

Positieve psychologie is niet bezig met de transformatie van -5 naar 0, maar wel met hoe
we van een 4 een 8 kunnen maken.

 Positive psychology brings people from -10 to 0. The part from 0 to +10 is the part
you can focus on. We study in positive psychology the +0. Everything above 0.
It is not a believe!
 What is wrong with you  what is right with you.
 We have external forces that can help us with life, but we also have this in our
own hands. Lets find the ingredients that help us make normal people to get them
closer to flourishing.
 Capitalization  for example couples who support each other more when positive
things happens are better couples than couples who talk more about and listen to
the bad things.

Moving the curve

Positieve psychologie is de curve verschuiven. Hoe
kunnen we veerkracht verhogen?

Als we de hele curve aar rechts kunnen bewegen,
wordt de groep die psychisch lijdt kleiner, en komen
er meer mensen op de plek van floreren.



‘why would you focus on the people who are already good?’


3

,  Small group in Belgium with mental disorder.
 Small group we call Languishing (not mentally ill, but not good (=kwijnend) they
might be in trouble
 Small group is flourishing  ‘I am good, my job is good I love it…’

If you are happy, there are chances you
make others happy. We feel the emotions of
others.

We aim to show the strength, love, hope
and move the curve. Something that
changes the people around you.




1.3 DE DOELGROEP VAN DE POSITIEVE PSYCHOLOGIE

 MIDUS study: 3000 US adults 25-75y  big study
 Prof. Dr. Corey Keyes: relation between psychological health and psychological
illness?
 Kan iemand met bv een angststoornis toch floreren?
 You can!
 Curve suggests not, but…

DUAL- CONTINUA MODEL

 Er zijn mensen die lijden aan een psychische stoornis en toch een hoog niveau van
welbevinden hebben. En omgekeerd; er zijn deelnemers die laag scoren op
welbevinden zonder symptomen van psychopathologie.
Verticale pijl: mentale gezondheid (psychisch
welbevinden)
Men kan hoog of laag scoren op mentale gezondheid
enerzijds, en hoog of laag op mentale ziekte anderzijds.
Deze combinatie geeft zes mogelijkheden. Je kan lag
scoren op mentale gezondheid (laag welbevinden) en
hoog op mentale ziekte (lijden aan psychopathologie)

For example: someone with an eating disorder and still
have good connections and friendships around them.

Some people have low mental health and a mental illness
 they are low on both sides.

If you can have both of the same time, you can work on
both things at the same time.

With this kind of study we can focus on people their strengths, … next to their illness,
addiction, …
Conclusie: gezondheid is niet hetzelfde als de afwezigheid van problemen. Een
psychische problematiek hebben betekent niet dat er geen gezonde delen zijn.

We work the most with groups with low mental illness  right side of the circle. We have
so many tools to bring people from languishing to flourishing. (-10  +10) It will not ‘fix’

4

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