Use this alongside the following essential reading: Flanagan et al. (2015) pages 88 – 107.

Positive Approach
Assumptions How the assumptions apply to mindfulness Evaluation of mindfulness
ACKNOWLEGEMENT OF FREE WILL One of the assumptions is that positive human traits are as EFFECTIVENESS
authentic as negative ones (authenticity of goodness and Integration with other therapies: mindfulness is increasingly becoming incorporated into other
This approach believes that humans are in charge of their own emotions and have free will. Humans are seen as
excellence), and that people strive to achieve greater life therapies, e.g. psychoanalysis and CBT. E.g. mindfulness-based CBT (MiCBT) is a four-stage
self-directing and adaptive. A good life can be experienced if we use our strengths and virtues to enhance our
fulfilment by developing their natural strengths. In line with this, therapeutic approach which incorporates mindfulness with CBT. While traditional CBT attempts
lives. According to Seligman, happiness is not the result of good genes or luck, it is a result of recognising our
mindfulness aims to enhance a person’s positive characteristics to modify people’s unrealistic thoughts, MiCBT helps to change the process of thinking, not just
own strengths and working on developing these in order to make our lives better, and to minimise negativity.
through ‘acceptance-based methods’ which encourage the the content of our thoughts. Thus mindfulness is demonstrated to be an effective technique.
This assumption is in contrast to some other approaches which are classed as determinist (e.g. biological,
individual to develop core virtues e.g. optimism and flexibility. Application in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT): MBCT has been used to help
behaviourist and psychodynamic).
Another assumption is the acknowledgement of free will. prevent patients who suffer recurrent depression from relapse. Teasdale (2000) evaluated the
Free will is supported by the work of Diener. Diener and Seligman (2002) looked at the ties that students had to
Mindfulness involves becoming consciously aware of one’s effectiveness of MCBT among 145 recurrently depressed patients. Patients were randomly
friends and family, measured by the amount of time they invested in these relationships. Researchers found that
present thoughts and feelings, which involves self-regulation of allocated to receive treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU plus 8 classes of MBCT. Over a 60 week
students who had the strongest ties were happier. This highlights the fact that we are in control of our happiness
attention. Therefore, mindfulness enhances self-regulation, and period, Teasdale reported that MBCT provided the greatest help to those who had suffered the
in that we can choose to engage in activities that are known to make us happy and alleviate feelings of low mood
encourages people to gain control of their thoughts and most number of previous episodes. It didn’t have an effect on those who only had 2 episodes of
AUTHENTICITY OF GOODNESS AND EXCELLENCE emotions, in order to develop a more productive attitude towards depression in the past, but reduced the risk of relapse in those who had 3+ previous episodes.
Feelings of happiness and goodness are seen as being as natural as feelings of anxiety and stress, and therefore them, and to control the amount of time spent on negative Application in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR): Reibel (2001) reported that MBSR
psychologists need to assign these positive states of mind equal attention. Seligman (2002) claims that the belief thinking. This free will-based therapy is in line with the positive decreased levels of anxiety and depression in 136 patients who participated in an 8-week
that traits such as virtue and happiness are less authentic than negative traits, e.g. anxiety and depression, has approach – taking control of our feelings is central to increasing mindfulness programme, involving 20 minutes of meditation per day.
been an obstacle in psychology. Seligman believes we have inherent traits, which he calls ‘signature strengths’, life satisfaction and contentment. Group versus individual mindfulness: some evidence suggests that mindfulness meditation is
e.g. kindness, generosity and humour. We need to nurture these traits in order to transform our lives.
