Monthly Archives: December 2014

Teamwork Levels the Status Playing Field

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 *This article first appeared on www.positivepsychologynews.com   It was dark in the theater. The crowd was hushed waiting for the big reveal. The musical was Sweeney Todd, and my college audience had heard from their friends about what happens when the first victim gets the ax (or in this case, the razor). The seat and foot on the trick chair drop, and the actor falls through the roof of the second floor set to the crash pad below. I had the good fortune to play Mrs. Lovett, and I had also sourced the barber’s chair for this production. At the time, I was backstage waiting for an entrance. I heard the moment in the music, and then I heard screams. Just like we rehearsed. But these weren’t the screams of an actor playing a character who was just killed. These were real… …

The Power of Positive Listening

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Listening is like driving.  Everyone thinks they are good at it.  But probably less than half of people really are.  That’s why I was interested by the research of Kate Muir. Research into how emotions change over time has revealed that negative emotions tend to fade to a greater extent over time compared to positive emotions, an effect known as the fading affect bias. Talking to others is an important way in which this process can be enhanced: frequent social disclosure of past emotional events can help dissipate negative emotions and maintain positive emotions.  The question is, how and why does talking help? Kate described experimental research which demonstrates that the degree of responsiveness of the listener during social disclosure is pivotal in how the speaker feels afterwards. Further, merely responding to the speaker is not enough.  This research provides… …

International Positive Education Network (IPEN)

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PBDC is thrilled to announce a new global organization, the International  Positive Education Network (IPEN). IPEN has launched to campaign for a shift in how young people are educated. The aim of IPEN is ” to bring together teachers, parents, academics, students, schools, colleges, universities, charities, companies and governments to promote positive education.”  Click here to learn more about the International Positive Education Network. IPEN is calling on like-minded individuals and organizations to sign their Manifesto for Positive Education. Click here to join the movement.

Call For Proposals – IPPA World Congress 2015

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The International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) is seeking proposals for presentations at the Fourth World Congress on Positive Psychology, which will be held June 25 – 28, 2015 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Historically, the World Congress has been the largest gathering of positive psychology researchers, practitioners and students, offering an unparalleled opportunity to share your work with colleagues from around the globe! IPPA is seeking proposals for presentations and posters that will introduce research, ideas, applications, and insights to our field. The submission deadline is January 15, 2015. For submission guidelines and other details visit: http://www.ippanetwork.org/wcpp2015/cfp