You are encouraged to take the first four courses of the Foundations of Positive Psychology Specialization before starting this course and completing the Specialization Project. This course, taught by Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman brings all the key concepts from the first four courses to practice as you develop and test a new positive intervention for an audience of your choice. You identify opportunities in your daily life to increase the wellbeing by using knowledge you developed in the first four courses of the Specialization. In this final project, you evaluate the efficacy of a positive intervention based on subjective and objective measures. Then, you compare how empirical and non-empirically-based positive interventions can be applied to influence a person's wellbeing. Lastly, you reflect on how the fundamental elements of research methods are important in the everyday application of positive psychology.
After completing all five courses, learners earn a certificate signed by Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman, Dr. James Pawelski, Dr. Angela Duckworth, Dr. Claire Robertson-Kraft and Dr. Karen Reivich.
This course is part of the Foundations of Positive Psychology Specialization
Positive Psychology Specialization Project: Design Your Life for Well-being
Offered By
About this Course
4.7
276 ratings
What you will learn
Craft a positive intervention using a signature strength
Describe the character strengths that promote well-being
Identify your five signature strengths
Share your work by writing a post-intervention assessment
Skills you will gain
Character Strengths And VirtuesFlourishingPositive PsychologyPersonal Development
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
1Character Strengths: One Concept to Rule them All
Module 1 of the Positive Psychology Capstone reviews the VIA Character Strengths Classification and in particular asks the learner to identify his or her five signature strengths and assess if they are authentic.
9 videos (Total 30 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes
9 videos
1.2 Module 1 Overview1m
1.3 Assignment: Taking the VIA or reviewing your results51s
1.4 Interview: Paul Rozin on Character Strengths9m
1.5 James Pawelski's Review of Via Character Strengths8m
1.6 Signature Strengths2m
1.7 Disappointment in your Signature Strength47s
1.8 Does the strength seem to fit you?35s
1.9 How can you tell if the strength is authentically you?4m
2 readings
Chris Peterson: What makes life worth living10m
The World Well-Being Project10m
2 practice exercises
Practice Quiz 16m
Character Strengths10m
Week
2Peterson Theory on Psychological Mental Illness as defined as an Excess, an Absence, or an Opposite of a Character Strength rather than by the Presence or Absence of a Symptom in the DSM
Module 2 presents Chris Peterson's unfinished theory on mental illness. Specifically his belief that the absence of strengths, the excess of strengths, and the opposite of strengths might define 72 conditions of character weakness, and that these shortcomings might be a better framework than the DSM which uses a checklist of symptoms.
5 videos (Total 17 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes
5 videos
2.2 Peterson’s Theory6m
2.3 Assessment of Peterson’s 24 Absence and Opposite of Strengths4m
2.5 Contrasting Strengths Versus DSM2m
2.6 Using Character Strength in a Challenge2m
2 readings
Chris Peterson’s Unfinished Masterwork: The Real Mental Illnesses10m
Which Character Strengths are most Predictive of Well-Being?10m
2 practice exercises
Practice Quiz4m
Excess, Absence, and Opposite in Character Strengths10m
Week
3Developing a Positive Intervention using a signature strength to bolster a strength absence or strength opposite. Hypothesis & Experiment Design for Personal Positive Intervention
Module 3 has the learner target an area for remediation from among Peterson's inventory of 72 deviant strengths and craft a positive intervention using a signature strength.
5 videos (Total 27 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes
5 videos
3.2 Interview: Picking what works best for you from strengths banquet5m
3.3 Deliberate Practice11m
3.4 Laying the Foundation: Defining Measurement and Testing Happiness and Flourishing3m
3.5 What is a Positive Intervention?4m
2 readings
Articles on Research Methods10m
PERMA overview Well-Being Theory10m
2 practice exercises
Practice quiz on research methods and picking from strengths6m
PERMA, Positive Interventions, Research Methods10m
Week
4Putting the Positive Intervention into Action
Module 4 has the learner put the positive intervention into action, assess and the share the results, and finally reduce the positive intervention to writing so it can be shared.
8 videos (Total 20 min), 3 quizzes
8 videos
4.2 Trying the Positive Intervention2m
4.3 Aristotelian Balance2m
4.4 Interview: Using Strengths7m
4.5 Using Signature Strengths Instead of Weakness2m
4.6 Using Signature Strengths over time to Increase Happiness56s
4.7 Assignment: Retaking the PERMA and the PANAS assessment52s
4.8 Closing Thoughts2m
2 practice exercises
Practice quiz on Positive Interventions4m
Positive Interventions, Strengths10m
4.7
66 Reviews20%
started a new career after completing these courses
21%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
Top Reviews
By YA•Mar 11th 2018
A thought provoking workshop. How mental illness can be the lack, opposite or excess of our strengths. I enjoyed delving more into strengths and also having to come up with a positive intervention.
By CF•May 7th 2018
To all the lecturers and moderators thank you, thank you, thank you. I have found purpose and resilience and now I will start working on areas that I need to deve
Instructor
Martin E.P. Seligman, Ph.D.
Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology & Director, Positive Psychology CenterPositive Psychology Center
About University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (commonly referred to as Penn) is a private university, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. A member of the Ivy League, Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and considers itself to be the first university in the United States with both undergraduate and graduate studies.
About the Foundations of Positive Psychology Specialization
The University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman welcome you to Foundations of Positive Psychology. Our five-course specialization provides you with the key theories and research in the field of positive psychology as well as opportunities for application.
Course topics include
• Positive Psychology: Martin E.P. Seligman’s Visionary Science with Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman
• Positive Psychology: Applications and Interventions with Dr. James Pawelski
• Positive Psychology: Character, Grit and Research Methods with Dr. Angela Duckworth & Dr. Claire Robertson-Kraft
• Positive Psychology: Resilience Skills with Dr. Karen Reivich
• Positive Psychology Specialization Project with Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
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