Traditionally, psychology focused on negative states of mind, and the primary goal of the positive approach is to
Main components (principles) of more effective in group settings. E.g. Mantzios and Giannou (2014) researched 170 participants
who were trying to lose weight and were randomly assigned to practice meditation for 6 weeks
change this philosophy. This involves focusing on celebrating the good things in life instead of magnifying the mindfulness within a group or individually. They found that ps. in the group setting lost more weight.
worst. Mindfulness has roots in Buddhist practice. It teaches people to
Rather than trying to fix what is wrong, positive therapists facilitate positive well-being and help to achieve control their own mind by paying attention to, and increasing ETHICAL ISSUES
fulfilment. A different way of alleviating mental illnesses is offered. It can be achieved by focusing on traits that awareness of, their present thoughts. A ‘positive’ approach to therapy: mindfulness doesn’t involve dragging up the past as a means
produce goodness and excellence in the individual (e.g. individual’s competencies), and helping people Gaining control of thoughts: normally our minds are too focused of offering an explanation for present behaviour – therefore client anxiety is avoided. This lack
understand that these natural, valuable traits can be further developed. on the past (going over old feelings) or too busy contemplating of a determinist stance is extremely positive for the individual. Also, mindfulness doesn’t focus
the future (worrying needlessly). Mindfulness teaches us to focus on changing the process of thinking, and therefore may be less frustrating for clients compared
FOCUS ON ‘THE GOOD LIFE’ with other therapies e.g. CBT. CBT can result in feelings of guilt about individual’s thought
on the present, to become aware of all incoming thoughts and
This approach focuses on the good life i.e. factors that contribute most to a well-lived processes but mindfulness teaches clients acceptance.
feelings and also to accept them. The goal of focusing on the
life. Seligman (2003) distinguishes between 3 desirable lives: Mindfulness and morality: mindfulness is seen as essential in maintaining moral and ethical
present is to gain greater awareness of unhelpful or negative
- The pleasant life: happiness comes from pursuing positive emotions in relation to the standards. Mindfulness is being taught in organisations to enhance leadership skills, because at
thoughts that often dominate us in order to gain control over
past, present and future. the heart of this practice is decision-making. Ruedy and Schweitzer (2010) showed how
them and spend less time dealing with them.
- The good life: happiness comes from pursuing activities that positively absorb and individuals who were high in mindfulness were less likely to cheat on a task, and more likely to
Negative automatic thinking can lead to anxiety and depression –
engage us. uphold ethical/moral standards.
thus mindfulness practice will help an individual notice when
- The meaningful life: happiness comes from a deep sense of fulfilment by living for a purpose much greater than
oneself.
these automatic processes are occurring and to alter their Evaluation of the biological approach .
reaction to be more of a reflection.  A shift in focus of psychology – Sheldon and King (2001) note that psychology has
The pleasant life is a starting point. Next, is the good life which is a place of happiness, good relationships and
Meditation and mindful breathing: formal training by way of traditionally failed to encourage human growth. Instead it has had a negative basis. Rather than
work. However, Seligman encourages people to go further than ‘the good life’ and seek a meaningful life in their
sitting training is most effective for developing mindfulness skills studying weakness and damage, the positive approach shifts attention to positive states.
continuing quest for happiness.
as it physically removes an individual from their daily interactions  Applications – this approach has been applied in resilience training for the US Army and in
In order to achieve the good life, we need to develop our strengths and virtues (e.g. wisdom, courage and love)
with life, so that it is easier to focus the mind. Meditation is education, particularly in the USA. In 2007, the UK Department for Children, Schools and
as these are the natural routes to gratification. Seligman suggests the good life is the combination of 3 elements:
usually learned through a mixture of guided instruction and Families set 10 new targets to improve children’s well-being by 2020, so it is anticipated that
1. Positive connection to others – e.g. our ability to love, trust, enjoy happiness, forgive and develop
personal practice. Guided mindful practice involves getting the schools in the UK will start to implement positive psychology strategies into their curriculum.
spiritual connections with the self and others.
client to sit in a comfortable position, keeping the spine straight  Free will approach – this approach does not propose a determinist account of human
2. Positive individual traits – including personal qualities e.g. morality, creativity and bravery.
and asking them to direct their attention to their breathing. They behaviour. People have freedom to grow and develop their signature strengths and virtues.
