MSC POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2024-2025
SUMMARY
INTRO TO THEORIES
IN POSITIVE PSCYHOLOGY
RESEARCH PAPERS
TAUGHT BY ATHANASIOS CHASIOTIS
JOLIEN B
TILBURG UNIVERSITY
,Table of Contents
PAPER – L1 - INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................3
THEORETICAL PAPER SUMMARY: "POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY: AN INTRODUCTION"........................................3
PAPERS – L2 – PLEASURE AND POSITIVE MOTIONS........................................................................4
FOUNDATIONAL WEB ARTICLE: “MISUNDERRSTANDING POSITIVE EMOTIONS”..............................................4
FOUNDATIONAL ARTICLE: ROBUST, REPLICABLE, AND THEORETICALLY-GROUNDED: A RESPONSE TO
BROWN AND COYNE’S (2017) COMMENTARY ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMODIVERSITY AND
HEALTH"..........................................................................................................................................................5
TARGET ARTICLE: "THE BENEFITS OF FREQUENT POSITIVE AFFECT: DOES HAPPINESS LEAD TO SUCCESS?"
.........................................................................................................................................................................6
PAPERS – L3 – FLOW...................................................................................................................................7
FOUNDATIONAL BOOK CHAPTER: FLOW: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE...............................7
TARGET ARTICLE: "SEEKING FLOW IN THE ACHIEVEMENT DOMAIN: THE ACHIEVEMENT FLOW MOTIVE
BEHIND FLOW EXPERIENCE"...........................................................................................................................9
PAPERS – L4 – HAPPINESS.......................................................................................................................10
FOUNDATIONAL ARTICLE: "PERSONALITY, CULTURE, AND SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING: EMOTIONAL AND
COGNITIVE EVALUATIONS OF LIFE"..............................................................................................................10
TARGET ARTICLE: "HAPPINESS, INCOME SATIATION, AND TURNING POINTS AROUND THE WORLD"..........11
TARGET ARTICLE: "WILL MATERIALISM LEAD TO HAPPINESS? A LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS OF THE
MEDIATING ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS SATISFACTION"...................................................................12
PAPERS - L5 - OPTIMISM..........................................................................................................................14
FOUNDATIONAL ARTICLE: "DISPOSITIONAL OPTIMISM"................................................................................14
TARGET ARTICLE: "DISPOSITIONAL OPTIMISM AND PERCEIVED RISK INTERACT TO PREDICT INTENTIONS
TO LEARN GENOME SEQUENCING RESULTS"................................................................................................15
PAPERS - L6 - MINDSETS..........................................................................................................................16
FOUNDATIONAL ARTICLE: "THE ORIGINS OF CHILDREN'S GROWTH AND FIXED MINDSETS: NEW RESEARCH
AND A NEW PROPOSAL"................................................................................................................................16
TARGET ARTICLE: "DEFENSIVENESS VERSUS REMEDIATION: SELF-THEORIES AND MODES OF SELF-ESTEEM
MAINTENANCE".............................................................................................................................................17
PAPERS - L7 – SDT & IMPLICIT MOTIVATION..................................................................................19
FOUNDATIONAL ARTICLE: "SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY AND THE FACILITATION OF INTRINSIC
MOTIVATION, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, AND WELL-BEING".........................................................................19
TARGET ARTICLE: "WHEN DOES SELF-REPORTED PROSOCIAL MOTIVATION PREDICT HELPING? THE
MODERATING ROLE OF IMPLICIT PROSOCIAL MOTIVATION".......................................................................20
PAPERS - L8 – IMPLICIT (PROSOCIAL) MOTIVATION....................................................................21
FOUNDATIONAL ARTICLE: "IMPLICIT MOTIVES AND BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS"................................21
TARGET ARTICLE: "THE ACHIEVEMENT FLOW MOTIVE AS AN ELEMENT OF THE AUTOTELIC PERSONALITY:
