PSY317 Positive Psychology
Week 1
Our guiding theoretical framework is the GENIAL model, a life-course framework for better
understanding health and wellbeing, building on principle of positive psychology
(https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.642093/full)
ESSENTIAL READINGS INCLUDE:
- MEAD ET AL., 2021: THIS PAPER INTRODUCES THE GENIAL MODEL AROUND WHICH THIS MODULE HAS
BEEN DEVELOPED
- WILKIE ET AL., 2022: BUILDING ON MEAD ET AL., 2022, THIS PAPER INTRODUCES THE COMPLEX CONSTRUCT
OF WELLBEING AND HIGHLIGHTS RELEVANCE OF VAGAL FUNCTION
SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS INCLUDE:
- KEMP & FISHER, 2021: THIS PAPER PROVIDES BACKGROUND CONTEXT RELATING TO YOUR ASSESSMENT
- KEMP, MEAD & FISHER, 2022: THIS PAPER PRESENTS PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE FOR MODULE IMPACT
- KEMP, ARIAS & FISHER, 2017: THIS PAPER LINKS HEALTH AND WELLBEING TO SOCIAL
3 major theories in PP:
,Hedonic theory of wellbeing (Subjective Wellbeing Theory)
• Equates happiness with pleasure, comfort and enjoyment
• Self-reported wellbeing; how people experience and evaluate different aspects of their lives
• Can be an important predictor of individual health and longevity.
• Three components – life satisfaction, positive affect and negative affect.
Integrated theory of wellbeing PERMA theory (Seligman 2011)
• Five core elements of happiness and wellbeing - positive emotion, engagement, relationships,
meaning and accomplishments
• Evidence based approach
• Used in the workplace to create a happier and more productive environment.
Eudaimonia theory of wellbeing (six factor model of psychological wellbeing, PWB)
• Equates happiness with the human ability to pursue complex goals which are meaningful to the
individual and society, even if this is difficult.
• Six factors – autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, purpose in life, positive
relations with others & self-acceptance.
,My chosen dependent variable – subjective happiness.
Lyubomirsky & Lepper’s (1999) Subjective Happiness Scale
Lyubomirsky, S., & Lepper, H. (1999). A measure of subjective happiness: Preliminary
reliability and construct validation. Social Indicators Research, 46, 137-155.
For each of the following statements and/or questions, please circle the point on the
scale that you feel is most appropriate in describing you.
1. In general, I consider myself:
not a very happy person 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
a very happy person
2. Compared with most of my peers, I consider myself:
less happy 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 more happy
3. Some people are generally very happy. They enjoy life regardless of what is going
on, getting the most out of everything. To what extent does this characterization
describe you?
not at all 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 a great deal
4. Some people are generally not very happy. Although they are not depressed, they
never seem as happy as they might be. To what extent does this characterization
describe you?
not at all 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 a great deal
• To score the scale, reverse code the 4th item (i.e., turn a 7 into a 1, a 6 into a
2, a 5 into a 3, a 3 into a 5, a 2 into a 6, and a 1 into a 7), and compute the
mean of the 4 items. Norms are available in the reference below, as well as in
many other publications that have used the scale (see PsycInfo).
Baseline week
Day 1 (7/10/22) - 4.25
Day 2 (6/10/22) - 4.75
Day 3 (7/10/22) - 4
Day 4 (8/10/22) - 3
Day 5 (9/10/22) - 4.25
Day 6 (10/10/22) - 4
, The Vagus nerve
• Structural link between mental & physical health
• The common index of vagal function is heart rate variability (HRV)
• HRV reflects the variability in consecutive R-R intervals
• Vagal function may reflect an individual index of health & wellbeing, as it’s associated with:
emotion, social connectedness, emotional regulation, executive functioning, psychological
flexibility, social engagement, positive health behaviors, time spent in natural environments and
future morbidity & mortality.
• Can improve vagal function through connecting to ourselves, others and nature.
Health and wellbeing in the 21st century:
• An epidemiological transition of increasing burdens attributable to non-communicable diseases
• We’re living longer but with increasing disability
Positive psychology waves:
1st wave – emphasis on the positive parts and pro-sociality
2nd wave – emphasis on balance
3rd wave – moving beyond the traditional boundaries, looking into socio-cultural complexities, multi-
disciplinary and transdisciplinary scales, cultural contexts, multiple & mixed methodologies.
