Foundations of Positive Psychology Specialization

You are encouraged to take the first four courses of the Foundations of Positive Psychology Specialization before starting this course and completing the Specialization Project. This course, taught by Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman brings all the key concepts from the first four courses to practice as you develop and test a new positive intervention for an audience of your choice. You identify opportunities in your daily life to increase the wellbeing by using knowledge you developed in the first four courses of the Specialization. In this final project, you evaluate the efficacy of a positive intervention based on subjective and objective measures. Then, you compare how empirical and non-empirically-based positive interventions can be applied to influence a person's wellbeing. Lastly, you reflect on how the fundamental elements of research methods are important in the everyday application of positive psychology. After completing all five courses, learners earn a certificate signed by Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman, Dr. James Pawelski, Dr. Angela Duckworth, Dr. Claire Robertson-Kraft and Dr. Karen Reivich.

100% online course

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Approx. 13 hours to complete

Suggested: 4 weeks of study, 2-5 hours per week.

English

Subtitles: English

What you will learn

Craft a positive intervention using a signature strength

Describe the character strengths that promote well-being

Identify your five signature strengths

Share your work by writing a post-intervention assessment

100% online course

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Approx. 13 hours to complete

Suggested: 4 weeks of study, 2-5 hours per week.

English

Subtitles: English

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

1

Section

3 hours to complete

Character Strengths: One Concept to Rule them All

Module 1 of the Positive Psychology Capstone reviews the VIA Character Strengths Classification and in particular asks the learner to identify his or her five signature strengths and assess if they are authentic....

9 videos (Total 30 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes

9 videos

1.1 Course Overview1m

1.2 Module 1 Overview1m

1.3 Assignment: Taking the VIA or reviewing your results0m

1.4 Interview: Paul Rozin on Character Strengths9m

1.5 James Pawelski's Review of Via Character Strengths8m

1.6 Signature Strengths2m

1.7 Disappointment in your Signature Strength0m

1.8 Does the strength seem to fit you?0m

1.9 How can you tell if the strength is authentically you?4m

2 readings

Chris Peterson: What makes life worth living10m

The World Well-Being Project10m

2 practice exercises

Practice Quiz 16m

Character Strengths10m

2

Section

3 hours to complete

Peterson Theory on Psychological Mental Illness as defined as an Excess, an Absence, or an Opposite of a Character Strength rather than by the Presence or Absence of a Symptom in the DSM

Module 2 presents Chris Peterson's unfinished theory on mental illness. Specifically his belief that the absence of strengths, the excess of strengths, and the opposite of strengths might define 72 conditions of character weakness, and that these shortcomings might be a better framework than the DSM which uses a checklist of symptoms....

5 videos (Total 17 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes

5 videos

2.1 Module 2 Overview1m

2.2 Peterson’s Theory6m

2.3 Assessment of Peterson’s 24 Absence and Opposite of Strengths4m

2.5 Contrasting Strengths Versus DSM2m

2.6 Using Character Strength in a Challenge2m

2 readings

Chris Peterson’s Unfinished Masterwork: The Real Mental Illnesses10m

Which Character Strengths are most Predictive of Well-Being?10m

2 practice exercises

Practice Quiz4m

Excess, Absence, and Opposite in Character Strengths10m

3

Section

3 hours to complete

Developing a Positive Intervention using a signature strength to bolster a strength absence or strength opposite. Hypothesis & Experiment Design for Personal Positive Intervention

Module 3 has the learner target an area for remediation from among Peterson's inventory of 72 deviant strengths and craft a positive intervention using a signature strength. ...

5 videos (Total 27 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes

5 videos

3.1 Module 3 Overview1m

3.2 Interview: Picking what works best for you from strengths banquet5m

3.3 Deliberate Practice11m

3.4 Laying the Foundation: Defining Measurement and Testing Happiness and Flourishing3m

3.5 What is a Positive Intervention?4m

2 readings

Articles on Research Methods10m

PERMA overview Well-Being Theory10m

2 practice exercises

Practice quiz on research methods and picking from strengths6m

PERMA, Positive Interventions, Research Methods10m

4

Section

3 hours to complete

Putting the Positive Intervention into Action

Module 4 has the learner put the positive intervention into action, assess and the share the results, and finally reduce the positive intervention to writing so it can be shared....

8 videos (Total 20 min), 3 quizzes

8 videos

4.1 Module 4 Overview1m

4.2 Trying the Positive Intervention2m

4.3 Aristotelian Balance2m

4.4 Interview: Using Strengths7m

4.5 Using Signature Strengths Instead of Weakness2m

4.6 Using Signature Strengths over time to Increase Happiness0m

4.7 Assignment: Retaking the PERMA and the PANAS assessment0m

4.8 Closing Thoughts2m

2 practice exercises

Practice quiz on Positive Interventions4m

Positive Interventions, Strengths10m

Instructor

Martin E.P. Seligman, Ph.D.

Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology & Director, Positive Psychology Center

About University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania (commonly referred to as Penn) is a private university, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. A member of the Ivy League, Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and considers itself to be the first university in the United States with both undergraduate and graduate studies. ...

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I pay for this course?
If you pay for this course, you will have access to all of the features and content you need to earn a Course Certificate. If you complete the course successfully, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. Note that the Course Certificate does not represent official academic credit from the partner institution offering the course.
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Foundations of Positive Psychology Specialization