PREDICTING EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT IN THREE CULTURES"................................................................22
PAPERS - L9 – VALUES..............................................................................................................................24
FOUNDATIONAL ARTICLE: "AN OVERVIEW OF THE SCHWARTZ THEORY OF BASIC VALUES"......................24
TARGET ARTICLE: "SELF-AFFIRMATION IMPROVES PROBLEM-SOLVING UNDER STRESS"............................25
TARGET ARTICLE "SELF-AFFIRMATION BREAKS THE LINK BETWEEN THE BEHAVIORAL INHIBITION
SYSTEM AND THE THREAT-POTENTIATED STARTLE RESPONSE"..................................................................26
PAPERS - L10 – AUTHENTICITY.............................................................................................................27
1
, FOUNDATIONAL CHAPTER: AUTHENTHICITY (SUSAN HARTER).....................................................................27
FOUNDATIONAL ARTICLE: "HOW DOES ‘BEING REAL’ FEEL? THE EXPERIENCE OF STATE AUTHENTICITY"
.......................................................................................................................................................................29
TARGET ARTICLE: "AUTHENTICITY AND INAUTHENTICITY IN NARRATIVE IDENTITY".................................30
PAPERS - L11 - MEANING AND PURPOSE............................................................................................31
FOUNDATIONAL ARTICLE: "PURSUIT OF PLEASURE, ENGAGEMENT, AND MEANING: RELATIONSHIPS TO
SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE MEASURES OF WELL-BEING".........................................................................31
FOUNDATIONAL PAPER: "UNPACKING GRIT: MOTIVATIONAL CORRELATES OF PERSEVERANCE AND
PASSION FOR LONG-TERM GOALS"...............................................................................................................32
TARGET ARTICLE "GRIT AND DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF WELL-BEING: DIRECT AND INDIRECT
RELATIONSHIPS VIA SENSE OF COHERENCE AND AUTHENTICITY"...............................................................33
PAPERS - L12 – TRUST...............................................................................................................................35
FOUDATIONAL ARTICLE: "THE NORM OF SELF-INTEREST"...........................................................................35
FOUNDATIONAL ARTICLE: "THE TYRANNY OF FREEDOM"............................................................................36
TARGET ARTICLE "TRUST AT ZERO ACQUAINTANCE: MORE A MATTER OF RESPECT THAN EXPECTATION
OF REWARD".................................................................................................................................................37
PAPERS - L13 – LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS.....................................................................................38
FOUNDATIONAL ARTICLE: "DAILY MARITAL INTERACTIONS AND POSITIVE AFFECT DURING MARITAL
CONFLICT AMONG NEWLYWED COUPLES"...................................................................................................38
FOUNDATIONAL ARTICLE "MINDING THE CLOSE RELATIONSHIP"................................................................39
TARGET ARTICLE: "WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THINGS GO RIGHT? THE INTRAPERSONAL AND
INTERPERSONAL BENEFITS OF SHARING POSITIVE EVENTS"........................................................................40
Below you’ll find a comprehensive summary analysis of each paper or chapter discussed in the course.
2
,PAPER – L1 - INTRODUCTION
THEORETICAL PAPER SUMMARY: "POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY: AN INTRODUCTION"
Authors
Seligman, M. E. P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000)
Key Themes and Purpose
The paper sets out to redefine psychology's mission, advocating for a shift away from the traditional
focus on pathology and illness to a more balanced perspective that includes understanding and
promoting the positive aspects of human experience.
Positive Psychology is introduced as a new branch of psychology focused on enhancing well-being,
fostering strengths, and building supportive institutions. The goal is to provide a scientific framework
for studying positive human functioning across multiple levels: individual, community, and societal.
Core Components of Positive Psychology
Positive Subjective Experiences: This includes well-being, contentment, and happiness. The authors
argue that studying positive emotions such as joy, gratitude, and hope can reveal how they contribute
to life satisfaction and overall psychological health.
