Lai Mei Fung. / "June 2012." / Thesis (M.Div.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / Chapter CHAPTER ONE: --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter I. --- Problem Statement and Research Question --- p.1 / Chapter II. --- Statement of Purpose --- p.3 / Chapter III. --- Methodology and Delimitation --- p.4 / Chapter IV. --- "Definition of the Term: Hope, Pastoral Care and Positive Psychology" --- p.4 / Chapter V. --- Significance of this Study --- p.8 / Chapter VI. --- Overview: Structure of this Thesis --- p.8 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO: --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.10 / Chapter I. --- Historical Development of Hope Construct: No Consensus on Hope --- p.10 / Chapter II. --- Theological Approach: Pastoral Literature of Hope --- p.15 / Chapter III. --- Psychological Approach: Positive Psychology of Hope --- p.17 / Chapter IV. --- Literature About the Interdisciplinary Discussion on the Topic of Hope … --- p.19 / Chapter V. --- Summary --- p.20 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE: --- THEORETICAL FOUNDATION --- p.21 / Chapter I. --- Why are Charles Rick Snyder and Andrew D. Lester chosen? --- p.21 / Chapter II. --- Psychological Perspective: Snyder's Hope Theory in Positive Psychology --- p.23 / What is Hope? Looking Hope Through a Psychological Lens --- p.23 / "Context: Making Excuses, Cognitive Influence and Fritz Heider" --- p.24 / "Content: Goal, Pathway and Agency" --- p.26 / Chapter III. --- Theological Perspective: Lester's Notion of Hope in Pastoral Care --- p.29 / What is Hope? Looking Hope Through a Theological Lens --- p.29 / Context: Experience of Struggling and Existential Influence --- p.29 / Content: Future and Transfinite Hope --- p.32 / Chapter IV. --- Summary --- p.35 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR: --- COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS IN PRACTICE --- p.36 / Chapter I. --- Common Ground: Hope is a Virtue --- p.36 / Positive Psychology: Hope is a Virtue for Human Flourishing --- p.37 / Pastoral Care: Hope as a Theological Virtue --- p.39 / Chapter II. --- Tension in the Practical Life Context: Daily Life and End-of-Life Context --- p.41 / Hope in Daily Life: Empirical Research and Operative Measurement --- p.41 / Hope in the End-of-life Context: Cognitive vs Existential Approach --- p.44 / Chapter CHAPTER FIVE: --- "FINDING, SUGGESTION AND CONCLUSION" --- p.51 / Chapter I. --- Finding and Discussion --- p.51 / "Whether: Yes, Positive Psychology Contributes Hope-nurturing" --- p.51 / How: Pastoral Theology Should Maintain its Indispensable Role --- p.52 / Chapter II. --- Limitation and Suggestion for Further Research --- p.55 / Chapter III. --- Conclusion --- p.56 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.58

The study of stress on police task performance is important as this relationship can positively or negatively impact encounters with the public. This study focused on protective factors of positive psychology within the measured construct of dispositional optimism as a possible mediator of stress effects on physical task performance. The cognitive processing models used were the performance efficiency theory and attentional control theory as they apply in perceptual motor skill. Using a mediation model, the research question asked whether dispositional optimism mediated the relationship between stress and a pistol performance accuracy task. This study used a limited data set collected by a law enforcement training center (N = 80). The survey instruments used to measure stress and dispositional optimism were the Perceived Stress Scale and the Life Orientation Test - Revised, respectively. Correlation and multiple regression were used to analyze the significance of the mediation model. Ultimately, the results were unable to detect significance between dispositional optimism (p > .05) and stress (p > .05) on pistol accuracy outcomes. However, a significant relationship was found between dispositional optimism and stress (p < .05). Future research recommendations include an intervention protocol with several levels of pistol shooting difficulty and biological stress measurements. Implications for social change include further understanding of how to better manage stress for increased accuracy in pistol performance tasks along with increased mental processing and increased positive outcomes. Overall, better education and training for the officer will contribute to more positive encounters with the public.

Savoring, or the process of prolonging a specific experience of positive emotions, is associated with positive health outcomes and feelings of interpersonal connectedness. Few studies have examined the process of savoring in a family context, and even fewer studies have explored the extent to which it may vary across cultures. In a sample of mother-child dyads (n = 66; White = 33 and Latinx, non-White = 30), we investigated the effect of savoring on verbal and behavioral indicators of maternal responsiveness as compared to a control condition, a reflecting exercise about daily routines. The results suggest an interaction effect of experimental condition and race on verbal maternal responsiveness, such that White moms who savored were more responsive than those who had reflected. Unexpectedly, Latina moms who reflected were more responsive than those who had savored. This effect may be explained by Latinx cultural values of collectivism and familism interacting with participants’ interpretation of the experimental tasks. These findings suggest the use of savoring and positive emotion to improve parent-child relationships and highlight the importance of studying the role of culture in psychological interventions.