Positive psychological characteristics linked to longevity:
• Conscientiousness
• Industriousness
• Positive emotions
• Life satisfaction
• Optimism
• Hope
• Life purpose
• Psychological flexibility
• Social relationships
• Connectedness to green space
(Refs on slides)
The GENIAL model: contributions to wellbeing
Week 1
Our guiding theoretical framework is the GENIAL model, a life-course framework for better
understanding health and wellbeing, building on principle of positive psychology
(https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.642093/full)
ESSENTIAL READINGS INCLUDE:
- MEAD ET AL., 2021: THIS PAPER INTRODUCES THE GENIAL MODEL AROUND WHICH THIS MODULE HAS
BEEN DEVELOPED
- WILKIE ET AL., 2022: BUILDING ON MEAD ET AL., 2022, THIS PAPER INTRODUCES THE COMPLEX CONSTRUCT
OF WELLBEING AND HIGHLIGHTS RELEVANCE OF VAGAL FUNCTION
SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS INCLUDE:
- KEMP & FISHER, 2021: THIS PAPER PROVIDES BACKGROUND CONTEXT RELATING TO YOUR ASSESSMENT
- KEMP, MEAD & FISHER, 2022: THIS PAPER PRESENTS PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE FOR MODULE IMPACT
- KEMP, ARIAS & FISHER, 2017: THIS PAPER LINKS HEALTH AND WELLBEING TO SOCIAL
3 major theories in PP:
,Hedonic theory of wellbeing (Subjective Wellbeing Theory)
• Equates happiness with pleasure, comfort and enjoyment
• Self-reported wellbeing; how people experience and evaluate different aspects of their lives
• Can be an important predictor of individual health and longevity.
• Three components – life satisfaction, positive affect and negative affect.
Integrated theory of wellbeing PERMA theory (Seligman 2011)
• Five core elements of happiness and wellbeing - positive emotion, engagement, relationships,
meaning and accomplishments
• Evidence based approach
• Used in the workplace to create a happier and more productive environment.
Eudaimonia theory of wellbeing (six factor model of psychological wellbeing, PWB)
• Equates happiness with the human ability to pursue complex goals which are meaningful to the
individual and society, even if this is difficult.
• Six factors – autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, purpose in life, positive
relations with others & self-acceptance.
,My chosen dependent variable – subjective happiness.
Lyubomirsky & Lepper’s (1999) Subjective Happiness Scale
Lyubomirsky, S., & Lepper, H. (1999). A measure of subjective happiness: Preliminary
reliability and construct validation. Social Indicators Research, 46, 137-155.
For each of the following statements and/or questions, please circle the point on the
scale that you feel is most appropriate in describing you.
1. In general, I consider myself:
not a very happy person 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
a very happy person
2. Compared with most of my peers, I consider myself:
less happy 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 more happy
3. Some people are generally very happy. They enjoy life regardless of what is going
on, getting the most out of everything. To what extent does this characterization
describe you?
not at all 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 a great deal
4. Some people are generally not very happy. Although they are not depressed, they
never seem as happy as they might be. To what extent does this characterization
describe you?
not at all 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 a great deal
• To score the scale, reverse code the 4th item (i.e., turn a 7 into a 1, a 6 into a
2, a 5 into a 3, a 3 into a 5, a 2 into a 6, and a 1 into a 7), and compute the
mean of the 4 items. Norms are available in the reference below, as well as in
many other publications that have used the scale (see PsycInfo).
Baseline week
Day 1 (7/10/22) - 4.25
Day 2 (6/10/22) - 4.75
Day 3 (7/10/22) - 4
Day 4 (8/10/22) - 3
Day 5 (9/10/22) - 4.25
Day 6 (10/10/22) - 4
, The Vagus nerve
• Structural link between mental & physical health
• The common index of vagal function is heart rate variability (HRV)
• HRV reflects the variability in consecutive R-R intervals
• Vagal function may reflect an individual index of health & wellbeing, as it’s associated with:
emotion, social connectedness, emotional regulation, executive functioning, psychological
flexibility, social engagement, positive health behaviors, time spent in natural environments and
future morbidity & mortality.
• Can improve vagal function through connecting to ourselves, others and nature.
Health and wellbeing in the 21st century:
• An epidemiological transition of increasing burdens attributable to non-communicable diseases
• We’re living longer but with increasing disability
Positive psychology waves:
1st wave – emphasis on the positive parts and pro-sociality
2nd wave – emphasis on balance
3rd wave – moving beyond the traditional boundaries, looking into socio-cultural complexities, multi-
disciplinary and transdisciplinary scales, cultural contexts, multiple & mixed methodologies.
Positive psychological characteristics linked to longevity:
• Conscientiousness
• Industriousness
• Positive emotions
• Life satisfaction
• Optimism
• Hope
• Life purpose
• Psychological flexibility
• Social relationships
• Connectedness to green space
(Refs on slides)
The GENIAL model: contributions to wellbeing
