Why positive psychology is necessary.

By Kennon M. Sheldon, L. King. American Psychologist, 2001

999 citations recorded by the source corpus.

The authors provide a definition of positive psychology and suggest that psychologists should try to cultivate a more appreciative perspective on human nature. Examples are given of a negative bias that seems to pervade much of theoretical psychology, which may limit psychologists' understanding of typical and successful human functioning. Finally, a preview of the articles in the special section is given.

Subfields: Applied Psychology, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Social Psychology

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/b0a1d7f381d55160a5575e3a06e118232901db3f

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In Applied Psychology

In Developmental and Educational Psychology

In Social Psychology

Citations in the corpus

Entrepreneurs as authentic leaders: impact on employees' attitudes (2006, background): “What is an authentic leader? In recent years, positive psychology (Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi, 2000; Sheldon and King, 2001; Snyder and Lopez, 2002) has emerged to counter the prevailing negativity in the field by looking at what is right (rather than dysfunctional) with people, and emphasizing a”
Pedagogical well‐being: reflecting learning and well‐being in teachers’ work (2010, positive): “Construction of socio‐psychological well‐being for members of the school community can be understood as a learning process that promotes relatedness, competence, and autonomy (eg, Deci & Ryan, 2002 ; Hakanen, Bakker, & Schaufeli, 2005 ; Hakkarainen, Palonen, Paavola, & Lehtinen, 2004 ; Krapp, 20”
Elucidating the Positive Side of the Work-Family Interface on International Assignments: A Model of Expatriate Work and Family Performance (2010, background): “Such thinking is in line with positive psychology (Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005; Sheldon & King, 2001).”
The need for and meaning of positive organizational behavior (2002, background): “Over the years the tendency has been to view positivity with doubt and suspicion—a product of wishful thinking, denial, or even ‘hucksterism’ (Sheldon & King, 2001, p. 216).”
Creativity and Well‐being: A Meta‐analysis (2020, background): “Positive psychology is “an attempt to urge psychologists to adopt a more open and appreciative perspective regarding human potentials, motives, and capacities” (Sheldon & King, 2001, p. 216).”
A meta-analytical review of the relationship between emotional intelligence and leaders’ constructive conflict management (2013, background): “…management practices and strategies; (c) it is becoming increasingly important to shift “the predominant negative bias of traditional psychology” (Sheldon & King, 2001, p. 216) to the applications of positive approaches in the workplace, and to encourage leadership potential and strength in…”
Perceived Collective Efficacy, Subjective Well-Being And Task Performance Among Electronic Work Groups (2003, background): “This development reflects an emerging trend toward a “positive psychology” that focuses on human strengths and optimal functioning rather than on weaknesses and malfunc-tioning (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000; Sheldon & King, 2001).”
The Negative Side of Positive Psychology (2004, background): “Apropos of this, in the issue of JHP devoted to positive psychology, there are articles by Laura King; by Kennon Sheldon, who like King won a Templeton Positive Psychology Prize and who with King coedited a section of the American Psychologist entitled “Why Positive Psychology Is Necessary” (Sheldon”
Psychological wellbeing in a Turkish-Canadian sample (2005, positive): “The concept of proactive coping, with its positive focus, is in line with recent developments in psychology that urge psychologists to adopt perspectives that incorporate human potential, striving, motives and capacities (Seligman, 1990; Sheldon & King, 2001; Taylor & Aspinwall, 1996).”
Team level positivity: investigating positive psychological capacities and team level outcomes (2009, background): “The positive psychology movement urges psychologists to ‘‘adopt a more appreciative perspective regarding human potential, motives and capacities’’ with an interest in finding out ‘‘what works, what is right, and what is improving’’ (Sheldon & King, 2001, p. 216).”