Magister Commercii (Industrial Psychology) - MCom(IPS) / Positive organisational practices are actions performed by employees within the workplace that enhance worker and organisational wellness. In identifying positively deviant organisations, specific positive practices within the organisation were studied as an online desk research. This study is based on a backdrop of a study by Cameron et al. (2011) where the authors theorise about certain positive practices, but do not stipulate actual practices. In understanding what these positive practices look like, the study used the interpretive paradigm. Through qualitative inquiry, thematic analysis was used to expand the understanding of manifest positive practices in organisations. The researcher used two significant ways of gathering the data, both through the internet; looking up "top" and "happiest" companies to work for as well as looking at the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) Network online resources and Michigan Ross School of Business online page. All of the data gathered (150 pieces) was from secondary internet / online sources. The results generated 13 themes, of which five stood out as most salient: social interactions at work, inclusivity of all differences, mindfulness, transparent/open communication and creativity/innovation. The study concludes by identifying similarities between Cameron et al. (2011) and the study results, and proposes a link between 11 of the themes. Furthermore, the results suggest that seven of the study’s practices coincide with one particular practice from Cameron et al. (2011): ‘inspiring’ others in the workplace. The significance of the study includes the expanded understanding of positive organisational (manifest) practices that take place in positively deviant organisations. By comparing and contrasting these practices with the Cameron et al. (2011) positive practices, similarities were found. Recommendations for future research are offered. / 2020-08-31

This three-paper dissertation aims to enhance our understanding of the role of positive psychology constructs, hope, and positive emotions during bereavement among older adults. The study will be mainly guided by the Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotion, the Hope Theory, and the Revised Stress and Coping Theory. This dissertation is based on secondary data analysis using two different data - the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) for Paper 1 and the Complicated Grief Treatment in Older Adults Study (CGTOA) for Paper 2 and Paper 3. Paper 1 examines the level of positive and negative emotions before and after bereavement, and the impact of positive emotions on bereavement adjustment outcomes such as depression and purpose in life among a nationally representative sample of widowed older adults. Paper 1 finds that recently widowed older adults experience a significant decrease in positive emotions and an increase in negative emotions (compared to the married comparison group) after the loss of their spouse, but they still experience a considerable level of positive emotions during bereavement. The level of post-loss positive emotions was significantly associated with better adjustment outcomes, lower odds of having depression, and a higher level of purpose in life. A significantly greater impact of positive emotions on purpose in life was found among the widowed group compared to the married counterparts. However, the beneficial impact of positive emotions on depression did not differ between the widowed and married groups. Paper 2 and Paper 3 explore hope among the bereaved older adults with complicated grief using data from the CGTOA Study, a randomized clinical trial, which compared the treatment efficacy of complicated grief treatment (CGT) with interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT). Paper 2 focuses on evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Trait Hope Scale (THS) among older adults with complicated grief before proceeding to address the role of hope in CGT in Paper 3. Paper 2 suggests that overall the THS is a valid and reliable tool to measure hope among older adults with complicated grief. The THS demonstrated its sensitivity to change with treatment, showing a significantly greater increase in hope score among treatment responders (in both CGT and IPT) compared to non-responders. However, unlike the theoretically supported two-factor structure of the THS (Pathways and Agency), a different two-factor structure was identified in the study, which suggests that further validation of the factor structure of the THS in older adults with complicated grief is necessary in future studies. Paper 3 investigates the role of hope in CGT, particularly examining hope as a potential moderator and/or mediator of treatment effects. Paper 3 found that both CGT and IPT groups increased their hope scores significantly during the treatment. However, there was no significant difference in increases in hope between CGT and IPT groups. Mediation analysis showed that hope is not a mediator of treatment effects of CGT over IPT. However, significant treatment effects of CGT (over IPT) were found for reduction in the level of grief-related avoidance among those with lower baseline hope, but not for those with higher baseline hope, which confirmed hope is a moderator of treatment effects for only the grief-related avoidance outcome. The findings of this dissertation suggest that 1) positive emotions during bereavement may play a beneficial role in adaption to bereavement, 2) the Trait Hope Scale is a valid and reliable tool to measure hope among older adults with complicated grief, and 3) hope can be improved in complicated grief interventions (both CGT and IPT), and regaining hope may be an important factor associated with the resolution of complicated grief symptoms.

