Positive Psychology and Character Strengths: Application to Strengths-Based School Counseling

2008 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 2156759X0801200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nansook Park ◽  
Christopher Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Positive Psychology ◽  
School Counseling ◽  
School Counselors ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Character Strengths ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
Basic Premise ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Positive Traits

The basic premise of positive psychology is that the happiness and fulfillment of children and youth entail more than the identification and treatment of their problems. This article provides an overview of positive psychology and the Values in Action (VIA) project that classifies and measures 24 widely recognized character strengths. Good character is multidimensional, made up of a family of positive traits manifest in an individual's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Recent research findings are presented concerning the correlates and the consequences of the VIA character strengths for positive youth development. Character strengths are related to achievement, life satisfaction, and well-being of children and youth. Further, the implications and specific techniques informed by positive psychology are discussed for school counselors in the context of a strengths-based approach.

Introduction to the Special Issue: Males of Color and School Counseling

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1_part_4) ◽  
pp. 2156759X2110400
Author(s):  
James L. Moore ◽  
Erik M. Hines ◽  
Paul C. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
School Counseling ◽  
School Counselors ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Rural Settings ◽  
The Social

The sense of urgency for addressing the concerns of males of color cannot be overstated. The reality of racial discrimination and trauma is present for males of color in urban, suburban, and rural settings and regardless of their socioeconomic status. Such oppressive conditions in education, criminal justice, health, and employment, for example, wreak havoc on their overall well-being and advancement in society. Until the systems constraining the progress of males of color are addressed through substantive policy and practice, the social, economic, and educational struggles will persist. This special issue presents 19 theoretical, qualitative, and quantitative articles focusing specifically on the experiences of males of color in educational settings and the importance of school counselors in helping them to thrive.

Promoting Multicultural Personality Development: A Strengths-Based, Positive Psychology Worldview for Schools

2008 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 2156759X0801200
Author(s):  
Joseph G. Ponterotto ◽  
David E. Mendelowitz ◽  
Ernest A. Collabolletta
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
School Counseling ◽  
School Counselors ◽  
Culturally Diverse ◽  
Personality Development ◽  
The United States ◽  
Multicultural Personality ◽  
Personality Research

This article extends the relevance of multicultural development to the Strengths-Based School Counseling (SBSC; Galassi & Akos, 2007) perspective. A relatively new construct for school counselors, the “multicultural personality” (MP), is introduced and defined. The MP is conceptualized as a cluster of narrow personality traits that can be subsumed under broader models of personality. Research has found that MP development is correlated with coping, adapting, and thriving in increasingly culturally diverse environments such as the United States. Suggestions for integrating MP development across the guiding principles of SBSC are presented.

scholarly journals Towards a Strengths-Based Personal Informatics Framework for Transformative Tourism Experiences: A Phenomenological Study on Serious Leisure Practitioners

2022 ◽  
pp. 331-342
Author(s):  
C. K. Bruce Wan ◽  
Cees J. P. M. de Bont ◽  
Paul Hekkert ◽  
Kenny K. N. Chow
Keyword(s):  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Character Strengths ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Serious Leisure ◽  
Personal Informatics ◽  
Integral Role ◽  
Development Trajectories

AbstractPersonal technology plays an integral role in shaping people’s quality of life which includes leisure and tourism experiences. A number of personal informatics tools can support people in performing their activities by collecting biometric and environmental data; however, little is known regarding the use of psychological data to enrich leisure and tourism experiences. To address this research gap, this study aims to propose a conceptual framework that fosters memorable and meaningful leisure experiences (MMEs) based on theories from serious leisure and positive psychology. In particular, this study probes into the MMEs of serious leisure practitioners who put their efforts and resources into pursuing intrinsically rewarding leisure activities. Excelling at these activities, which may draw upon participants’ character strengths, yields sustained fulfillment which fosters personal transformation. The idiosyncratic nature of MMEs demands a phenomenological inquiry that involves in-depth interviews concerning the character strengths used and their development trajectories. Using theory triangulation from both positive psychology and serious leisure allows researchers to gain a holistic view of participants’ well-being. Character strengths were found to be the integral factors that contribute to MMEs at different stages of leisure activities. The result identified three aspects of strengths used: strengths well spent, reflection and introspection, and anticipation of the future self, which informs the development of a strengths-based personal informatics framework for leisure and tourism.

scholarly journals Relationship Between Peer Attachment and Adolescent Positive Well-Being with Gender as the Moderating Factor in Malaysia

