Introducing Psychology

by Carol Ciccarelli

  Forgiveness is a difficult strength to develop because it often involves uncomfortable interactions with other people. This in itself is and adverse situation ripe for growth but not the exercise. To build Forgiveness, not only the ability to forgive but also the willingness to, a journaling activity is recommended. This activity can also be used to focus on Perspective or Creativity and is also on of the few Positive psychology exercises that begin with a description of the negative. Not to be done every day but once or twice weekly a person should write failures or obstructions to success they experience. While listing these it is important to note what emotions and motivations are associated with the task and also the feeling of failure or wrong being done. This is an important step because in order to forgive another or oneself it is important to know what should be forgiven. As mentioned before, condoning the activity or forgetting the activity it not the same as Forgiveness and the outlining of these conditions will help to make a more concrete foundation for change. Once the list has been made and details noted they should be read aloud individually. After each reading the person doing the exercise should say, also out loud, “I forgive You.” This is an important part of the activity even when someone feels as though they have done something wrong or failure worthy. Being able to forgive others is important but even more important to personal growth is the ability to forgive one’s self. After writing and reciting the perceived wrongs and speaking the works “I Forgive You” the piece of paper should be thrown away. This is also an important aspect of the exercise. This is not about forgetting the list that was made before but more of a physical expression of forgiveness. No longer is it important or significant enough to hold onto this piece of paper or the things written on it. This is an exercise that can be done individually or weekly and is recommended to be used as often as necessary.

  Another exercise that asks individuals to focus on a less than pleasant aspect of life or self is In Your Humble Opinion. While this activity is geared toward two people it can be done by one’s self but requires great exercise of Honesty. The two person version involves an individual analyzing some of the close relationships they have. The purpose of this is to find a relationship in which the individual is seen as the stronger of the two parts. This can be a professional relationship, such as a boss and employee, or a personal relationship where one spouse is more responsible for finances and such than the other. Once identified the individual should make a goal to take a step back in that particular relationship. This requires awareness in the moment but can be reinforced by the writing down of the relationship and the goal. Examples of goals include speaking less often or with less volume than the partner, also allowing small decisions to go unchallenged and complained about. This activity is all about putting one’s own abilities and obligations in the proper perspective with their importance and difficulty. Another effective exercise is asking a trusted person to provide critical feedback. It is essential in both of these exercise for an individual to be Honest with one’s self and willing to hear and work towards improving based on feedback from others.

  A Gratitude Jar is another exercise that help a person maintain and attitude of Gratitude throughout the day and build that particular Character Strength. The first step in this exercise is to list as many things as possible that there are to be grateful for. These can be relationships, experiences, emotions, and even things that bring joy to life. Remember at this stage to be as concrete or ephemeral as needed and make as long a list as possible. Once the list is made cut each item into its own slip of paper. Take all of the slips of paper and stuff them into a jar. This is the Gratitude Jar. One way to use this jar as the day is beginning. As the pattern of the day progresses schedule a time to draw from the Gratitude Jar. This will infuse the day with a reminder of something to be grateful for. This exercise will also ask the individual to find and identify this type of Gratitude in the rest of the day. Another way to use this jar is as a scheduled journaling activity. At the decided time of day, one should draw a slip of paper from the jar and reflection why that particular thing is worthy of Gratitude. Identifying emotions around these positive feelings is an important aspect of this activity. This is yet another example of a Positive psychology activity that can be used to help build several Character Strengths. To utilize this activity for Bravery for example, substitute the slips of Gratitude for instances of experienced or desired Bravery. Simply reflecting on the emotions and motivations identified in this exercise is important to well-being.

