Course Syllabus

Positive Psychology

Semester & Location:	Fall 2020 - DIS Copenhagen
Type & Credits:	Core Course - 3 credits
Core Course Study Tours:	Ålborg, Skanderborg & Århus
Major Disciplines:	Psychology, Human Development, Education/Educational Studies
Faculty Members:	Eleftherios Saftis - eleftherios.saftis@dis.dk
Program Director:	Lars Rossen
Program Email Address:	psy.cns@dis.dk
Time & Place:	Mondays and Thursdays, 8:30 - 10.00 in V23-301

 

Description of Course

Positive psychology has arrived and has shown its strong intentions of staying as a major player in modern psychology.  It can be seen by the increasing number of courses that are offered in the field but also by the increasing number of publications. Even though psychology has offered us great insights with regards to the development of pathologies/disorders and their treatment, scholars/professionals’ have been arguing that working exclusively within a deficiency model impedes broader development in understanding the way in which individual, communities, and societies tend to flourish.  From Foucault’s (1973) work on the critical analysis of how today’s medical conceptual frameworks define and determine human thought onto Seligman and Csikszenthihalyi (2000) which argue that psychology has tended to view humans through one lens spectacles and paid almost exclusive attention to deficiencies and pathologies.  

Positive psychology, on the other hand, has allowed psychology to provide a new framework on how to conceptualize and understand the contributing factors of what makes individuals, communities and societies to flourish.  In a nutshell the aim of positive psychology is to study the other side of the coin and therefore address the full spectrum of human experience.

 The three pillars of positive psychology are: Positive individual traits, positive emotions and positive institutions. The course is designed to take students on an exploratory journey in examining these three pillars.  By using these three pillars as a the building blocks of a series of lectures students will become equipped with the necessary knowledge base and practical application skills to work effectively with individual, groups and societies using a positive psychology framework.  The course offers opportunities for students to achieve and demonstrate learning outcomes that are simultaneously evidence based and self-directed.  Students will acquire a depth of understanding and a critical awareness in positive psychology.  Most importantly each individual student should be able to develop their own unique standpoint with regards to the theory and its application across a wide range of settings.

Learning Objectives

In this Positive Psychology course we will focus on the way the field is approached in a variety of contexts in which it is applied.

 Regarding Theory and Research

1. Understand what positive psychology is and its philosophical underpinnings.

2. What constitutes happiness, well-being and living the “good life”

3. Methodologies and techniques applied in  work settings and how they relate to positive psychology practice. 

4. The application of positive psychology in organizations and communities.

5. Culture and Positive Psychology.

6. Critically analyze the field.

On completion of the course, students will have evidenced across a wide range of assessment opportunities:

1. A comprehensive knowledge base of positive psychology theories and their application in individual, organizational, and societal contexts.

2. Analyze and apply a range of skills for applying the underlying knowledge base to their day-to-day practice as potentially future practitioners.

3. An awareness on the diverse range of applications with regards to positive psychology and an ability to relate to these interventions with a cross cultural awareness. 

4. An increased level of self-reflection and an ability to analyze and critically debate the various theories explored in class.

 

Faculty

Eleftherios Saftis, MSc.

Terry has a MSc. in Health Psychology (2000) and a BSc. (Hons) in Psychology (1997) both from City University UK/London. He also has a certificate in psychotherapy and counseling and is in the process of qualifying as a psychoanalyst from the Centre for Freudian Analysis and Research. Terry has co-authored a number of journal articles on post-traumatic stress disorder, psychosis, and in the field of therapeutic communities. 

Before joining DIS Terry Saftis worked as the Clinical Director of Community Housing and Therapy, a leading UK charity running therapeutic community households for adults with mental health diagnoses. He has also managed two therapeutic community projects, one, being a project working with homeless veterans suffering from mental health difficulties and the other a project for individuals with a diagnosis of psychosis and personality disorder. He has also worked as a psychologist in the Greek Army. With DIS since 2015.

