This course is part of the Foundations of Positive Psychology Specialization

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663 ratings
•
164 reviews

Martin E.P. Seligman, Ph.D.

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Offered By

Foundations of Positive Psychology SpecializationUniversity of Pennsylvania

About this Course

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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.

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Shareable Certificate

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Course 5 of 5 in the

Foundations of Positive Psychology Specialization

Approx. 13 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: French, Portuguese (European), Russian, English, Spanish, Japanese

What you will learn

Identify your five signature strengths

Describe the character strengths that promote well-being

Craft a positive intervention using a signature strength

Share your work by writing a post-intervention assessment

Skills you will gain

Character Strengths And Virtues
Flourishing
Positive Psychology
Personal Development

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 5 of 5 in the

Foundations of Positive Psychology Specialization

Approx. 13 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: French, Portuguese (European), Russian, English, Spanish, Japanese

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.87/5 (76 Ratings)

Martin E.P. Seligman, Ph.D.

Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology & Director, Positive Psychology Center

Positive Psychology Center

92,086 Learners

2 Courses

Offered by

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.

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating96%(3,231 ratings)

Week

Week 1

4 hours to complete

Character 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.

4 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 29 min), 1 reading, 3 quizzes

9 videos

1.1 Course Overview1m

1.2 Module 1 Overview1m

1.3 Assignment: Taking the VIA or reviewing your results51s

1.4 Interview: Paul Rozin on Character Strengths8m

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

1 reading

Chris Peterson: What makes life worth living10m

2 practice exercises

Practice Quiz 130m

Character Strengths30m

Week

Week 2

3 hours to complete

Peterson 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.

3 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 17 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes

5 videos

2.1 Module 2 Overview1m

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 Quiz30m

Excess, Absence, and Opposite in Character Strengths30m

Week

Week 3

4 hours to complete

Developing 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.

4 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 27 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes

5 videos

3.1 Module 3 Overview1m

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 strengths30m

PERMA, Positive Interventions, Research Methods30m

Week

Week 4

3 hours to complete

Putting 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.

3 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 20 min)

8 videos

4.1 Module 4 Overview1m

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 Interventions30m

Positive Interventions, Strengths30m

Reviews

4.8

164 reviews

5 stars
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4 stars
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3 stars
3.14%
2 stars
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1 star
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TOP REVIEWS FROM POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY SPECIALIZATION PROJECT: DESIGN YOUR LIFE FOR WELL-BEING

by LAJun 21, 2020

Excellent--I really enjoyed this course and was able to come up with some practical ways to continue being resilient in the future

by MPFeb 24, 2020

This course has really helped me in increasing the well being in my life. I am grateful to the creators of this specialization. Thank you!

by KKAug 4, 2019

This is a very good course in an excellent specialisation. Granted, the material could be organised a little better, but the results are something to behold anyway.

by EMar 6, 2019

Thank you so much for a wonderful course!! I enjoyed all five of them and they really changed my life and help shape my career!

View all reviews

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?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
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.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

Positive Psychology Specialization Project: Design Your Life for Well-being