Course Syllabus

Happiness Lab: Positive Psychology

Semester & Location:	Spring 2024, DIS Copenhagen
Type & Credits:	Elective Course - 3 credits
Major Disciplines:	Human Development, Psychology
Prerequisite:	A psychology course at university level.
Corequisite:	Positive Psychology
Faculty Members:	Katharina Zwielich  (current students please contact via the Canvas Inbox)
Program Contact:	Department email address psy.cns@dis.dk
Time & Place:	Thursdays 13:15 - 16:10 Classroom: S12-02

Description of Course

In this experiential lab, you will work together with other students carrying out experiential activities to investigate how the application of key theories and concepts within the field of positive psychology may affect a person’s psychological, emotional, behavioral, cognitive style, or responses. Implications for groups and organizations may also be considered. Topics could include positive emotions, flow, relationships, meaning, post-traumatic growth, accomplishment, individual strengths, goal setting, creativity, and altruism.  Class work consists of experiential activities based on integrating theory with hands on application, reflective experience, presentations, and discussion.

The aim of this experiential lab is to explore and understand how we can enhance performance and facilitate psychological well-being by putting positive psychology theories and concepts into action. The focus is on the application of positive psychology in a systematic manner, i.e., exploring and testing how to foster the factors that allow and support individual and community flourishing whilst taking important contextual factors and individual characteristics such as social support, culture, motivation, and age into consideration.  Students (with the help of the faculty) will collaborate in designing and engaging in the application of diverse positive psychology interventions:

• Students will use in class activities to explore interventions for either individuals or groups
• Students may use the broader context outside of the classroom for hands on activities
• Emphasis will be on creation, reflection, exploring, discussion and critical evaluation of interventions

 

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Design interventions to improve well-being, learning, and performance at different levels and in different contexts
• Identify how some of the variables outlined by theoretical stances within the field of positive psychology may affect a person or group’s emotional, behavioral, cognitive style and responses
• Create and evaluate ways in which individuals in diverse settings such as business, schools and universities, and community organizations can make use of theory and research evidence to facilitate human flourishing
• Lead positive change in a strategic and systematic fashion

Happiness is both personal and social. During the first part of the course we will mainly explore some of the personal foundations of happiness and then, for the second part of the course, we will concentrate on important social foundations of happiness.

Example of Course themes:

• Positive individual traits
• Positive experiences
• Positive institutions and environments

 

Faculty

Katharina Zwielich

Mag. rer. nat. Psychology, MSc Sustainable Development. Katharina Zwielich is a trained psychologist and psychotherapist. She specialises in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in private practice since 2019. With DIS since 2022.

Contact information for current students

Readings

Textbooks:

• Proctor, C. (ed).Positive Psychology Interventions in Practice. Springer, 2017
• Kotter, J. P. (2012). Leading Change. Harvard Business Review Press
• Thin, Neil (2012). Social Happiness. Theory Into policy and practice.  The Policy Press. 2012
• Lyubomirsky, S. (2011). The How of Happiness. A Practical Guide to Getting the Life You Want. Piatkus, 2011

Articles and texts:

• Anderson, J. et al. (2016). Lively Social Space, Well-Being Activity, and Urban Design: Findings from a Low-Cost Community-Led Public Space Intervention. Environment and Behavior
• Arampatzi, E. et al. (2016). Social Network Sites, Individual Social Capital and Happiness. Journal of Happiness Studies. 
• Biswas-Diener. R. et al. (2011). Positive Psychology as a Force for Social Change?  In: Sheldon, K.M., Kashdan, T.B. & Steger, M.F. (Eds.) Designing Positive Psychology: Taking Stock and Moving Forward', Oxford University Press, New York, 2011, ISBN 978-0-19-537358-5, Chapter 26 pp. 410-418
• Bryant, F.B. and Veroff, J. (2007). Savoring. A New Model of Positive Experience. pp. 25-44, 53-85 
• Hofmann, S.G., Grossman, P., Hinton, D.E. (2011). Loving-Kindness and Compassion Meditation: Potential for Psychological Interventions. Clinical Psychology Review. 31(7), 1126-1132.
• Hout, Jeff J.J. et al (2016). The Application of Team Flow Theory. In Harmat, L. et al. (Eds.). Flow Experience: Empirical Research and Applications. Pp 233-247
• Kasser, T.,et al. (2014). Changes in materialism, changes in psychological well-being: Evidence from three longitudinal studies and an intervention experiment. Motivation and Emotion, 38, 1-22
• Piff, P. K., et al. (2015). Awe, the small self, and prosocial behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108(6), 883-899.
• Isen, A.M. et al. (1987). Positive Affect Facilitates Creative Problem Solving. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology Vol. 52. No. 6, 1122-1131
• Jacobs Bao K., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2012). The rewards of happiness. In I. Boniwell & S. David (Eds.), Oxford handbook of happiness (pp. 119-133). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Context: Past, Present, and Future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144-156
• Kushlev, K., et al. (2017). ENHANCE: Design and rationale of a randomized controlled trial for promoting enduring happiness and well-being. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 52, 62–74.
• Layous, K., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2014). The how, why, what, when, and who of happiness: Mechanisms underlying the success of positive interventions. In J. Gruber & J. Moscowitz (Eds.), Positive emotion: Integrating the light sides and dark sides (pp. 473-495). New York: Oxford University Press
• Layous, K., Nelson, S. K., Kurtz, J., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2017). What triggers prosocial effort? A positive feedback loop between positive activities, kindness, and well-being. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 12, 385-398
• Niemiec, R.M. et al. (2012). Strong mindfulness. Integrating mindfulness and character strengths. Journal of Mental Health Counseling. 34(3). pp. 240-253
• Veenhoven, Ruut (2011). Greater happiness for a greater number: Is that possible? If so, how? In: Sheldon, K.M., Kashdan, T.B. & Steger, M.F. (Eds.) Designing Positive Psychology: Taking Stock and Moving Forward', Oxford University Press, New York, 2011, ISBN 978-0-19-537358-5, Chapter 26 pp. 396-409
• Werner, K. M., et al. (2016). Some goals just feel easier: Self-concordance leads to goal progress through subjective ease, not effort. Personality and Individual Differences, 96, 237-242
• Additional selected, peer reviewed articles will be uploaded on Canvas