Email: eleftherios.saftis@dis.dk

 

Readings

Required Textbook (available at Book Pickup during Arrivals Week):

• Frankl, Victor E. (2006). Man’s Search for Meaning. Beacon Press

•  Boniwell, I., & Tunariu, D, A.  (2019). Positive Psychology. Theory, Research and Application (2nd edit). UK: McGraw Hill.

Required Articles and Other Media on Canvas:

• Bland, A., Derobertis, E. (2017) The Humanistic Perspective in Psychology. V. Zeigler-Hill, T. K. Shackelford (eds.), Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences,
• Bronwyn A. Hunter, A. Stephen Lanza,, Mike Lawlor, William Dyson,and Derrick M. Gordon (2016) "A Strengths-Based Approach to Prisoner Reentry: The Fresh Start Prisoner Reentry Program". Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol; 60(11): 1298–1314
• Bushe, G.R. (2011) Appreciative inquiry: Theory and critique. In Boje, D., Burnes, B. and Hassard, J. (eds.) The Routledge Companion To Organizational Change (pp. 87-103). Oxford, UK: Routledge
• Christopher, J., Richardson, F.C., Slife B. D., (2008) "Thinking through Positive Psychology", 2008 SAGE Publications. VOL. 18(5): 555–561
• David, S., Boniwell, I., Ayers, A., (2013) The Oxford Handbook of Happiness, Chapters 40, 41, 42, 50, 52, 54, 72.
• Dodge R, R., Daly, A., Huyton, J., & Sanders, L. (2012). The Challenge of defining wellbeing. International Journal of Wellbeing 2(3), Pp. 222-235.
• Deci, E., & Ryan, R. (2000) 'Self-Determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic Motivation, Social Development, and Well-Being' American Psychologist; 55:1, 68-78.
• Forgeard, M. J. C., Jayawickreme, E., Kern, M. & Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Doing the right thing: Measuring wellbeing for public policy. International Journal of Wellbeing, 1(1), 79-106
• Fredrickson, B (2004) 'The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions' The Royal Society. 359: 1367-77
• Held, B. (2004). The negative side of positive psychology. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 44 (1), pp. 9-46.
• Henderson, L. W & Knight, T, (2012) Integrating the hedonic and eudaimonic perspectives to more comprehensively understand well-being and pathways to wellbeing. International Journal of Wellbeing. 2 (3), 196-221. 
• Huta, V. (2013) 'Eudaimonia', in Boniwell, D. & Ayers, C (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Happiness. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 201-213.
• Joseph, S & Wood, A., (2010) Assessment of Positive Functioning in Clinical Psychology: Theoretical and Practical Issues, Clinical Psychology Review, 30, 830-838.
• Martin Seligman (2018): 'PERMA and the building blocks of well-being', The Journal of Positive Psychology, DOI: 10.1080/17439760.2018.1437466
• Mathew, W., Lopez, S. (2009). Positive expediencies and mental health: Identifying the unique contributions of hope and optimism. The Journal of Positive Psychology 4 (6), Pp. 548-556.
• Miller, A., (2008) "A Critique of Positive Psychology or ‘The New Science of Happiness", Journal of Philosophy of Education, Vol. 42, No. 3-4, 2008
• Nakamura, J., and Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2009). Flow Theory and Research in Snyder, C.R. & Lopez, S. (eds) Handbook of Positive Psychology. Pp. 195-206.
• Norem, J., & Chang, E., (2002) 'The Positive Psychology of Negative Thinking' Journal of Clinical Psychology; 58:9, pp. 993-1001.
• Rebecca A. Wilkinson &  Gioia Chilton., (2013) Positive Art Therapy: Linking Positive Psychology to Art Therapy Theory, Practice and Research,  Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 30(1) pp. 4–11.
• Sachs, JeffreyRestoring American Happiness - World Happiness Report
• Sahoo, F.M., Sahu R., (2009) "The Role of Flow Experience in Human Happiness", Journal of the Indian Acacdemy of Applied Psychology
• Schueller, S.M., Kashdan, T. B., & Parks, A.C., (2014). Synthesizing positive psychological interventions: Suggestions for conducting and interpreting meta-analyses. International Journal of Wellbeing, 4(1), Pp.  91-98.
• Seligman, M. & Csikszentmihaly. (2000) Positive Psychology an Introduction. American Psychologist, 55 (1), 5-14.
• Sin, N. L., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2009). Enhancing well-being and alleviating depressive symptoms with positive psychology interventions: A practice-friendly meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 65, 467–487. 
• Synder C., Lopez, S., Pedrotti, J. (2011). Positive Psychology. The Scientific and Practical Explorations of Human Strengths. Sage. Pp. 37-66, 175-192.
• Uchida, Y., & Ogihara, Y. (2012). Personal or interpersonal construal of happiness: A cultural psychological perspective. International Journal of Wellbeing, 2(4), 354-369.
• Vader Weel Tyler J,  Chen Y, Long K, Kim Eric S, Trudel-Fitzgeral C,  & Laura D. Kuzansky L (2020) 'Positive Epidemiology?' Epidemiology, Vol 31, 2 pg 189 - 193. 

