Criticisms Leveled against Positive Psychology - Essay Sample

Introduction

As proposed by Martin Seligman in positive psychology is the study of positive emotions and mindsets such as happiness, optimism, fulfillment, and flow (Chapman, 2015). However, in the 19th century, Martin Seligman improved the notion of positive psychology, which incorporated science and profession emphasize for an enhanced understanding of what makes life meaningful and worth living (Shogren, Wehmeyer, & Singh, 2017). This purpose of this enhancement of positive psychology was to produce balance in conventional psychological overconcentration on the negative side of life. "Positive psychology aims to catalyze a change in the focus of psychology from preoccupation only with repairing the worst things in life to also building positive qualities." (Nakamura and Csikszentmihalyi, 2014) Nonetheless, the launching of positive psychology has had the challenges to realize the intended balance. Instead other psychologists who did not form part of positive psychologists have criticized it, on the ground that is has overemphasized on positive but the expense of other elements of psychology, hence leading to the categorization of other works of psychology as negative psychology, above all the team positive as used in positive psychology has ambiguity in it.

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However, its benefit has surpassed some of its critics, at least not in the context of immediate physical gratification; instead, it suggests that absorbing doings and engagements incorporating altruistic and selfless ones are central components to happiness, meaningful life, and it by the aid of these traditional virtues can be cultivated. The scientific grounds of its arguments rely on evolutionary psychology, which describes the ultimate motivations and values of an individual regarding wants that have transformed through natural selection and that explains the positive emotions felt by people as having changed to stimulate the actions, which deliberate adaptive advantage. It is a reference to practiced cognitive therapeutic approaches vindicates positive reasoning prescriptions. Above all, it seems to offer a scientifical solution for personal well-being in al liberal, utilitarian, materialistic age. Old beliefs rooted in common social structures, culture, and religion have emaciated) and it is to evolutionary science and psychology that humanity needs to depend on for the answers. For example, in a country such as Bhutan, where its government applies positive psychology through the incorporation of Gross national happiness as a way of helping itself to conserve the environment and sustaining its economy, much improvement has been witnessed, though many nations have declined this concept, UN has accepted it. Through this approach, the country has made advancement regarding environmental conservation and sustainability of the economy, hence improving the wellbeing of its citizen through increasing their happiness. However, due to the weakness facing this approach, Bhutan is one of the poorest countries in the world.

The most protruding criticism leveled against Positive psychology is that it over-focuses on positive qualities. While a well-balanced comprehension of human requirement needs acknowledgment and inclusion of negative attributes (Pawelski, 2016). Such, as those negative feeling and thought, are significant but they are essential, and experiences that arouse negative emotion such as suffering is required to be acknowledged in life, because of it during human beings most challenging times that goodness in life displays themselves in a most precise way. On the other hand, positive psychologists claim that Positive psychology is not the psychology of positive emotions as it is considered by oversimplifying criticisms (Fernandez-Rios & Vilarino, 2016). Positive psychology is the study of the situations and processes, which attribute to the flourishing or maximum functioning of individuals, groups, and institution. This movement was established by trying to regain neutral ground of psychological, since in which the majority of them at the moment of formation of this movement was focusing on mental illness. Studies in, social, development, and, personality psychology contributed to the imbalance in the field of psychology. For instance, studies there is numerous affection for assessing how couples and families resolve the conflict but very few studies investigating couples having fun and laughing together.

Second criticism arises from the conclusion that if there is positive psychology, then the rest of the psychological work is negative psychology and people need positive psychology because the rest of psychology offers an inadequate explanation. According to positive psychology, this claim is invalid because it treats psychology has neutral ground because a majority of the studies concentrate on negative topics, Seligman believes by studying a subject of special psychology help to address the complete spectrum of human experience. In addition, positive psychology asserts that positive issues of inquiry equally are imperative for people to comprehend their right, not merely as safeguards against the challenges, disorders, and, stressors of life, therefore, positive psychology "nothing more than the scientific study of ordinary human strengths and virtues," one that "revisits the average person" (Csikszentmihalyi, 2014)

Another criticism positive psychology experience originates from the definition of positive and the ambiguity in explanation of what is 'good'. This ambiguity has mostly affected study in the field of medicine, for instance when one says the leafy green and exercise are good for health. Similarly, individuals believe that results from positive psychology should be encouraging people to adopt 'good' practice. In other words, there is complexity and multidimensional in the usage of the term positive. Therefore, to reduce ambiguity positive psychology is conducting a study that recognizes this complex nature around it. A perfect example of search study that is unveiling the complexity is Norem's (2001) works on defensive cynicism. There is an enough and well-researched evidence that optimism is linked with good results (e.g., health and well-being) and pessimism is related with bad results (e.g., Taylor et al., 2000). This may lead to the prescription 'Think optimistically, and you will do better.'

Conclusion

In conclusion, one is left wondering where psychology goes for here. Therefore, the answer to that, rely upon work of Ryff (2003) that recommends for a correct map "the domain of optimal human functioning. Thus, the future mandate of positive psychology is to comprehend the aspects, which establish strengths, highlights the frameworks of flexibility, ascertain the responsibility of positive experiences, and, demarcate the purpose of positive relationships with others. Furthermore, positive psychology requires comprehending how all of these aspects contribute to the physical health, functional groups, subjective well-being, and, prosperous institution. Eventually, positive psychology needs evolving effective mediations to increase and sustain these processes.

Reference

Chapman, A. L. (2015). Review of The Handbook of emotion regulation.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2014). Toward a psychology of optimal experience. In Flow and the foundations of positive psychology (pp. 209-226). Springer, Dordrecht.

Fernandez-Rios, L., & Vilarino, M. (2016). MYTHS OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY&58; DECEPTIVE MANOEUVRES AND PSEUDOSCIENCE. Papeles del Psicologo, 37(2), 134-142.

Nakamura, J., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2014). The motivational sources of creativity as viewed from the paradigm of positive psychology. In The Systems Model of Creativity (pp. 195-206). Springer, Dordrecht

Pawelski, J. O. (2016). Defining the 'positive'in positive psychology: Part II. A normative analysis. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 11(4), 357-365.

Shogren, K. A., Wehmeyer, M. L., & Singh, N. N. (2017). Introduction to positive psychology. In Handbook of Positive Psychology in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (pp. 3-11). Springer, Cham.