Positive Individual Traits: Includes strengths and virtues such as perseverance, resilience, wisdom,
and interpersonal skills. These traits are seen as key resources that enable individuals to overcome
adversity and achieve personal growth.
Positive Institutions: This component focuses on building strong and supportive social systems,
including families, schools, and communities, which can nurture positive traits and foster well-being
on a larger scale.
Theoretical Framework
The paper positions positive psychology as a complement to traditional psychology, emphasizing
prevention and promotion of mental health rather than just remediation.
Proposes a focus on cultivating strengths (e.g., optimism, creativity) to buffer against psychological
issues and enhance quality of life.
Suggests that positive emotions and traits can be studied scientifically and applied in various real-
world settings such as education, healthcare, and workplace environments.
Key Arguments
1. Neglect of Positive Aspects in Psychology: Historically, psychology has focused on mental illness
and problem-solving, overshadowing the study of positive human functioning.
2. Balancing Repair and Enhancement: The authors call for a balanced approach that addresses both
what is wrong and what is right with people. Positive psychology should identify and nurture what
makes life worth living.
3. Scientific Study of Human Strengths: Positive psychology should develop reliable measures and
interventions to study and promote positive traits, experiences, and institutions, similar to how
clinical psychology addresses dysfunction.
Practical Implications
Positive psychology can be used to design interventions that promote resilience and well-being, such
as strength-based therapies, positive education programs, and workplace well-being initiatives.
Encourages psychologists to shift from a sole focus on disease models to include strategies that build
life satisfaction and human flourishing.
Future Directions
3
, Calls for empirical research to validate the concepts and proposed frameworks, develop assessment
tools, and create practical applications.
Emphasizes the importance of cross-cultural studies to understand how positive traits and
experiences manifest in diverse contexts.
Takeaway Message
The paper marks the birth of positive psychology as a scientific field, aiming to balance the focus on
psychological deficits with a systematic study of human strengths and flourishing. It provides a foundational
framework for understanding how positive experiences, traits, and social institutions contribute to optimal
human functioning.
PAPERS – L2 – PLEASURE AND POSITIVE MOTIONS
FOUNDATIONAL WEB ARTICLE: “MISUNDERRSTANDING POSITIVE EMOTIONS”
Key Themes and Purpose
The article by June Gruber explores the often misunderstood nature of positive emotions, highlighting that
they are not universally beneficial. While positive emotions like joy, pride, and enthusiasm are generally
associated with improved mental health and better life outcomes, they can also lead to maladaptive
behaviors if experienced in excess or in inappropriate contexts. Gruber aims to broaden our understanding of
positive emotions and challenge the notion that they are always advantageous.
Central Argument
Positive emotions have been traditionally regarded as inherently good, leading to a focus on their benefits in
research and clinical settings. This perspective is limited because it overlooks the potential downsides of
positive emotions, such as increased risk-taking, poor emotion regulation, and their role in certain
psychiatric disorders. Understanding when and why positive emotions become maladaptive is critical for
refining mental health interventions and treatment approaches.
Two Main Reasons to Study Positive Emotions in Mental Health
1. Practical Reason:
Positive emotions, when misunderstood or poorly managed, can contribute to severe mental health
conditions, such as bipolar disorder. Disorders involving excessive positive emotions place a significant
burden on society, impacting productivity and leading to high healthcare costs. Thus, understanding their
role in psychopathology is essential for public health and clinical applications.
2. Theoretical Reason:
Traditional models of psychopathology have focused on negative emotions, leaving a gap in understanding
how positive emotions contribute to mental health and dysfunction. Addressing this gap can provide insights
into fundamental psychological mechanisms and lead to a more balanced understanding of emotional
functioning.