Positive psychologists have published hundreds of empirical studies correlating positive personality traits with improved outcomes in mental health, physical health, academic and career success, resilience, relationships, and personal happiness. But there remains a dearth of research on the emergence and development of positive personality traits. This grounded theory, qualitative research sought to discover whether positive personality traits can be developed in adult mentoring relationships. Sixteen participants responded in structured interviews about the benefits of their mentoring experiences, and in addition to performing coding analysis as described by Strauss and Corbin (1990), the researcher also compared the answers to Peterson and Seligman's taxonomy of positive traits (2004). Unprompted participant responses overwhelmingly asserted increase of positive traits, as well as five other benefit categories. Improved traits appeared across a wide range of mentee characteristics, and situations, including negative ones, as long as mentors communicated unconditional positive regard and possessed desirable competencies. Social considerations of this research include the possibility that, in combination with therapies to address negative aspects of a client situation, therapists using intentional positive trait development could support recovery, resilience, hope, wisdom, thriving, and all of the benefits positive psychology has correlated to the presence of positive personality traits. Future studies building on this research may include a longitudinal study to understand what situations and character types are most conducive for positive trait development, as well as questions regarding which traits appear in which mentoring situations.

This qualitative study examined the phenomenology of advanced breast cancer (ABC) among 7 female participants between the ages of 20 and 45. Oral data were collected to extract participants' interpretations of their spiritual and psychosocial experiences of living with ABC. Findings suggest that these women experienced a dichotomous relationship with regard to their bodies and their relationships with others; this served as a means of making sense of their experiences and as a coping mechanism. Positive psychology and the theory of reasoned action and planned behavior provided the theoretical framework for examining the role of social reinforcements, beliefs, and attitudes and intentions on the health behavior of pre-menopausal African American women with ABC in Northern and Southern Delaware. Additionally, the theoretical framework provided answers to the overarching questions of how pre-menopausal African American women with advanced breast cancer applied meaning-making and spirituality to find purpose in their diagnosis. Inductive analysis of their narrative data suggested a set of themes: the body as a medical object, the body as a feminine object, honesty in relationships, missed opportunities from healthcare professionals, from wounded to mended, and the joy of purposeful living. The participants reported that an intimate relationship with God helped them feel supported in a way that family and friends could not. The findings in this study support potential spiritual and meaning-making interventions as well as promote a more positive quality of life for pre-menopausal women living with advanced breast cancer.-¬-¬-¬

Teaching is considered one of the most challenging professions, often associated with high levels of occupational stress and job turnover that perpetuates additional negative outcomes including depleted funding for school districts, poor education quality, and reduced student academic performance. Research shows that teachers are an integral part of the classroom with the power to positively influence students’ perceived classroom support and emotional competence (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009). Positive psychology has facilitated school-based initiatives that foster feelings of subjective well-being (happiness) through the implementation of brief, scripted activities (i.e., Positive Psychology Interventions; PPIs) that reflect the thoughts and behaviors of happy people (Layous & Lyubomirsky, 2014). Studies have demonstrated the positive impact of positive psychology interventions (PPIs) for adults (Bolier et al., 2013) and youth including a multicomponent, multitarget PPI (i.e., Well-Being Promotion Program) that improves students’ well-being (Suldo et al., 2015). McCullough’s (2015) investigation of the efficacy of a strengths-based intervention (Utilizing Signature Strengths in New Ways) on elementary teachers’ well-being revealed promising effects on teacher reduced emotional distress, increased life and work satisfaction, and SWB. This study examined the additive impact of teachers’ participation in the brief strengths-based teacher intervention (SBTI) on elementary students’ social and emotional outcomes, as reflected in levels of SWB, psychopathology, as well as classroom engagement and relationships among teachers and students. Concurrently, these elementary students took part in a Classwide Well-Being Promotion Program, a 10-week intervention targeting a variety of positive psychological constructs (i.e., positive relationships, gratitude, kindness, character strengths, hope) with additional parent and teacher components. A total of 7 classes (4 fifth grade; 3 fourth grade) within one large elementary school received the classwide, multicomponent student intervention in spring 2016, while 3 teachers were randomly assigned to participate in the SBTI concurrently. Follow-up analyses examined group differences on the variables of interest for the combined intervention (WBPP + SBTI) group, relative to classes of students engaged in the classwide-only intervention (WBPP). At immediate post-intervention, results revealed that classes of students participating in the combined intervention group did not demonstrate significantly improved student-reported life satisfaction, positive or negative affect, classmate or teacher support, emotional or behavioral engagement, nor teacher-reported relationship satisfaction, instrumental help, and emotional or behavioral engagement relative to the classwide-only intervention group. Additionally, students in classes within the combined approach reported statistically higher levels of negative affect and reduced levels of perceived teacher support relative to a classwide-only intervention group at immediate post-intervention, although the unexpected impact on negative affect appeared driven by data from students in the class led by a teacher with questionable fidelity of intervention implementation. Results of this study do not provide support that targeting teachers’ well-being through the SBTI may promote superior student outcomes for students concurrently engaged in the WBPP. Nonetheless, high levels of treatment acceptability reported by teachers and students participating in the combined intervention, as well as limitations to the study design, justify further investigation on the impact of targeting both teacher and student well-being in the context of positive psychological practices.

Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

<p>This research study employs a strengths perspective. This means that, instead of the traditional deficits or pathology-based approach of focusing on weaknesses, the focus is on positive outcomes. Fortitude, more specifically, is the strength gained from appraising oneself, one&rsquo / s family, and one&rsquo / s social support, in a positive manner. This strength equips people to cope successfully in stressful situations. Fortitude as a construct in the strengths perspective promises to give insight into student success because it takes more than one level of analysis into account. The current research study investigates whether there is a link between fortitude and academic achievement in first year students at the University of the Western Cape.</p>

Syfte och frågeställningar Syftet med denna undersökning är att genom intervention utvärdera vilken effekt Positiv Psykologi, i form av CASIO-modellen, har på välmående, stresshantering och copingförmåga hos elever som går tredje året på en idrottsinriktad gymnasieutbildning. Våra frågeställningar var: - Vilka skillnader kan vi se mellan för- och eftertesten i interventionsgruppen? - Vilka skillnader kan vi se mellan för- och eftertesten i kontrollgruppen? - Vilka skillnader kan vi se mellan interventions- och kontrollgruppen i för- och eftertesten? Metod Vi har använt oss av en kvantitativ interventionsstudie som pågick i sex veckor med en grupp elever som gick tredje året på ett idrottsinriktat gymnasium som valdes ut genom ett bekvämlighetsurval. Interventionen hade CASIO-modellen ( Circumstances, Attitude, Standards, Importance &amp; Other things) som grund. Denna modell är sprungen ur den positiva psykologin, och den syftar till att ge deltagarna verktyg att lösa problem i livet och öka sin livskvallitet. För att besvara våra frågeställningar har vi använt oss av tre olika enkäter som behandlar välmående, stress och copingförmåga. Dessa enkäter besvarades före och efter interventionen. För att analysera resultaten från för- och eftertesterna har vi använt oss av statistikprogrammet SPSS och gjort Paired Sample T-tests. Resultat När det kom till totat välmående och stresshantering fann vi inga statistiskt signifikanta förbättringar eller försämringar i interventionsgruppen. Däremot hade det skett statistiskt signifikanta försämringar inom vissa områden inom välmåendet. Interventionsgruppen hade dock statistiskt signifikant förbättrats på ett område inom copingförmåga och det var när det kom till strategin att ventilera tankar. Slutsats Vår studie gav inga större positiva effekter på gymnasieelever på ett idrottsinriktat gymnasium utan snarare tvärtom. Dock kan tidpunkten för för- och eftertesten fungera som en confounder som kan påverka de statistiskt signifikanta försämringar då eleverna hade en hög arbetsbelastning i skolan vid eftertesterna vilket de inte hade vid förtesterna. / Aim The purpose of this study was to investigate if Positive Psychology, in terms of the CASIOmodel, through intervention affected students at a sports gymnasium when it comes to wellbeing, stress and coping abilities. We focused on the following questions: - What differences can we see from the pre- to the after tests in the intervention group? - What differences can we see from the pre- to the after tests in the control group? - What differences can we see between the intervention- and control group in the pre and the after tests? Method The method we used in our study was a six week long quantitative intervention and the participants was students at a sports gymnasium. We used a convenience selection. We used the CASIO-model (Circumstances, Attitude, Standards, Importance &amp; Other things) as foundation for the intervention. This model is originated from the Positive Psychology and gives the participants tools to solve problems in life and increase their quality of life. To answer our questions we have used three different surveys that process well-being, stress and coping abilities. These surveys were handed out to the students before the intervention and one week after it was finished. To interpret the results we ran a couple of Paired Sample Tests in the statistic program SPSS. Results When it came to total well-being and stress there were no statistical significant changes in the intervention group. But when it came to some parts of the well-being there were some statistical significant deteriorations. In the coping ability survey there were some positive statistical significant changes in the coping strategy ventilate thoughts. Conclusions Our study did not have any major positive effects on students at a sports gymnasium, rather the opposite effect. The time for the pre- and after test  could work as a confounder that affects the result because by the time of the after test the students had a heavier workload at school than at the pretest.