 

Field Studies

Wellbeing in a Buddhist Context

• Kadampa meditation center - Copenhagen 

The Kadampa meditation center in Copenhagen is part of the international network of the Kadampa Buddhist Union.  The aim of the center if for it to provide an open, friendly and calm space in the city of Copenhagen where anyone can find greater inner peace, happiness and wellbeing. 

The teaching and meditation techniques they teach can be tracked back over 2,500 years, however teaching are presented within a modern societal context.

Address: Store Kongensgade 40H, st.tv
1264 Copenhagen K
(Entrance in Sankt Annæ Passage)

Study Tour: Well-being in Denmark 

• Theme: An exploration of the concept of well-being.

• Purpose: During Corse Course Week and our short study tour to Denmark, we will be considering Well-Being in Denmark. We will explore the various ways that people pursuit well-being in their lives and how the cultural make-up of the country affects overall well-being.

Timing:

1st of March - 5th March 

• Orientation: Activities during the Short Tour will be presented to you in the week before departure, and the Study Tour booklet with details of the trip will be posted to Canvas the week before departure. 

 

Guest Lecturers

 

Approach to Teaching

The class will be a mixture of lectures with PowerPoint presentations, group discussions and questions to reflect upon. A large component in this course is based on experiential learning, so students are expected to participate actively in-class exercises, reflection and discussions. Students are expected to take active responsibility towards their learning.  Students are expected to follow the following rules in order to promote the best possible learning environment for all:

• Any personal information revealed in this class is confidential. You may share ideas and experiences with people outside the class, but no information referring to personal identities should be revealed. Any violation of this confidentiality will be taken seriously.

• Students should be able to feel confident in presenting their differing viewpoints even if those are different to other class members. Differences should always be approached with respect and students to be able to think about these differences in a reflective manner in relation to their own life experiences and how each one digests and processes the different theoretical perspectives presented.

Expectations of the Students

In this course each and every one of us has the equal and unique responsibility to facilitate the most optimal learning outcomes. Students are expected to:

• complete all reading assignments prior to coming to class

• contribute to class discussions and group activities

• draw upon your interactions and observations from daily life, to the theory, research, and practices of Positive Psychology in class

• work independently and be active in group work

• write down reflections throughout the course

• be punctual and attend all classes; missing classes without a legitimate excuse will result in a lower final grade

• complete all positive psychology exercises

Evaluation

Students will be evaluated throughout the term by completing various group and individual assignments.  All students will be assigned their groups in the beginning of the term and will be required to complete all coursework in order to receive a pass grade.  Students that are able to produce work beyond the obvious and predictable will be awarded full marks for their efforts.  Students are also expected to contribute to class discussions and show active participation throughout the term in order to receive full marks for the course. 