Misconceptions About Positive Emotions
Positive emotions are often viewed as universally adaptive and desirable. However, Gruber argues that the
adaptiveness of any emotion depends on context. For example, heightened positive emotions can lead to
poor decision-making, risk-taking behaviors, and even negative health outcomes (e.g., substance abuse,
pathological gambling).
Contexts Where Positive Emotions Become Maladaptive
Intensity and Duration: High levels of positive emotions that persist for extended periods can impair
judgment and increase impulsivity.
Inappropriate Situations: Experiencing excessive joy or excitement in the context of loss or threat can
exacerbate mental health issues, such as triggering manic episodes in individuals with bipolar
disorder.
4
,Empirical Evidence
Studies have shown that individuals who experience elevated positive emotions are more likely to engage in
risky behaviors and have difficulties recognizing others' negative emotions. Positive emotions can lower
empathy, making it harder to connect with others in times of distress.
Implications for Psychopathology
The role of positive emotions in psychopathology is complex. For example, individuals with bipolar disorder
often report feeling euphoric during manic episodes, yet this euphoria is associated with negative outcomes,
including impaired relationships and financial instability. Addressing these nuances in treatment is essential
to prevent relapse and manage the disorder effectively.
Recommendations for Clinical Practice
Gruber suggests that clinicians should focus not only on promoting positive emotions but also on regulating
their intensity and context. She recommends interventions that promote emotional diversity—the balanced
experience of a wide range of emotions—as a healthier approach than solely enhancing positive emotions.
Future Directions
1. Context-Sensitivity: Researchers should study how positive emotions operate in different contexts
and their interaction with personality traits, life circumstances, and cultural factors.
2. Broadening the Scope: There is a need to integrate findings on positive emotions into broader
theories of emotion regulation and mental health.
Takeaway Message
The article challenges the conventional wisdom that positive emotions are universally beneficial. It argues
for a nuanced understanding of when and how positive emotions support well-being and when they may
contribute to maladaptive outcomes. This perspective has profound implications for both research and
clinical practice in the field of mental health.
FOUNDATIONAL ARTICLE: ROBUST, REPLICABLE, AND THEORETICALLY-GROUNDED: A
RESPONSE TO BROWN AND COYNE’S (2017) COMMENTARY ON THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN EMODIVERSITY AND HEALTH"
APA Reference
Quoidbach, J., Mikolajczak, M., Gruber, J., Kotsou, I., Kogan, A., & Norton, M. I. (2018). Robust,
replicable, and theoretically-grounded: A response to Brown and Coyne’s (2017) commentary on the
relationship between emodiversity and health. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 147(3), 451-
458. doi: [10.1037/xge0000400](https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000400).
Background Information
This paper is a response to a critique by Brown and Coyne (2017) on the original research that introduced
the concept of emodiversity, which quantifies the variety and evenness of emotional experiences using
Shannon’s entropy index. Emodiversity was previously found to predict better mental and physical health
outcomes independently of mean emotion levels.
Gap in the Literature
Prior research has focused on mean levels of emotional experience, but few studies have considered the
diversity of emotions and their independent contributions to health. This study defends the validity and
robustness of emodiversity as a predictor of health.
Methods
Participant Sample: Theoretical response with replication studies referenced.
Exclusion Criteria: None applicable, as this is a review.
5
, Study Design: Theoretical discussion and response to critique.
Measures Used:
o Utilized Shannon’s entropy index to quantify emodiversity in previous studies.
o Constructs Measured: Richness (number of distinct emotions experienced) and evenness
(distribution of these emotions).
Statistical Analysis
Conducted additional replications and sensitivity analyses to test the robustness of emodiversity findings.
Results
Replicability: Emodiversity consistently predicted lower depression and better health outcomes even
when accounting for Brown and Coyne’s methodological concerns.
Validity of Shannon’s Index: Defended the use of Shannon’s entropy in psychology and
demonstrated that alternative measures yielded similar results.
Clarification: Addressed the limitations of using limited Likert scales but showed that the metric
remains meaningful.