2022 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Kogilavani Rajendran ◽  
Gunasegaran Karuppannan ◽  
Rumaya Binti Juhari ◽  
Asnia Kadir ◽  
Rosnah Jamba
Keyword(s):  
Youth Development ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Peer Attachment ◽  
Positive Development ◽  
Parent Attachment ◽  
Kuala Lumpur ◽  
Government Schools ◽  
Positive Traits ◽  
The Relationship

Identifying protective factors that could influence the positive well-being of adolescents is important as positive development view emphasizes the possibility of adolescents developing positive traits based on their strengths, positive qualities, and supportive environments. This study examines the relationship between peer attachment with positive adolescent well-being and the role of gender as a moderator for links between peer attachment with positive adolescent well-being. A total of 400 7th Grade students from government schools in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and state of Selangor were involved in this study. Adolescent positive well-being and peer attachment were measured using the Positive Youth Development Scale and Inventory of Peer and Parent Attachment. The results show that peer attachment was predictor of adolescent positive well-being. The study also found that gender moderated the relationship between peer attachment and adolescent positive well-being. This study provides information on factors that can help the positive development of adolescents. Identifying these factors will provide insight on events or experiences that will increase the occurrence of positive outcomes and reduce the likelihood of negative outcomes.

scholarly journals Personal and Group Professional Identity in the 21st Century Case Study: The School Counseling Profession

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 64
Author(s):  
Einat Heled ◽  
Nitza Davidovitch
Keyword(s):  
Professional Identity ◽  
School Counseling ◽  
School Counselors ◽  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
Counseling Profession ◽  
Professional Mobility ◽  
The Status ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Role Boundaries

The current study focuses on the concept of professional identity in the school counseling profession, its definition and measurement. According to the definition in this study, the concept of “professional identity” is divided in two: personal professional identity, which is the practitioner’s sense of belonging to and solidarity with the profession, and group professional identity, which includes the features attributed to the profession, both by those who belong to it and by those who do not practice it, and makes it possible to discern between professions. The school counseling profession, occupied mainly by women, is contending with a lack of clarity regarding its role definition, role boundaries, and demands. Therefore, despite the change in the status of the profession in recent years, various issues impede the group professional identity of school counseling and the personal profession identity of its practitioners. This study is the first to examine the professional identity of school counselors on two levels: personal and group, among school counselors in Israel. The study included 174 school counselors who completed two professional identity scales constructed for the purpose of the study. Each scale underwent factor analysis, and a significant association was found between the two scales and the factors they comprised. The research findings indicate that the personal professional identity of school counselors is affected by their group professional identity, and vice versa. The research findings indicate the need to distinguish in future studies between personal and group professional identity, both in the school counseling profession and in other professions, particularly in a world characterized by professional mobility where current professions will become irrelevant while others will be in demand and there may be a need to define the personal and group professional identity of workers.

scholarly journals Using Character Strengths to Address English Writing Anxiety

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 11-35
Author(s):  
Tammy Gregersen ◽  
Peter D. MacIntyre ◽  
Rachel Buck
Keyword(s):  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Positive Emotion ◽  
Significant Contribution ◽  
Character Strengths ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Writing Anxiety ◽  
English Writing ◽  
Case Study Analysis

Positive psychology has been introduced to the applied linguistics literature with the broad goal of improving the experience of language learners and teachers through a variety of interventions (MacIntyre & Mercer, 2014; Gabryś-Barker & Gałajda, 2016). “The aim of positive psychology is to catalyze a change in psychology from preoccupation only with repairing the worst things in life to also building the best qualities in life” (Seligman &Csikszentmihalyi, 2000, p. 5). One significant contribution of this young field has been a series of empirically-tested positive psychology interventions (PPIs) that have been shown to increase positive emotion, reduce distress, and/or improve well-being (Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005; Sin & Lyubormirsky, 2009). In the present research, we examine one application of a PPI involving a focus on using character strengths as a way to address language anxiety. Through a case study analysis, we demonstrate the ways that this intervention was beneficial for the student.             

scholarly journals An Occupation in Search of Identity—What Is School Counseling?