Research examining multidimensional health locus of control (MHLOC) beliefs in HIV-positive individuals is limited. While studies in numerous other medical populations have shown relationships between MHLOC and markers of protected health status, no other studies, to our knowledge, have done so in HIV. The MHLOC has four subscales: Internal, Chance, Doctors, and Other People. Each subscale measures the degree of belief that one's health is controlled by one of these four constructs. This study compared the MHLOC beliefs of a rare group of healthy HIV-positive individuals with very low CD4 cell counts (below 50) who were not taking HAART (HLC group), to a group of HIV-positive individuals in the mid-range of disease progression (matched control (MC) group). Two hundred forty-seven diverse participants with HIV completed MHLOC scales as part of a psychosocial battery. Seventy participants from a larger "control" group (N = 177) were matched one-to-one with a participant from the HLC group (N = 70) on four demographic variables (gender, education, ethnicity, and income). The HLC group was found to have significantly lower Internal control beliefs and higher Doctor beliefs in comparison to the MC group. An examination of MHLOC beliefs within each group showed that for both groups, Doctor beliefs were strongest, followed by Internal, Chance and Other People beliefs. Compared to the MC group, individuals with protected health status (HLC group) were more likely to have a combination of "high" Doctor and "low" Internal beliefs and less likely to have a combination of "low" Doctor and "high" Internal beliefs. Finally, affective depression approached significance as a mediator in the relationship between Doctor control beliefs and group status (HLC vs. MC group). Specifically, protected health status was related to higher Doctor beliefs and lower affective depression. Study limitations and implications are discussed.

Humility is widely accepted as a character strength or virtue, yet very little research has been done as to its development or benefits, partly due to the lack of a reliable and valid explicit measure or scale. Since to date no such scale has been published, the current study investigates the importance and nature of humility and develops a measure to be analyzed as to its reliability and validity. Potential scale items were derived from participants’ recollection of humbling experiences and Tangney’s (2000) definition of humility. Principal Components Analysis revealed four humility subscales: openness, self-forgetfulness, accurate self-assessment, and focus on others. Results suggest that the derived 13-item scale has good concurrent and divergent validity, and that three of the four principal components have acceptable reliability. Researchers can use information from the Humility scale to better understand how it relates to other concepts of positive psychology and how increasing humility might be advantageous to interpersonal relationships.

The current study investigated the effects of dispositional mindfulness on well-being conceptualized in two ways: as hedonic well-being and as eudaimonic well-being. These represent feeling well and functioning well, respectively. Mindfulness, a type of consciousness marked by a nonjudgmental, present centered awareness, was expected to relate more strongly with eudaimonic well-being. Data from 112 participants were collected through an online survey. The mechanisms emotion regulation, low rumination, attentive awareness to one's emotional states, and clarity and understanding of one's emotional states were examined as mediating variables between dispositional mindfulness and the two conceptualizations of well-being. Correlational analysis demonstrated that dispositional mindfulness is significantly correlated with both hedonic well-being and eudaimonic well-being, though more strongly related to eudaimonic well-being. Mediational analysis demonstrated that low rumination significantly mediated the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and hedonic well-being. Additionally, both low rumination and clarity and understanding of one's emotional states significantly mediated the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and eudaimonic well-being. Implications, limitations, and future directions of research are discussed.

This thesis is founded in the positive psychological theory of gratitude, the experience of thankfulness and its benefits on both the individual and the community. My explorations via personal journaling, careful reflection, and engaging in craft, led me to cultivate a new definition for gratitude: present moment awareness. Using sheer fabric and the meditative act of embroidering, the language of gratitude was relearned and cultivated. My piece aims to incite further explorations in thanks.

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Thesis (M.S.)--University of Kentucky, 2008. / Title from document title page (viewed on October 30, 2008). Document formatted into pages; contains: viii, 48 p. : ill. Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 43-47).

Thesis (M. A.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Psychology, 2006. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on June 19, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 71-75). Also issued in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 105-115).