Grading

Assignment	Percent
Participation & Engagement	10%
Study Tour Leadership	10%
Study tour paper	25%
Student presentation	10%
Chasing tracks of happiness	25%
Positive Psychology Video	20%

Participation and Engagement (10%)
Your attendance and active participation are essential in all aspects of this course including class sessions, study tour sessions, and course-related field studies, as well as activities in class discussions, teamwork and general contribution to the progress of the class. Attendance is mandatory

Study Tour Leadership (10%)

You will be agreeing with other students in a group that will be determined in class beforehand. This component consists of a variety of tasks including (for one or two visits) introducing yourself to the visit host, introducing the visit or presentation to the class, asking questions during the visit or presentation, and leading the class in a discussion immediately following the visit. Students will be marked throughout the study tours even if they are not leading the particular visit. All students are required to participate actively in group discussion throughout all study tour visits attended.

Chasing Tracks of Happiness (30%)

Students are required to carry out 2-3 short interviews of people they either have a relation to or someone they are able to approach in the Copenhagen area, discussing the questions that this paper seeks to answer: “What might be the reason that the Danes are ranked high in wellbeing measures consistently across different measures. More information is provided in the assignment sections in Canvas. 

Study Tour  (30%)

Students will be required to write an individual paper (5 -6 pages excluding cover page and references, 12 point font) with regards to the themes explored in the study tour in Denmark. More information is provided in the assignment sections in Canvas. 

Positive Psychology Video Assignment (20%)

This is a group video assignment.  Students are required to produce a short clip of how positive psychology can be used to help study abroad students while studying abroad during the pandemic.  The video should be based on theory and actual interventions that students can engage in.

Disability and Resource Statement  

Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Office of Academic Support (acadsupp@dis.dk) to coordinate this.  In order to receive accommodations, students should inform the instructor of approved DIS accommodations within the first two weeks of classes.

Policies

COVID-19

We all have a collective responsibility to avoid the spread of COVID-19 at DIS. If you are sick or have symptoms of COVID-19 (Dry cough, high temperature, breathing difficulties, sore throat, headache, muscle pain), please stay at home and inform your faculty that you won’t be in class or at a field study – this will count as an excused absence. Keep up with the work and join activities via distance learning, if you are able to and if it is an option in your class (check with your faculty). If you are too sick to do work, reach out to the care team at care@dis.dk for medical support and coordinate with your faculty to make up missed class time.

Attendance

You are expected to attend all classes, guest lectures, workshops and field studies. If you must miss a class for religious holidays, medical reasons, or other valid reasons, you must let us know as far in advance as possible of the absence and obtain information about the work you must do to keep up in class. If you miss a class for any other reason (sudden illness, family emergency, etc.), you should get in touch with us as soon as possible and arrange to make up the work missed.

Academic Honesty

Plagiarism and Violating the Rules of an Assignment

DIS expects that students abide by the highest standards of intellectual honesty in all academic work. DIS assumes that all students do their own work and credit all work or thought taken from others.   Academic dishonesty will result in a final course grade of “F” and can result in dismissal. The students’ home universities will be notified. DIS reserves the right to request that written student assignments be turned in electronic form for submission to plagiarism detection software.  See the Academic Handbook for more information, or ask your instructor if you have questions.

Policy on late papers:

Late papers will be accepted, but your grade for the paper will be reduced by half a letter point for each day that it is late.

Policy for Students Who Arrive Late to Class:

Arriving late in a regular manner will result in a lower final grade.

Please make sure to read the Academic RegulationsLinks to an external site. on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:

• Course Enrollment and GradingLinks to an external site.
• AttendanceLinks to an external site.
• Coursework, Exams, and Final Grade ReportsLinks to an external site.