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 215
Author(s):  
Einat Heled ◽  
Nitza Davidovitch
Keyword(s):  
Professional Identity ◽  
School Counseling ◽  
School Counselors ◽  
School Counselor ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Professional Career ◽  
Research Findings

This study will focus on the professional identity of school counseling, which is a key function in Israeli schools. Forming a professional identity is part of the process of professional development that begins with academic training and continues throughout one’s professional career. Professional identity distinguishes between different occupations and provides practitioners with a safe base that lets them better understand their work and form a team spirit within their field of occupation. The research literature indicates an association between one’s professional identity and her professional functioning and success, sense of stability, confidence, and pride in practicing the occupation. The professional identity of school counseling is related to gender. This is a predominantly female occupation and most of its practitioners in Israel are women. Few studies have been conducted on the professional identity of school counselors (Note 1) and its impact on the quality of their work. It appears that the definition of the school counselor’s role is neither clear nor unambiguous, both in Israel and elsewhere, and this affects the professional identity of counselors and the quality of their work. The current study included semi-structured interviews with 15 school counselors, in which they spoke about the structure of their work, their professional vision, satisfaction, and sense of self-fulfillment as a result of their job, as well as their professional self-efficacy. The research findings show that the structure of the counselor’s work, her role definition and workload, are related to her professional identity, including how she perceives the counseling occupation, her satisfaction and sense of self-fulfillment. Based on the interviews, no differences were found between the narratives of counselors with different levels of seniority in the profession with regard to professional identity, satisfaction, and self-fulfillment. The research findings indicate the need to define the school counseling occupation and its place in the school in order to help school counselors establish a clearer professional identity, with the aim of adapting the role to the challenges of the school system in the 21st century, in the world in general and in Israel in particular.

Promoting Students’ Positive Emotions, Character, and Purpose

2020 ◽  
pp. 282-312
Author(s):  
Shannon M. Suldo ◽  
Jenni Menon Mariano ◽  
Hannah Gilfix
Keyword(s):  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Emotional State ◽  
Character Strengths ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Positive Psychology Interventions ◽  
School Based ◽  
Measurement Tools ◽  
Via Classification

Grounded in positive psychology, this chapter focuses on constructs that increase well-being and may result in a flourishing emotional state. Within the PERMA framework, flourishing is reflected in positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. Specifically, this chapter takes an in-depth look into the constructs of positive emotions, character, and purpose. Information on measurement tools, correlates, and possible interventions for each of the three constructs is provided. An emphasis is also placed on promising positive psychology interventions, many of which utilize strategies involving character strengths as defined in accordance with the Values in Action (VIA) Classification of Character Strengths and Virtues. The chapter concludes with information on how a reader can implement various positive psychology activities, as well as different school based-programs that incorporate purpose and positive psychology interventions.

scholarly journals INVESTIGATING THE MULTIMODALITY OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynda Phillips ◽  
Catherine Ann Cameron
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Stress Reactivity ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Youth Care ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
Hormonal Responses ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Child And Youth Care ◽  
Research Findings

Capturing lived childhoods without decontextualizing their meaning and still providing information needed by policy-makers and practitioners is a pressing challenge for contemporary researchers. In this paper we provide information to open up such a dialogue via a range of tools we have utilized when investigating well-being. We interrogate bio-socio-ecological approaches to human development to provide relatively holistic pictures of the lived experience of childhood. We utilize various methodologies within this approach to determine what they transactionally facilitate at each level. At the bio-psychological level, for example, controlled, psychologically valid, psychosocial stress procedures expose hormonal responses, yielding valuable information about individual differences in physiological stress reactivity. At the level of the psychological self within a social ecology, we systematically observe children and youth in naturalistic, environmental transactions with the aid of visual methodologies such as <em>Day in the Life</em> filming, and invite the children and their parents and youth to share their reflections on their lived context via focused discussions and interviews. In this paper we discuss new ways of integrating research findings by suggesting Sameroff’s (2010) unified theory as an interpretive framework for research within the field of child and youth care.

The Positive Perspective on Youth Development

2017 ◽  
pp. 543-568 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret L. Kern ◽  
Nansook Park ◽  
Daniel Romer
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Positive Youth Development ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Positive Development ◽  
Positive Education ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Positive Perspective ◽  
Mental Well Being

This chapter covers positive youth development, positive psychology, and positive education, which suggest that mental health is more than the absence of mental illness and involves proactively supporting the mental well-being of young people. The assets of youth that protect against problems and allow young people to do well include both individual psychological characteristics and aspects of their social context. Positive approaches aim to maximize the potential of young people by encouraging both personal and environmental assets. Research findings over the past three decades have brought empirical support for key premises of positive youth development and have provided important insights into individual and contextual factors that underlie youth thriving. Future studies will continue to refine measures, improve interventions, and use empirical findings to understand and influence the processes that give rise to positive development.

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