3. Life regulation qualities – qualities we need to develop to regulate, monitor and control our
will then be encouraged to pay attention to their body sensations,  Not a new idea – the positive potential of humans was first recognised by Maslow and
behaviour in order to achieve our goals. E.g. independence and faith in our decision making.
to their thoughts and emotions. This alone prevents the intrusion humanistic psychology in the late 1950s. Therefore, positive psychology isn’t novel in
Positive explanation for relationship formation of unhelpful, negative thoughts. Meditation helps people recognising the deficit in psychological research. Furthermore, positive psychology tries to
Positive relationships contribute to healthy well-being e.g. friendships, family and romantic relationships. reprocess their internal experiences and helps them to accept separate itself from humanistic psychology on the grounds of its methodology. Positive
Authenticity of goodness and excellence: for positive psychologists, feelings of love, kindness, generosity, etc… that thoughts are impermanent (they come and go). In this way, psychology claims to be an advance on humanistic psychology because it’s adopted a scientific
are authentic, and this can explain why relationships are formed. Relationships allow individuals to develop and an individual learns not to react in an automatic way to their study of well-being, whereas humanistic psychologists believe in using qualitative methods.
express their ‘signature strengths’. According to this approach, we are socially programmed to work hard to find thoughts.  Can happiness be measured – defining happiness has proved difficult, as each individual has
and build relationships with others. Informal practices of mindfulness: Once learned, mindfulness different ideas about what happiness is. This is a problem when it comes to measuring
The good life: for Seligman, one element of a good life is ‘positive connection to others’. This includes our ability can be practised throughout our daily life, amid other activities happiness and developing scientific measurements for this subjective state of mind. Advances
to love, trust and forgive, and these are essential ingredients of healthy relationships. Many people become e.g. driving or having a shower. Informal mindfulness practice is in neuroscience have allowed researchers to objectively measure the emotional experience of
totally absorbed in the other person when they first enter into a romantic relationship. This absorption and the opposite of multi-tasking – it is making the conscious decision happiness. E.g. Wager (2003) found positive emotions were more likely to activate the basal
engagement in the relationship may lead them to feel they are experiencing the good life! to focus on one single task. Informal practice simply involves ganglia than negative emotions.
E.g. explaining the formation of friendships: humans seek friendships for a number of reasons: paying attention to your surroundings, e.g. in the shower,  Ignoring individual differences – Christopher and Hickinbottom (2008) suggest the approach
1. Friendship encourages authentic emotions e.g. kindness and generosity. noticing your body sensations as the water hits your skins, is ethnocentric, based on culture-bound Western ideas. They claim that America is a culture
2. Rewards from friendship act as a buffer during difficult challenges in life, helping to prevent negative states listening to the sound of the falling water, etc… When an preoccupied with the idea that positive emotions are obligatory for a ‘good life’, whereas
e.g. depression and anxiety. individual’s attention begins to wander, they should bring their negative emotions are generally considered something to be avoided. They point out that
3. Friendships are seen as a key ingredient to happiness. People feel happier when connecting with friends. attention back to these sensations. These practices can be collectivism as opposed to individualism is the dominant outlook in 70% of the world’s
incorporated into daily life to give us a break from normal population, and cultural context should not be overlooked when determining positive qualities
(NB – at A level you are required to apply the assumptions to a variety of behaviours e.g. stress, crime). thought processes. (complaining).
Possible Exam Questions:
 Describe two assumptions of the positive approach (8).
 Explain the biological assumption ‘authenticity of goodness and excellence’ (3).
 Describe the formation of relationships using one or more assumptions of the positive approach (6).
 Describe how the assumptions of the positive approach are applied in one therapy (6).
 Describe the main components (principles) of mindfulness (12).
 Evaluate mindfulness in terms of ethical issues (6).
 Evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness (6).
 Describe two strengths of the positive approach (6).
 Evaluate two weaknesses of the positive approach (8).
 ‘The positive approach is different to traditional psychological approaches in a number of ways’. With reference to this quote, discuss the strengths and
weaknesses of the positive approach compared to the other approaches you have studies (12).
 Compare and contrast the psychodynamic and positive approaches in psychology (10).