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The Good Life

Positive psychology and what makes life worth living.

Stress
Smiling and Stress

Christopher Peterson Ph.D. on September 13, 2012

Smiling does not reduce stress in the moment, but it speeds recovery when a stressful experience is over.

Smiling does not reduce stress in the moment, but it speeds recovery when a stressful experience is over.

Social Life
Catchphrases

Christopher Peterson Ph.D. on August 30, 2012

Catchphrases play a positive role in our lives of young people. They allow terse communication. They are amusing. They make one feel happy.

Catchphrases play a positive role in our lives of young people. They allow terse communication. They are amusing. They make one feel happy.

Positive Psychology
Busting Myths about Positive Psychology

Christopher Peterson Ph.D. on June 6, 2012

To some degree, myths about psychology disappear when students are exposed to other (“correct”) ideas. But it may be more helpful to call out the myths explicitly and refute them.

To some degree, myths about psychology disappear when students are exposed to other (“correct”) ideas. But it may be more helpful to call out the myths explicitly and refute them.

Career
For Whom the Bell Holds

Christopher Peterson Ph.D. on May 31, 2012

A recent article by Ernest O’Boyle and Herman Aguinus (2012) challenges the ubiquity of the bell-shaped curve as a description of human performance. These researchers looked at a large variety of objective performance measures from such domains as entertainment, science, politics, and sports and found that their distributions rarely fit a bell curve.

A recent article by Ernest O’Boyle and Herman Aguinus (2012) challenges the ubiquity of the bell-shaped curve as a description of human performance. These researchers looked at a large variety of objective performance measures from such domains as entertainment, science, politics, and sports and found that their distributions rarely fit a bell curve.

Social Life
Social Class and Unethical Behavior

Christopher Peterson Ph.D. on April 18, 2012

“Higher social class predicts increased unethical behavior.” This is the title of a research report by Paul Piff and colleagues (2012) published in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. My attention was piqued.

“Higher social class predicts increased unethical behavior.” This is the title of a research report by Paul Piff and colleagues (2012) published in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. My attention was piqued.

Resilience
The “So What” of Humility

Christopher Peterson Ph.D. on April 1, 2012

"Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less." - Rick Warren

My colleagues and I have studied strengths of character for more than a decade (Park & Peterson, 2010; Peterson and Seligman, 2004). The most important conclusion from our work is that character is plural.

"Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less." - Rick Warren

My colleagues and I have studied strengths of character for more than a decade (Park & Peterson, 2010; Peterson and Seligman, 2004). The most important conclusion from our work is that character is plural.

Parenting
The Family Meal

Christopher Peterson Ph.D. on March 20, 2012

I recently prepared a lecture on parenting from a positive psychology perspective. Although psychologists have had much to say about parenting, often the focus has been on eliminating undesirable actions on the part of kids, like talking back, tantrums, and tattling. These behaviors are of course annoying, but what about encouraging desirable actions?

I recently prepared a lecture on parenting from a positive psychology perspective. Although psychologists have had much to say about parenting, often the focus has been on eliminating undesirable actions on the part of kids, like talking back, tantrums, and tattling. These behaviors are of course annoying, but what about encouraging desirable actions?

Social Life
US Cities: Sinful and Saintly

Christopher Peterson Ph.D. on March 12, 2012

"What I like about cities is that everything is king size, the beauty and the ugliness." - Joseph Brodsky. A recent Internet article by Jordan Rane (2012) caught my eye because it resonated with my interest in psychological variations across United States (US) cities.

"What I like about cities is that everything is king size, the beauty and the ugliness." - Joseph Brodsky. A recent Internet article by Jordan Rane (2012) caught my eye because it resonated with my interest in psychological variations across United States (US) cities.

Parenting
What's Wrong With Red Hair?

Christopher Peterson Ph.D. on March 5, 2012

"Part of the problem with redheads is that there aren't enough of them. They make up just two percent of the population. So they're pretty extraordinary. Redheads are too numerous to be ignored, too rare to be accepted." - Grant McCracken

"Part of the problem with redheads is that there aren't enough of them. They make up just two percent of the population. So they're pretty extraordinary. Redheads are too numerous to be ignored, too rare to be accepted." - Grant McCracken

Happiness
Gestures as Self-Fulfilling Prophecies, Negative and Positive

Christopher Peterson Ph.D. on February 23, 2012

I watched the recent 46th NFL Super Bowl between the Patriots and the Giants but sooner rather than later changed channels during the halftime show, which featured Madonna. As a result, I missed seeing live the beginning of the mini-scandal that ensued when one of her backup singers, M.I.A., made an obscene gesture to the viewing audience.

I watched the recent 46th NFL Super Bowl between the Patriots and the Giants but sooner rather than later changed channels during the halftime show, which featured Madonna. As a result, I missed seeing live the beginning of the mini-scandal that ensued when one of her backup singers, M.I.A., made an obscene gesture to the viewing audience.

Positive Psychology
Happy Family Day!

Christopher Peterson Ph.D. on February 20, 2012

I love Canadians, and I love Canada. Here is just one of many reasons. On the third Monday of February, Family Day is observed in the provinces of Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. Family Day celebrates the importance of families and family life to people and their communities.

I love Canadians, and I love Canada. Here is just one of many reasons. On the third Monday of February, Family Day is observed in the provinces of Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. Family Day celebrates the importance of families and family life to people and their communities.

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