D. Litt. et Phil. / In the past, psychology has typically focused on identifying and treating mental illness, psychological deficits and disabilities, and research was often concerned with the respective roles of nature and nurture in behavioural problems. A number of psychologists and researchers have initiated a paradigm shift to one of positive psychology which emphasises enhancing personal strengths, developing and maintaining well-being, and encouraging positive emotions. Little research however has thus far been done to investigate the role of nature and nurture in psychological wellness. The current study addressed this dearth in the scientific literature by investigating the possible relationships between temperament and psychological well-being, specifically character strengths and resilience. The study was based on the assumption that positive emotionality and psychological well-being may have biological roots, just as psychopathology has been found to have biological underpinnings. The biologically-based construct of temperament refers to the innate and stable aspect of an individual that impacts thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Psychological wellbeing, for the purposes of the current study, incorporated two elements, namely character strengths and resilience. Character strengths may be defined as positive characteristics within individuals. Resilience refers to coping with, and perhaps even thriving, when faced with challenging life situations.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:7262 |
| Date | 08 November 2011 |
| Creators | Hutchinson, Ann-Marie |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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