Field Studies

Field studies and the use of the broader context outside of the classroom for hands on activities are integrated elements of the Happiness Lab. 

 

Approach to Teaching

Class work will consist of an integration of theory with application.  Focus will be on direct participation in developing, exploring, and applying interventions. The class will consist of primarily team-based activities including presentations and reflective discussion. Emphasis will be on active, creative engagement as well as critical evaluation of the application of positive psychology methods.

 In addition, each week has a specific topic in relation to theory and research that we will explore and discuss. You will participate in the class discussion and experiential learning activities as a well informed and prepared participant. A central part of your preparation is that you create and post a comment and a question based on the assigned readings, which you would like to discuss in class. Your comments and the discussion question must be up on Canvas no later than 11:59am on Wednesdays. Your comments and questions count toward participation.

 

Expectations of the Students

Class attendance is mandatory. Students are expected to have done the readings for each class and to come prepared to engage with the other students and the instructor.  It is also expected that students hand in their assignments on time and that they contribute significantly to group activities.

 

Evaluation & Grading

Evaluation will be based on active participation in the class and showing personal investment in activities, team work, and during presentations. Critical academic reflection is highly valued in your written work as well as in class, where there in addition to the experiential learning activities will be a number of open reflective questions, group work assignments and short presentations.

Assignment	Evaluation	Percent
Participation and attendance	Individual	30%
Discussion paper	Individual	20%
Change Project, part 1: Create a practical application and develop an implementation plan	Group	25%
Change Project, part 2: Final Presentation / Product demonstration	Group	25%

 

 

Attendance and active participation (20%):

Students will proactively demonstrate the integration of theory and research with application through discussions, presentations, and hands on activities, both in class and outside of the classroom.

Since class participation is a major component of the course, you will need to be active, present, and participating to receive full credit. Class participation is to be understood as:

• asking relevant questions that show understanding of the material
• being prepared for class and being ready to answer questions when asked
• engage constructively in teams and group work
• discussing implications as regards practical application and/or future research considerations
• contributing to class activities such as presentations, reflections, and experiential learning activities

Please be aware, that the comments and the discussion question you create based on the assigned readings for class must be up on Canvas no later than 11:59 am on Wednesdays.

 

Discussion paper (four pages. 1 1/2 spaced and excluding cover & reference page) (20%)

This paper addresses the creation of positive change as it relates to theory, research findings, and critical considerations.

Considering the mission of positive psychology: “to understand and foster the factors that allow individuals, communities, and societies to flourish” (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000), the assignment is to respond to and discuss the following questions:

• What are positive psychology interventions (PPIs)? Please explain.
• Why do we need PPIs? Please discuss and argue using theory and research.
• What is flourishing, and what are the benefits at (1) the individual level, (2) the community level, and (3) the societal level? Please explain and discuss using theory and research.
• Discuss and elaborate on how to foster the factors that allow and support individual and community flourishing whilst taking important contextual factors and individual characteristics such as social support, culture, motivation, and age into consideration.

Please remember to cite all your sources in your text and to make sure to support all statements and claims by academic references.

 

Change Project:

Throughout the course students will be working in teams (3-4 students) on creating a change project consisting of two parts:

Part 1: Create a practical application and develop an implementation plan (25%):

In the beginning of the course, the team will identify a specific challenge or burning issue of our time to work with. The group is free to choose their case, that can address either the individual micro-level, the meso-level of institutions and organizations, or the macro-level; i.e. the livability of society. The aim is to create a  vision of change, develop a positive psychology intervention, and a plan for achieving the vision goal.

As change-makers and promoters of happiness and well-being, the team’s first step will be to identify a relevant challenge or burning issue of our time, then systematically use Kotter’s 8-Step Process for Leading Change model to devise a strategy that will include how to create, facilitate, and plan positive change.

A central part of the project part 1 is that the team create an intervention, a product, in the form of a creative, practical, and evidence based application of positive theories and concepts. Examples could be: developing an app, constructing a model of a flourishing built environment, designing a workshop, developing a game, or suggesting a policy plan. Part 2 of the project consists of a presentation of the intervention and the product:

(More specific instructions will be uploaded on Canvas)

Part 2: Final presentation (25%):

By the product presentation the team will introduce and argue for their intervention.

Through the project presentations, students will demonstrate understanding of key characteristics, limitations, research findings, and future considerations pertaining to the application of positive psychology.

(More specific instructions will be uploaded on Canvas)

 

To be eligible for a passing grade in this class all of the assigned work must be completed.

In addition to the academic content of the written assignment(s), focus will also be placed on the structure, use of appropriate academic language, and writing skills.

 

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.

 

Academic Regulations  

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on: 

• Course Enrollment and Grading  
• Academic Expectations and Honor Code 

Class room policies

Late papers will not be accepted and the use of laptops or phones in class is not allowed.