  Exercising and utilizing Judgement is a difficult task for those not naturally predisposed to this form of thinking. This next activity, Party Time, is designed to help a person grow and utilize Judgement and Fairness. These Character Strengths are important even if they do not seem as though they are used every day. These Character Strengths influence how a person views the world and their place in it and have great consequences for emotional and motivational feedback. In Party Time an individual is asked to first identify a belief or philosophy they hold. This part of the exercise can be written but it doesn’t need to be. After identifying the philosophy, the person should explain to a person with a differing philosophy why they believe or feel that way. This explanation should be written down early on in the development of Judgement but involving others is encouraged as the strength is built. This first part of the exercise is more for the individual doing Party Time. This is the all important step of becoming aware of one’s own inherent biases and motivations behind the beliefs and emotions associated with it. The next step of Party Time is for the individual to seek out a person or program with differing views from them surrounding the decided upon belief. It is important during this part of the exercise to listen as much as possible and refrain from debate. A helpful tool is to take notes during the presentation of the benefits and positive focuses of the belief. After simply experiencing an explanation of the belief the Party Time participant should seek out the motivations behind it. This fourth part of the activity is a mirror to the second part and should be done with the same attitude. The purpose of this is to find parts of a different belief or philosophy that a person can understand and identify in their own beliefs. While this activity is focused on building Judgement and Fairness it can also help with Relationship and Forgiveness. Often these beliefs are firmly held and while they may not change it is still a valuable exercise for understanding and empathy.

  One activity that can be used to develop several Character Strengths is Nostalgia Moment. This activity was originally developed to help build meaning in life and so increase Engagement and Love. In the original iteration of this activity an individual will write down on a piece of paper a memory of time spent with a friend or family member. This event does not have to be anything special, in fact it is encouraged for the person to think of a time spent with another regularly. After writing down this time spent with another the person is encouraged to think of aspects of the experience they enjoy. Specifically focusing on the experiences shared with another build a person’s awareness of the use and potential use of Love. By doing this exercise regularly, several times a week, it has been shown to increase Engagement and an Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence as well. This is another example of awareness of opportunity to utilize strengths in a positive environment leading to higher well-being.

  Another activity that can be used to ass meaning to live and therefore build Engagement and many other Character Strengths is to create what is called a Legacy Project. In this activity a person is asked to look at their life as a body of work. Within this body of work should be present a purpose or a thesis. The first step in this activity is for the person to define this thesis and write it out. This purpose or thesis can be something as simple as being happy or as ambitious as world peace. Either way the thesis is written and used as a goal in this exercise. After the goal has been defined the person should use that to create a long term goal that expresses and completes that vision. The plan to complete the goal should be as detailed as pos
sible. This will not only help with goals setting but also building Honesty and Humility. The Legacy Project should not be used as a daily reminder but set aside and reflected upon only frequently. This exercise is meant to focus a person’s attention on Engagement and establish purpose and a meaningful life.

  Gratitude and Self Regulation have been shown to be two Character Strengths that are difficult to separate and exercise. An activity called Double Vision has been developed that helps a person to build both of these strengths simultaneously. The first step of this exercise is for the individual to first look at the relationships in their daily lives. After identifying the relationships experienced every day the individual is asked to think of things they can do to improve those relationships every day. This can be something as simple listening more than speaking or saying thank you more often. Once the daily relationships are identified they should then be thought of in a long term context. After identifying the things that could be done to improve the relationship on a daily basis their should be brainstorming done around the possibilities of improving the long term health of the relationship. One of the benefits of this exercise is that it can provide a clear plan of action to improve strengths within the individual as well as build relationships which lead to the building of other strengths not identified in the exercise. This is another activity that involves journaling and can be used to build greater well-being.

  An excellent activity for building Perseverance and working on tool to overcome obstacles is called Barrier Building. In Barrier Building a person is asked to first define a goal. This can be a physical or mental goal. It can also be a goal of creating or building a Relationship or professional advancement. This exercise is even more effective if this goal is one that is already being focused on or will be in the near future. In this exercise the individual will first write down the goal being used. After establishing and writing the goal the next step is to identify three obstacles to achieving that goal. One of these obstacles should be focused on outside forces affecting the work or outcome negatively. These outside influences can be difficult relationships or a competing entity. The second obstacle should be an obstacle that comes from the individual themselves. This can be strengths that may be competing to express themselves in the completion of the task or even negative emotions around the activity. The third obstacle listed should come from the achieving of the goal itself. Even if the goal is not physically or mentally demanding it does require a commitment of time and energy. The goal may require the individual to learn something new or work on a team they are uncomfortable with. After identifying and writing the three obstacles to achieving the goal on a piece of paper the individual should return to each one and formulate a plan for overcoming them. Each obstacle should be viewed as its own problem separate from the achieving of the overall goal. Additionally, while establishing the techniques used to overcome these obstacles the individual should focus on the particular Character Strengths that will help. It is important to building Perseverance that a person mentally walk through the solving of issues before attempting to actually do so. This exercise will build positive emotions surrounding the tackling of a problem and provide the individual with valuable tools to overcome whatever is in their way.