Discussion Points
Conclusion: Emodiversity is a valid and reliable predictor of health, providing insights beyond mean
emotion levels.
Limitations: Further research is needed to refine the emodiversity index, especially in terms of
measuring evenness.
Strengths: Offers a comprehensive response that strengthens the theoretical basis for emodiversity
research.
Relevance of the Research: Supports the inclusion of emotional complexity metrics in psychological
assessments.
Recommendations for Future Research: Develop more nuanced measures of emotional complexity
and test across diverse populations.
Conclusion
The study provides a robust defense of emodiversity, demonstrating that it is a valid and reliable predictor of
health outcomes. It emphasizes the importance of considering emotional diversity, not just intensity, in
understanding well-being.
Notable Aspects
Strong emphasis on replicability and robustness in response to critiques.
TARGET ARTICLE: "THE BENEFITS OF FREQUENT POSITIVE AFFECT: DOES HAPPINESS
LEAD TO SUCCESS?"
APA Reference
Lyubomirsky, S., King, L., & Diener, E. (2005). The benefits of frequent positive affect: Does happiness
lead to success? Psychological Bulletin, 131(6), 803-855. doi:
[10.1037/0033-2909.131.6.803](https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.131.6.803).
Background Information
This paper reviews the extensive research linking happiness and positive affect to success in various life
domains, including relationships, work, and health. It proposes a conceptual model suggesting that
happiness not only results from success but is a precursor to it.
Gap in the Literature
Traditional research assumes that success leads to happiness, but this review provides evidence for the
reverse causal pathway, arguing that happiness promotes success.
6
, Methods
Participant Sample: Meta-analytic review including 225 papers with 293 independent samples and
over 275,000 participants.
Exclusion Criteria: Studies were excluded if they did not report necessary effect sizes.
Study Design: Comprehensive meta-analysis of cross-sectional, longitudinal, and experimental
studies.
Measures Used:
Happiness: Subjective Well-Being (SWB), Positive Affect (PA), life satisfaction measures.
Success Outcomes: Marriage, income, work performance, health, and social relationships.
Statistical Analysis
Combined effect sizes using meta-analytic techniques to estimate the strength and direction of the
happiness-success relationship.
Results
Happiness Predicts Success: Happiness was a strong predictor of success across multiple domains.
Positive Affect and Resource Building: Positive emotions enhance goal pursuit, resource building,
and stress coping, which in turn lead to successful outcomes.
Temporal Sequence: Longitudinal studies showed that happiness precedes success rather than simply
resulting from it.
Discussion Points
• Conclusion: Happiness is not just an outcome of success; it is also a crucial driver of success in life.
Positive affect promotes behaviors and cognitions that contribute to long-term success.
• Limitations: Potential for reverse causality and confounding factors.
• Strengths: Comprehensive meta-analysis and theoretical integration of diverse findings.
• Relevance of the Research: Shifts the paradigm from "success leads to happiness" to "happiness
leads to success."
• Recommendations for Future Research: Long-term intervention studies to test causal pathways and
underlying mechanisms.
Conclusion
The study challenges traditional views on the happiness-success relationship by demonstrating that
happiness is not merely an effect of success but a significant cause. Positive emotions foster behaviors that
contribute to success in various life domains.
Notable Aspects
Provides a paradigm shift in understanding the role of happiness in success.
PAPERS – L3 – FLOW
FOUNDATIONAL BOOK CHAPTER: FLOW: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE
Author
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990)
Key Themes and Purpose
The book introduces the concept of flow, defined as a state of complete immersion in an activity where a
person feels fully absorbed, loses track of time, and experiences a sense of control and deep enjoyment.
Csikszentmihalyi explores how flow is a central component of human motivation and well-being, suggesting
that it is essential for achieving a sense of fulfillment and optimal experience in life. The purpose is to
outline the conditions that foster flow and how individuals can cultivate it in various life domains.
7
