Psicología positiva: ¿Una nueva forma de hacer psicología?

• Castro Solano, Alejandro ^[1]
  1. [1] Consejo Nacional de Investgiaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina
• Localización: Revista de Psicología, ISSN-e 1669-2438, ISSN 2469-2050, Vol. 6, Nº. 11, 2010, págs. 113-131
• Idioma: español
• Títulos paralelos:
  • Positive Psychology: A new way of practising psychology?
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo
• Resumen
  • español

    ¿Qué hace que una vida sea plena? ¿Cómo se alcanza la felicidad? ¿Quéhace que las personas sean exitosas? ¿Cómo se cultivan las virtudes y las fortalezas humanas? ¿Qué es lo que nos hace mejores personas? Éstas son preguntas típicas que intenta responder la denominada Psicología positiva (PP). Diversas investigaciones en el área de este nuevo enfoque de la psico-logía se han ocupado de temas tales como el bienestar psicológico, el optimismo, la gratitud, el sentido del humor, la sabiduría, la capacidad de perdonar, la creatividad, las fortalezas y los valores humanos, entre otros. Sin embargo, los psicólogos del siglo XX se ocuparon de estudiar temas ligados a las carencias humanas y su posible reparación: la depresión, los trastornos psicopatológicos, el estrés, la ansiedad, las adicciones, el suicidio, los trastornos de alimentación, entre otros.

  • English

    This paper attempts to show the development of Positive Psychology (PP) from its beginning (a decade ago) as a discipline inclined to the scientific study of the optimum psychicperformance of people, groups or institutions, in detriment of the classical interest onpsychopathological variables. The three central concerns of PP, that are the access routes to afulfilling life, are developed: the pleasant life (increase of positive emotions), the commitment(that can be attained by experiencing flow states) and the meaningful life (by applying personalstrengths to the development of something that goes beyond the individual (Seligman, 2002). Recently, Seligman (2009) added a fourth study concern: positive bonds (social life) as anaccess route to happiness. Also, psychotherapeutic interventions in PP aiming to improvepositive traits, to raise human strengths and the help given to the clients encouraging a positivechange –and not only to reduce the negative aspects– (Seligman, 2002) are pondered over.Besides, the most usual dissemination means for PP researches and the existing educationalprograms are shown. Ultimately, the future of PP is considered: If it is proposed as anotherbranch of psychology, or if it integrates to other fields in the professional practice ofpsychologists.

         

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