  One of the most widely used activities in Positive psychology is used to identify a person’s strengths and where improvements to well-being can be made. This exercise I called the Values in Action Character Strength Survey. This is a test developed by Martin Seligman in order to identify a person’s strengths and also their emotions and motivations surrounding them. This survey is an extensive questionnaire of several hundred questions that individuals finish in a set amount of time. Typically each question is a statement of feeling or motivation and the responder is asked to assign a number value to how much they agree with the statement. This survey is typically used at the beginning of any therapy or entrance into use of Positive psychology as it allows for the establishing of strengths and values to start from. This survey and its results can also help with the development of a plan of action to develop strengths that an individual wants to build. Using this and the previously mentioned activity an individual can design a plan to increase the experience of positive emotions in life. There are free versions of this survey online and any practicing psychologist or therapist will have access to it as well. This questionnaire will not only identify which strengths are present in a person but also how readily those are used. One important aspect of this test is to identify what is called a signature strength or strengths. These strengths are those present in an individual and which they use often. As is common with many Positive psychology activities this one chooses to focus on the good getting better instead of increasing an area with detriment. After identifying the signature strengths through the survey, the individual is asked to find examples when these strengths are used and how they are used. The next step is taking those same signature strengths and brainstorming a way to utilize them in different way. For example, if Love of Learning is a strength that is used at work or school, try to use it to learn about a person or group of people. Using this signature strength in different ways and building it can also lead the building of other strengths. In this example strengths such as Social Intelligence or Judgement can be increased through familiarizing one’s self with differing viewpoints. Used in conjunction with these two previously mentioned activities is an activity called My Day. In this activity an individual is asked to keep a log of the Character Strengths they used during a typical day. This requires a journal and the setting of an alarm. The alarm should be set for every half hour and when that alarm goes off the individual should write down the strengths they are utilizing. It should be noted what activity was engaging these strengths and exactly how they are being used in the activity. After doing this for a day or two there should be a comprehensive picture of the strengths used during a day. The next step is to evaluate this schedule of strengths and determine where and how to begin building strengths using it. This schedule can be used to direct the individual toward certain exercises such as Signature Strength if they see they are using a strength disproportionately. This is also an excellent tool for someone to monitor those times of day when they need to engage in a sort of intervention activity of the types previously mentioned. If this step is too far though there is another use for this schedule. It can be used as a day planner. Before the day use the schedule to prepare mentally and emotionally for the next strengths to be used. Not only will this activity build strengths but it will also build mindfulness and awareness of a person’s well-being throughout a day.

  It cannot be overstated that awareness of strengths and their uses is essential to flourishing and improving well-being. It is no coincidence that the most widely used activities by Positive psychologists begin with a journaling exercise asking individuals to identify strengths being used or built. This is of course a central tenant of the discipline, identifying what makes the good life good. Before the pursuit of and building of the good life can begin it must first be defined and broken down into pieces. These activities are all designed to help identify a person’s strength and provide a road map for building them. All of these activities can be altered to focus on one or more strengths and can be used in conjunction with one another to improve efficacy or range of the exercise. Another way to make these activities have a larger impact is to keep a journal of thoughts and progress. Many activities already use journaling as a technique within them but using another journal as a sort of meta-journal is encouraged. Journaling does a great job of producing data and quantifying our experiences so we can better learn from them and build from them.

  Research

  Positive psychology has made massive strides in research and acceptance since its inception many decades ago. With the solid base of experimental methodology from their Behaviorism progenitors many positive psychologists have done amazing work in the identification of Character Strengths and in developing them. Everything discussed previously, f
rom the list of Character Strengths and Virtues to the application of these findings has been run through the rigorous process of the scientific method. As researchers design these studies they are not doing so in an isolated bubble. This means often times funding and focus of research have competing interest. Positive psychology researchers though know that their particular focus can be applied to almost any situation in life and can improve living in most situations. For this reason the research conducted is often done so with an aim or focus on alleviating a mental or emotional issue. This fixing of problems is not what Positive psychology is about however, it is about helping people to flourish and get more out of an already good life. Despite this difference though, helpful conclusions can be drawn and activities and strategies developed to help an ailing person or a thriving person to advance. Just like any scientific endeavor this area of research can be divided into the applied research and basic research categories. The basic research was and is done to identify and examine the scientific truth behind the existence of the Character Strengths and Virtues. This research is also focused on verifying the efficacy of various Positive psychology theories and techniques. The applied research done on Positive psychology is to establish potential avenues for increasing well-being in life. Both of these types of research contribute greatly and equally to the advancement of the science.

