For much of the 20th century, “What is wrong with people” has guided the thinking of many psychologists. Founded over a decade ago by University of Pennsylvania professor Martin Seligman, positive psychology instead asks “what is right with people”. Human strengths such as courage and future-mindedness act as buffers against mental illness. Positive psychology, therefore, is devoted to understanding and learning how to build these positive qualities in order to improve people’s well-being and help to promote the “good life”.

On an individual level, positive psychology embraces the capacity for love, courage, interpersonal skills, aesthetic sensibility, perseverance, forgiveness, originality, spirituality, high talent, and wisdom. In our times such virtues are often looked at with scepticism. However, before dismissing positive psychology as “soft” one needs to know that it is firmly rooted in hard science, and an evidence-based approach underpins the entire programme. Upon completion, students will be able to design and judge a positive psychological research project and will have gained first-hand experience with various positive psychology intervention techniques.

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