  Basic research will be discussed first as it initially laid the foundation and need for Positive psychology. In fact, it was basic research that Seligman was conducting when he discovered learned helplessness and developed the antithesis to those findings. An important study conducted to illuminate and define the Character Strengths used by Positive psychology. Before psychologists had generally accepted the twenty four strength model there were several that were competing for validity. In order to do this, researchers conducted two separate studies. In one study researchers used a sample size of over six hundred workers. These six hundred individuals were asked to complete surveys that were and inventory of their perceived personality traits and strengths. Each was given several different versions of these inventories and measures. Another study was also conducted but using less participants, about five hundred, and different character strength inventories. By having these workers completely different inventories purported to identify Character Strengths it was hoped to reveal any redundancy or overlap in these strengths. After analyzing the information gained by the researchers it was determined that of the twenty-four identified strengths there were only several that were overlapping with those from other inventories. Furthermore, because of the increased number and detail of strengths in the prevailing theory it was better at defining and providing validity to research results. The name of this study is “Are measures of character and personality distinct?” and was conducted by McGrath, R.E., Hall-Simmonds, A., & Goldberg, L.R. This was an important study to take place as it firmly placed the Character Strengths as the golden standard to incrementally define a personality and their drive to increase happiness. After this landmark study there was an increase on the focus of these strengths and their use in improving well-being in certain arenas of life. This research was done first to identify the strengths used and needed to increase well-being and later research was done to develop techniques for utilizing and building these strengths in daily life. One study hoped to identify the Character Strengths that were most closely associated with psychological well-being. Psychological well-being is often defined in terms of difficulties like depression and anxiety but can also be used to describe the positive emotions as well. In one particular study it was determined that the Character Strengths of Zest, Hope, and Leadership were the most effective at handling issues related to depression and anxiety, (Park & Peterson 2008a). These findings not only mean that those already experiencing these negative emotions can get relief by exercising the strengths mentioned, but also that people exercising those strengths will be less likely to fall into negative emotions and thought patterns. In this same study it was also determined that several strengths can have the effect of reducing the number of problems that are externalized resulting in the expression of negative emotions such as anger and combativeness. Honesty, Prudence, and Love were strengths that help with this. By practicing and focusing on the exercise of those strengths a person can stop the pattern of thoughts and emotions that lead to negative emotions affecting behavior. Similar to combatting externalizing of problems is the internalizing them. This can lead to negative emotions and cyclical pattern of thought that lead to more negative emotions and thoughts. Work done by Gilman, Gooley, and Florell, 2006 went far to identify Hope as the most powerful strength that led to the difficulty in internalizing negative experiences. This means that building and exercising Hope will help a person with strong mental state to continue to build resilience towards negative emotions and experiences. In addition to Hope being beneficial with dealing with negative emotions there are other studies that identify yet more Character Strengths that can be beneficial to those in need and to those already thriving. Handling stress is something that both those thriving and surviving have to deal with. Research done in this vein by Park and Peterson, 2006c has revealed that there are several Character Strengths, Self Regulation, Social Intelligence, and Kindness among them, used more so than others when stressed. These Character Strengths have also been shown to have a positive effect when dealing with trauma as well. In fact, when trauma is ranked on a scale and overcome the research has shown that the strengths associated with overcoming the negative emotions associated with the trauma are built and strengthened. Research into the increase of strengths following trauma has been done several times and on groups as well as individuals. For example, in a study conducted by Peterson & Seligman, 2003, many Character Strengths were shown to have been greatly strengthened following the terrorist attacks in the United States. Not only that but these studies revealed that there were several Character Strengths that helped to improve the likelihood of building strengths following a traumatic event. The strengths shown to help improve resilience following a traumatic event are Bravery and Honesty, which helped to build a person’s emotional strength and self view. Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence as well as Gratitude and Zest help to manage the effects of trauma by exposing and bringing the forefront and individuals understanding and appreciation of life in general.